乗用馬の売買手続と法律問題（3）
　Horses Sales Produres and Legal Problem (3)

　編集子が普段乗降している駅前が，にわかに人であふれて歩きにくくなることが年に何回かあります。いわゆるジャンボ宝くじの発売の時期です。駅前には3台のボックスが並んでいますが，どうも過去に1等が出たことがあるらしく，真ん中のボックスにだけ，毎回延々と行列ができます。両隣のボックスはいつでも買えるのに，多くの人が炎天下で何時間も並んでいます。どこで買っても当る確率は同じなのに，とつい思ってしまいます。 ところで宝くじを並んで買う人と，競馬場に集う人とは何か様子が違います。宝くじを買う人はギャンブル好きというよりは，むしろ人生を変えたい人なのかもしれません。人生を変えるためには，炎天下での我慢など，我慢のうちには入らないということか。ということで小生も10 枚をバラで，誰も並んでいないおばさんのボックス で買い求めました。何度も言うようにどこで買っても当たる確率は同じです。10 枚しか買わなくても妄想は膨らみ，人生変更の期待感は高まります。結果は・・。6 等すら当たらず全滅。炎天下で並ぶべきだったのか。
　さて巻頭は平賀敦氏から寄稿いただいた「日本における競走馬の心電図研究の歩み」です。サラブレッドは競馬での走能力を基準に交配と淘汰が繰り返されてきている動物で，心肺機能もその走能力を支えるために特異な発達をとげています。そうした動物の心電図研究は，人間の医療分野の研究にも多くのヒントを与えてきていま す。本稿は，この分野の正当な後継者による総説です。
　2編目の馬事資料は中西真澄氏の「古代ローマ時代の馬名―馬のモザイク画と競走記録碑文―」の完結編です。 古代ローマ時代の図像資料や碑文から，当時の馬たちの馬名をリスト化して解説を加えた論文ですが，古代ローマの人々が馬に対してどういう感情を抱いていたかをリアルに想像させられる資料といえるでしょう。
　馬事往来も力作。柏村文郎氏による「ヨーロッパにおけるスポーツホースの育種改良の現状」です。欧州各地 では，かつては軍馬の育種改良がさかんに行われていました。しかし第二次世界大戦後，軍馬の需要はほぼ消滅しました。欧州の馬産家は，乗用馬の改良の目標をスポーツホースに切り替えて馬産を継続し，大きな成功をおさめています。本稿では，ヨーロッパのスポーツホースの血統，能力検定の詳細，評価基準についてわかりやすく解説されています。また日本におけるスポーツホースの育種改良の方向性について，貴重な提言もなされてい ます。
　特別記事として2本の記事を掲載しました。弁護士の八木由里氏には「乗用馬の売買手続きと法律問題」の最終稿をいただきました。八木氏には馬の売買にまつわる法律問題について3回にわたって大変わかりやすく説明していただきましたが，今回の最終稿には売買契約書のモデル案が例示されています。馬の売買にかかわる方は，無用なトラブルを防ぐために是非参考にしていただきと思います。
　また樋口徹氏には，昨年本会が招聘したホワイト教授の各地での講演の様子をレポートしていただきました。 また臨床獣医師ワーキンググループの活動についても書いていただきました。日本の馬の臨床家にとって知識を増やし技術を向上させる貴重な機会といえます。本年も異なる分野の専門家を招聘する予定ですが，多くの方が参加されることを願っています。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（編集委員長　楠瀬　良）

　The area in front of the station where I usually get on and off the train becomes bustling and packed with people, making it difficult to walk, a few times a year − namely, the time of year when Jumbo lottery tickets go on sale. There are three ticket booths lined up in front of the station, and apparently one of them sold a winning ticket in the past, so only the booth in the middle has an endless line of people in front of it every time. While tickets can be purchased at the booths on either side at any time, many people line up for hours under the blazing sun at the one in the middle. I can't help thinking to myself that the possibility of winning is the same no matter where you buy. As an aside, the people who line up to buy lottery tickets somehow seem different than those who converge at the horse racing tracks. With those who buy lottery tickets, it's not that they necessarily like gambling so much as that they are people who want to change their lives, perhaps. In order to change one's life, one needs the patience to wait under the blazing sun − though that probably doesn't fall under the category of patience. So on that note, yours truly bought 10 randomly picked tickets at the booth that never has a line. Like I've said many times, no matter where you buy it, the chance is the same. Even having bought only 10 tickets, my dreams swelled, and a sense of anticipation about changing my life grew. The results? I didn't even win 6th prize, the lowest one possible, making it a total wipeout. Maybe I should have lined up under the blazing sun.
　This issue starts out with "The History of Research in Japan on Electrocardiograms in the Racehorse," contributed by Atsushi HIRAGA and Shigeru SUGANO. Thoroughbreds are animals on which cross-breeding and selection have been carried out repeatedly, based on their running ability in horse races. And to support that running ability, exceptional progress has been made in their cardiopulmonary function as well. Electrocardiogram research on such animals has provided numerous hints for research in medical fields for humans too. This article is a review by the rightful successor to that field.
　Our second "Equine Resources" article is the second and final installment of "Studies on Horses' Names in Ancient Rome Based on Mosaics and Horse Racing Inscriptions" by Masumi NAKANISHI. The article is based on ancient Roman-era iconographic material and inscriptions, and it features a list of horse names from those times along with explanatory comments. It is thought-provoking material, as it certainly makes you imagine what kind of feelings the people of ancient Rome had with regard to horses. "Equine Comings & Goings" also features a powerful piece, namely "Current Status of the Breeding of Sport Horses in Europe" by Fumiro KASHIWAMURA. The breeding of military horses once flourished all over Europe. Yet after WWII, the demand for military horses essentially disappeared. European horse breeders continued producing horses, simply shifting their goal for horse improvement to sport horses, and they have achieved great success. This article explains in an easily understood way the details and evaluation standards for European sport horses' bloodlines and competency tests. It also offers a valuable recommendation regarding the direction of sport horse breeding in Japan. 　We've published two feature articles in this issue. From Yuri YAGI, we have the third and final installment in "Horse Sales Procedure and Legal Problems." Over the course of three articles, Yagi has explained for us in extremely simple terms the legal problems associated with horse sales. In this final piece, she presents a model draft for a horse sale contract. Readers who are involved in horse sales stand to benefit from using this as a reference in order to avoid unnecessary trouble. 　Also, Toru HIGUCHI has reported for us on the seminars given in various places by Professor White, who the society invited last year. He also writes for us about the activities of the 7th Equine Veterinarians Working Group. This can be considered a valuable opportunity for equine clinicians in Japan to increase their knowledge and improve their techniques. This year as well, we plan to invite a specialist from a different field, and we are hoping that a large number of you will attend.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(Editor-in-chief Ryo Kusunose)