Horse Education.—To-day we place before our readers illustrations of several of the numerous articles, with the text of the numerous addresses, presented to Prof. Pratt, the horse educator. By close observation, an accurate knowledge of the construction of the horse and its habits, and above all by a recognition of those sound common-sense principles advanced by the best teachers of the human kind. Mr. Pratt has been enabled to build up a system which for its thoroughness and adaptability is unexcelled in the present day. That this is not an unwarranted assertion is proved incontestably by the testimony of the leading horsemen of the United States and Canada, though Mr. Pratt has been but a short time in the Dominion. Wherever he has established classes, a just tribute has been paid to his great services both to man and beast. In Baltimore 3,590 pupils surrounded him, and he left with the thanks of the citizens, and was presented with a magnificently mounted whip. Detroit rallied 1,200 members, who gave the Professor a musical box to sweetly play the song of their appreciation. The Washington class of 2,500 members, presented a gold medal, and that of Philadelphia, of 4,886 members, a gold-headed cane. Toronto has not been behindhand, for, as already announced, the class here made a presentation of a beautiful tea-service and illuminated address. The Toronto class now numbers 1,254 members.
The Toronto Globe, in brief but well considered words, declares:
Prof. Pratt’s lectures on the treatment of animals are invaluable to farmers and all owners of horses and cattle. We only wish every farmer and farmer’s boy in Canada could attend one lecture.
The Canada Farmer, the leading agricultural paper of the Province, in describing a visit to my exhibitions and lectures, remarks:
We have seldom passed an evening so pleasantly, or with so much real profit, and our advice to every farmer and farmer’s son in the country is, to take a course of lessons if possible, but at all events to attend one of Professor Pratt’s public exhibitions. We feel perfectly satisfied that a couple of hours spent in witnessing one of these performances will impart a better idea of the nature and management of the horse than is possible to obtain by any course of reading on the subject, and in this respect alone one such entertainment is worth fifty times the amount charged for a life-membership.
I next visited the city of Hamilton, where I was welcomed by many warm friends, who took an active interest in my welfare and seemed delighted with my system, which, at this time, had gained great favor with the Canadian people. Here I formed a large and profitable class, and secured the friendship of many, from whom I have since met a cordial reception.
Leaving Hamilton, I directed my course to the town of Whitby, where I formed a class of one hundred and twenty-five; next visiting Oshawa, where my class reached the number of one hundred and forty; then to Bowmanville, where a class of a hundred rewarded my efforts; from there to Port Hope, where one hundred and fifty joined the class I opened; thence to Belleville, where I enrolled about one hundred names. After having left the latter place for about a week, I was followed by a messenger, dispatched to me by my class, who bore a diploma highly eulogizing my system. It was as follows:
Belleville, May 11, 1875.