ON

THE THOROUGHBRED HORSE.

INTRODUCTION.

THE RACEHORSE, perhaps, combines in the greatest degree perfection of symmetry and power with gracefulness of action, and therefore I propose first to introduce him to my readers.

To see one or two dozen three-year olds of the best blood in the world, in blooming condition, stripping for the great contest at Epsom, is a most impressive sight. Vivacity and courage mark every movement of their eyes and limbs as they lash out as if to feel their elasticity, while the head lads cautiously remove their neatly-made clothing.

There is something one may almost say supremely aristocratic in their whole demeanour as they step out of the enclosure, scarcely deigning to touch the sward, with their talented pilots looking neatness itself.

Without entering into any details as to the history of the present thoroughbred horse, I will merely say that it appears to me, from the information at my disposal, that we are indebted to the cross with the barb for the fine, speedy, and high-couraged animals to be

found among our thoroughbreds.

First-class barbs

appear to have been animals standing 15h. 2in., not very strongly built, but having fine trotting and galloping action, and, moreover, possessed of indomitable courage and endurance, but at the same time inclined to be restive; or, in the phraseology of old writers, 'difficult of management.' It has been asserted by some that our thoroughbreds have been descended from Eastern mares and horses. But there is no evidence of this; and, moreover, there certainly are two or three gaps in the pedigree of Eclipse--that prince of the stud-book.

But, apart from this, we have evidence that in the early part of the seventeenth century racehorses, and successful ones, were bred from barb stallions out of English mares, and that such a cross invariably defeated both the pure-bred English, and pure-bred barb horse. This can readily be understood from the happy combination of the fine quality, action, and courage of the barb, with the finer size, length, and stride of the English mare.

There cannot be the remotest doubt that the characteristics of our thoroughbred stock have very materially changed since these days.

The fine pastures, liberal diet, and careful and judicious crosses have all tended to produce the noble thoroughbred that we sometimes see, with all the fine size, power, and action necessary for all purposes for which the animal horse can be required, combined with the finest quality of his eastern ancestors.

From this it will be, as a matter of course, utterly hopeless ever again to attempt to find a more fitting sire elsewhere than is to be found among the ranks of our stud-horses, and equally hopeless to attempt to introduce from any other lineage an animal capable of coping successfully with them on the turf. Since their quality must be about the same as their best rivals, and with the addition of so much size and length, the issue of such a contest could never be for a moment in doubt.

But were we as jealous of retaining our finest specimens of thoroughbred stock-save and except in the case of our colonies-as the Arabs were of old, we should not have to lament that dearth of sound, powerful sires that now exists in nearly all parts of Great Britain,

SIZE.

Most men have their peculiar fancies with regard to the size of the racehorse, and will hold out for some particular limit in the standard measure as perfection.

I am not prepared to take up either the high or the low limit very strongly, as I have seen about as many good little as big horses, and vice versa, on almost every racecourse in the kingdom.

Take, for instance, the race between Stockwell and Teddington. The one was big enough to carry the other, yet the little one had the greatest weight, in addition to being a little amiss on the day; but nevertheless defeated his great adversary after, perhaps, one of the most severe struggles ever witnessed. We will

also take Fisherman and compare him with Blink Bonny, and further say that he was not superior to either Saunterer or Vedette, and a host of other moderately-sized animals. We have seen how, when up to his hocks in mud, the then pigmy Daniel O'Rourke cut down his opponents; how Midas bore Lord Exeter's colours to the fore so often; how the Flying Dutchman had enough to do to get the best of Hotspur; how Rowton, the Hero, Sweetmeat, Euclid, Venison, Beeswing, Andover, Weathergage, Saucebox, Underhand, Saunterer, Blink Bonny, Vedette, St. Alban's, Caller Ou, Tim Whiffler, the Marquis, and Macaroni were careless of the weights they carried and the distance of ground they went over; while Charles XII., Sir Tatton Sykes, Fleur de Lis, Hetman Platoff, Bay Middleton, the Flying Dutchman, Voltigeur, Stockwell, Rataplan, Surplice, Wild Dayrell, Fisherman, Leamington, the par nobile fratrum, Lifeboat and Gunboat, Buckstone, and Dictator, have shown us about equal results. Whatever the weight may be, however, there must be size and length somewhere, and, in my opinion, the more size and length there is on short legs the better.

FORMATION.

Were we to cull six out of all the horses we have ever seen that we think most nearly approaching perfection, they would be Sweetmeat, St. Alban's, Saunterer, Fandango, Tournament, and Vedette, and we should place them in the order named.