Summary: Osmer shows us, by what he argues against, the primitive
state of horse-breeding in England where a superstitious belief in
bloodline with no attention to conformation rules. This is
difficult for the modern reader to even visualize, after the late
19th century development of conformation norms for all breeds of
animal. Notable for a description of horse raising and use among
the nomad Arabs, evidence of the survival of the ancient Nisaean
breed in Turkey, and stories of the Godolphin Arabian.


Transcriber's Note: I have retained most of the original
spellings, as it may be valuable to see how such things have
changed over the centuries. These odd spellings are marked with a
double asterisk (**) not referencing any sort of note. The use of
capitalization or all-caps is as in the original.


A
DISSERTATION
on
HORSES:
wherein it is demonstrated, by Matters of Fact, as well as from
the Principles of Philosophy, that INNATE QUALITIES do not exist,
and that the excellence of this Animal is altogether mechanical
and not in the Blood.

By WILLIAM OSMER

London:
Printed for T. Waller, 1756