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THE HORSE 
 
 BY 
 
 WDjLIAM youatt. 
 
 [UErEINTED PEOM "kNIGHT's STORE OF KNOWLEDGE."] 
 
 ^ ^zia Ctiitton, Ut^t'Oiit^ anU KeijiscU, 
 
 WITH OBSERYATIOXS ON" BREEDING CAVALRY HORSES, 
 
 BY CECIL, 
 
 AUTHOE OP 
 
 " THE STXJD FABM," " STABLE PRACTICE," " BECOEDS OP THE CHASE," 
 
 ETC. ETC. 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 LONDON; 
 G. ROUTLEDGE & CO. FARRINGDON STREET; 
 
 NEW YORK: 18, BEEKMAN STREET. 
 1855. 
 
Sen:^/eci]'3 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Character of the Horse Page 1 
 
 The Wild Horse 4 
 
 Foreign Breeds of Horses 7 
 
 The Abyssinian Horse 11 
 
 The Barb and the Australian Horse 12 
 
 The Turkish Horse ._ 14 
 
 The Dutch Horse 15 
 
 The Danish and the Swedish Horse 16, 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 History of the English Horses 18 
 
 Classification of Horses in the 16th century — The Gentill — The 
 Palfrey— The Great Horse— The Hobby— The " Gret Doble" 
 
 —The Curtal— The Gambaldinge— The Amblinge 26 
 
 Breed of Race-horses 31 
 
 Flying Childers, King Herod, &c 37, 40 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Varieties of English Horses , 47 
 
 The Race-horse, 47— The Hunter, 51— The Hackney, 54— 
 The Cavalry Horse, 59— The Coach-horse, 60— The Gallo- 
 way, 64 — The Cart-horse, 65 — The Clydesdale, and the 
 Dray-horse, 67 — The Fanner's Horse .,_......... 68 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Statistics and Performances of Horses 70 
 
 Early Training 88 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Conformation of the Horse , . 92 
 
 The important Points of a Horse 93, 96 
 
 The Teeth, 97— The Foot, &c 101 
 
IV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 On Breeding Stock Page 110 
 
 Superiority of our present Breed of Horses, 118 — Galloways, 
 119 — Appearances often fallacious, 124 — Selection of proper 
 Crosses, 132 — Breeding of Cocktails, 139 — Of Cavalry Horses, 
 149— Eoadsters, 155— The Cart-horse 156 
 
 CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 Treatment and Management of the Horse 160 
 
 The Stable, 160— The Horse's Food 165 
 
 General Management of Horses 176 
 
 Teaching to Leap 180 
 
 On the Condition of Horses 185 
 
 Management of Farm-horses _ 187 
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 Diseases of Horses 188 
 
 Congestion, 189 — Inflammation, 191— Colic, 192 — Worms, — 
 Catarrh, 193 — Cough, 194 — Glanders, 195 — Inflammation 
 of the Kidneys, 195— Of the Eye, 196— Of the Brain, 197— 
 Pleurisy, 197 — Inflammation of the Synovial Membranes, 
 199_Spavin, 200— Farcy, 202— Grease, 203— Splints, 204— 
 
 Diseases of the Feet, &c , 205 
 
 Eoaring 214 
 
 Appendix 221 
 
 Index ^ 223 
 
 ILLUSTEATIVE ENGEAVINGS. 
 
 The Eace-hokse , - Frontispiece 
 
 The Wild Horse -^ 5 
 
 The Barb 12 
 
 Weight-carrying Hunter 15 
 
 The Shetland Pony 64 
 
 The Dray-horse .' 67 
 
 Steeple-chase Horse 153 
 
 Match-trotter 185 
 
THE HORSE 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE CHAEACTEE OF THE HOESE. 
 
 The horse is now one of the most universally distributed 
 animals, and everywhere he is recognized as the most useful 
 amongst the quadruped servants of man, yielding in intelli- 
 gence to the dog alone, and perhaps not. to him ; for, in those 
 countries — some portions of Arabia, for instance — in which 
 he is admitted to the full and unrestricted companionship of 
 man, sharing his food with the family of his master, and, like 
 them, a dweller in the tent, his sagacity far surpasses that 
 of our stable-reared horses, however affectionately they may 
 be treated. In the early ages of the world the horse seems 
 to have been devoted to the purposes of war or pleasure, 
 whilst the ox was the agricultural drudge. But the beauty, 
 strength, and tractability of the horse have now connected 
 him, directly or indirectly, with almost all the purposes of 
 life. If he differ in different countries in form and size, it is 
 from the influence of climate, food, and cultivation ; but other- 
 wise, from the war-horse, as he is depicted in the sculptures 
 of ancient temples, to the stately charger of Holstein and of 
 Spain, or from the fleet and beautiful Arabian to the diminu- 
 tive Shetlander, there is an evident similarity of form and 
 character which clearly stamps his common origin. 
 
 There are many important events which at the present 
 
2 THE HOBSE. 
 
 crisis combine to render tlie breeding of horses a topic of 
 stirring interest to numerous classes of Her Majesty's loyal 
 subjects. It is a fact worthy of remark, that although the 
 number of thorough-bred horses reared in the United King- 
 dom during the past year exceeds that of any other period, 
 higher prices have been given for yearlings than on any 
 previous occasion. As the thorough-bred horse is the source 
 from which all the most valuable kinds are produced, not 
 only for racing, but likewise for the pleasurable engagements 
 of hunting, riding, driving, and services of utility, the true 
 position in which we stand as regards the production, the 
 supply and demand of these useful and valuable animals, 
 cannot, it is presumed, fail to attract attention and curiosity ; 
 and as this nation is unfortunately engaged in war, the 
 sources from which our gallant troops can be mounted are 
 considerations of no mean importance. 
 
 Yarious opinions have recently been expressed concerning 
 our breed of horses. It has been gravely asserted, that the 
 race-horses of the present day have degenerated when com- 
 pared with their ancestors ; that the customs of racing have, 
 indeed, led to this degeneracy, and that they are calculated 
 to increase it : moreover, that the supply of horses for 
 purposes of utility is unequal to the demand. Theories have 
 been promulgated, and suggestions advanced, as to the most 
 effective means of correcting these alleged evils. One gen- 
 tleman who has written on the subject, proposes to resort to 
 the Arab blood to regenerate our racing stock, and recom- | 
 mends in connection with that plan the revival of races ; 
 at long distances as tests of stoutness ; assuming that such ' 
 
 a ' to j 
 
 measures would promote a breed of horses adapted to the use 
 of our cavalry. Another advocates the introduction of three- 
 parts bred sires to produce horses for the military service. 
 However weU intended, as no doubt each of their proposi- : 
 
THE HOKSE. 3 
 
 tions are, tliey are entirely opposed to improvement, or the 
 attainment of the objects irt contemplation. For the purpose 
 of forming correct opinions, it is necessary to consider each 
 subject separately ; and as the thorough-bred sire is the only 
 parent stock from irhich the other valuable kinds can be 
 produced with success, some research into his origin, and the 
 lineage by which the breed has been perpetuated, together with 
 the agency — namely, racing — by which his repute has been 
 established, must necessarily form a portion of these ob- 
 servations. Comparing the performances of the ancient 
 worthies with those of modern times, is the only means of 
 deciding on the question of degeneracy. The expressions of 
 opinions unaccompanied by illustrative examples afford but 
 indefinite arguments. Racing has been the foster-mother of 
 the high-bred courser, it is the test of his breeding, his 
 speed, his power of endurance, his courage, and his stamina ; 
 and although it must be admitted there are many rules and 
 customs connected with the turf which are open to objections, 
 it must be remembered that the time has not arrived when 
 human laws shall be perfect. 
 
 Our sheep, cattle, and other domesticated animals are also 
 useful and valuable to us, and shame on him who can neglect 
 or abuse them. But in the horse — not perhaps to the same 
 extent as in the dog, but still to a great extent — it is our 
 own fault if we have not a friend as well as a servant. 
 When well treated, he becomes sincerely and ardently attached 
 to us ; the utmost of his strength and speed is at our call, and 
 he is never happier than when employed in our service. He 
 even enters into many of our enjoyments with as great 
 delight as we ourselves. See him following the hounds — 
 there never was a rider who entered more thoroughly into 
 the ardour of the chase than he does. 
 
 So great is the docility of the horse, that he is readily 
 b2 
 
4 THE nossE. 
 
 trained to occupations adverse to tlie natural gentleness 
 of his nature. Those who have witnessed a battle, or even a 
 sham fight, in which cavalry are engaged, must have been 
 struck with the perfect identity of the horse and his rider — 
 the former obeying implicitly the directions of the latter, and 
 standing fire just as unflinchingly as does the soldier himself. 
 With kind treatment, there is little within the comprehension 
 of an animal which the horse is not capable of attaining ; 
 and no animal, not even the dog, more fully comprehends, 
 or more readily masters, the lessons given to him. The 
 astonishing feats of the horses of the circus are an additional 
 exempHfication of this, and their accomplishments are in- 
 variably the results of the anxiety of the docile animals to 
 obey their teachers, who know their business too well to 
 make use of any unnecessary harshness towards their pupils. 
 
 In many countries of modern times, wild horses have a 
 material influence on the breed. The Cossacks take vast 
 numbers on the desert tracts in the vicinity of the Don, and 
 breed from them by crossing them with their domesticated 
 horses, which are said to be much improved thereby. If 
 this be correct, their domesticated horses must be very 
 inferior animals. These herds are the offspring of the 
 Hussian- horses used at the siege of Azof, when Peter the 
 Great took it from the Turks. From want of provender, he 
 was compelled to set nearly all his cavalry horses at liberty, 
 and these have now become wild, associating in troops like 
 other wild horses. Such of these horses as have remained 
 on the lowlands near the river are of a large size, as is usual. 
 Those which have penetrated to the mountain districts 
 resemble the horses from which they sprang. 
 
 There is a great difference between the wild horse of Asia 
 and that of South America. The former, unless taken young, 
 can scarcely be tamed j the latter is remarkable for the readi- 
 
THE HOBSE. 5 
 
 ness witli wliicli it becomes domesticated, and tliat thoroughly, 
 as we shall see when we speak of the Australian horse. It 
 has been conjectured that this readiness to succumb to man's 
 rule is the eflfect of climate ; others, again, produce it as an 
 instance of the improvement in the cerebral development of 
 the South American horse, inherited from progenitors which 
 have been domesticated for many centuries, and which is no 
 doubt the correct inference. 
 
 In a wild as well as in a domesticated state the sympathy 
 of horses for each other is great. In the thinly-inhabited 
 portions of South America the custom in travelling is to 
 catch a wild horse with the lasso, load him, and proceed a 
 reasonable distance, till a fresh horse can be caught. If the 
 traveller, on his unwilling steed, should fall in with a troop 
 of wild horses, these will eagerly call to their burdened com- 
 panion to shake off his load. He is not long in taking the 
 hint ; and in such cases nothing but plenty of nerve and 
 strength on the part of the rider, accompanied with a free 
 use of the s-pur, will prevent the animal from disengaging 
 himself from his burden, and taking to his heels. 
 
 It would be easy to 'fill an entertaining volume with in- 
 stances of the sagacity of the horse, were this the place for 
 such considerations. His general character may be shortly 
 summed up as possessing patience, willingness, fidelity, and 
 friendship in the highest degree, especially attaching himself 
 to man when well treated ; but he will not, like the dog, 
 preserve these qualities under ill-treatment, evidently taking 
 it to heart, and becoming, in consequence, stupid, spiritless, 
 and generally of little value. He who would ill-use this 
 noble animal not only acts against his own interest, but de- 
 grades himself far below the condition of his victim. An 
 unmerciful man to his horse should, by common consent, be 
 a marked man. Any show of good qualities which such a 
 
THE HOKSE. 
 
 man may pretend to is mere hypocrisy. Let all men shun 
 him. 
 
 The horse is one of the most important acquisitions made 
 by man from the animal kingdom. Without him civilization 
 would have made little progress, and European nations would 
 have been, even now, scarcely emerged from barbarism. Agri- 
 culture, commerce, our luxuries and pleasures, are alike in- 
 debted to this noble animal, whose form and sagacity would 
 appear to have been adapted by Providence to the service of 
 man ; and such is his pliability of physical structure and 
 constitution, that man may mould him to the form and bulk 
 best fitted for the particular service in which he is to be 
 employed, whether as the symmetrical racer, or as the heavy 
 draught-horse which forms one of the most formidable ob- 
 structions in the overgorged thoroughfare of the metropolis. 
 
 The principal locality of wild horses exists in South 
 America, where they herd in countless numbers in the plains 
 extending from La Plata to Patagonia. These were origi- 
 nally introduced by the Spaniards, and have increased with 
 incredible rapidity ; so much so, that by some travellers their 
 single troops are numbered by tens of thousands. The colour 
 of the South American wild horse is generally chestnut, bay, 
 sorrel, or black, and they are destined to exercise a great in- 
 fluence on the newly-sprung countries of the Pacific, into which 
 they are chiefly introduced from the ports of Chili and Peru. 
 
 When the Spaniards first landed in Mexico, their horses 
 were objects of wonder, and they impressed the inhabitants 
 with the idea that horse and rider were one animal of the 
 Centaur species. 
 
 The horse is eaten in some parts of South America, espe- 
 cially in the southern portions, and its flesh is esteemed a 
 great delicacy. Horseflesh is amongst these people con- 
 sidered as necessary at the festive board, as is the sirloin of 
 
THE HOESE. 7 
 
 beef amongst ourselves ; tlie less that is said, hovrever, about 
 their mode of preparing it for the table, the better. 
 
 FOREIGIf BREEDS OF HORSES. 
 
 And first of these stands the Arabian — a vague term, as 
 has been seen; the breed of horses being as diverse as 
 the districts on which they have been reared. Generally 
 speaking, we attach more value to these horses than they 
 really possess. Arabia is the land of romance to Europeans, 
 and its horses have lost nothing by romantic associations. 
 With the exception of the head, the majority of Arabian 
 horses would scarcely pass muster at Tattersall's — at any 
 rate, not as first-rate horses. They are, for the most part, 
 deficient in height, and very light in the body. Their powers 
 of endurance are, however, great. We once experienced 
 great pain in sitting behind four of them across the Egyptian 
 desert, over which they took us in about fifteen hours, in- 
 cluding of course long stoppages, as were requisite. We 
 remonstrated with the driver that the horses were not 
 changed, and the reply was, that there were none to change. 
 He, however, asserted that they would be none the worse for 
 it, and to judge by the appearance of the animals on reaching 
 Cairo, we were of the same opinion. We scarcely think 
 that an English horse of greater strength could have borne 
 up so well against the sands of the desert, though the 
 track, till within a few miles of Cairo, was pretty good. On 
 reaching the last station but one, we presented our steeds 
 with a bottle each of Guinness's stout, which seemed to have 
 a magical effect. 
 
 By far the most beautiful variety of the Arab horse is the 
 Barb, as he is called from his having been brought to this 
 country from Barbary, as vague a term as is Arabia, including 
 the country between Tunis and Morocco. The Barb is, how_ 
 
8 THE HORSE. 
 
 ever, small, rarely exceeding fourteen hands, and is tlius 
 considerably less than the Bedouin horse of North and East 
 Arabia. This breed of horses was introduced long ago into 
 England ; the celebrated Godolphin Arabian, so called, was 
 supposed to be a Barb. It is to this breed that Spanish horses 
 owe their fire and beauty, and most of our best English race- 
 horses have the blood of the Barb in their veins. It is, how- 
 ever, remarkable that, considering the lavish expenditure on 
 improving the breed of English horses, no attempts have 
 been made to procure any of the mares of the highest Arabian, 
 stock. We appear to have placed the chief dependence on. 
 the Arab stallion, though it is well known to Oriental breeders 
 that the mare is of by far the greater importance. Whoever 
 attempts further to infuse Arab blood into the English horse 
 should go to Muscat or its vicinity for his stock ; and not, as 
 is frequently done, to Egypt or the Barbary coast, where 
 the horses are, for the most part, small. The "author says that 
 the Arabs will not part with any of their finest mares. This 
 is, however, an error ; there is little that an Arab wiU not 
 part with for money, and though it is characteristic of the 
 Arab, as of all other horse-breeding people, to be fond of his 
 charge, yet the romantic tales of travellers respecting his 
 attachment to his horse must not be altogether taken for 
 granted. Travellers well know how to season their narratives 
 with romance; they know also that public taste demands 
 that they should do so, and the more especially with refer- 
 ence to the East. Either they are romancing, or we are very 
 deficient in perception, having in our own experience found 
 people in the East just as common-place as anywhere else, 
 and, amongst the rest, the historically-magnanimous Arab to 
 the full as mercenary as a Houndsditch Jew. 
 
 The. Arab horse bears a high character for his docility and 
 sagacity, and it would be strange if he did not possess both 
 
THE HOESE. 9 
 
 qualities. He is brouglit up in liis owner's tent, and literally 
 with, his family. In the absence of any other amusement, 
 the education of the foal is a primary object. He is in- 
 variably tindly treated, and soon acquires a desire to please 
 his biped companions, and to take a pride in executing all 
 they require of him. The constant companion of man, he 
 soon learns to imitate man in every particular of which he is 
 capable. Any horse placed in the same position would 
 acquire the same qualities. It is said of the Arab horse that 
 if its rider fall, and be too much injured to rise, the steed 
 will stand still, and neigh till assistance arrives. If he lie 
 down to sleep, his horse will watch over him, and rouse him 
 at the approach of man or beast. Upon these desirable 
 qualities anecdotes without number have been constructed. 
 
 The dry air and sands of Arabia are well adapted to 
 produce muscular fibre, but no superfluous fat. The Arab 
 is as lean as his steed, and the enduring power of both is 
 wonderful. Patigue, privations, and thirst, are the lot of 
 both, and their country makes them what they are, i.e., 
 adapted to the climate. It has been well observed that good 
 racers could no more be bred amongst marshes and bogs, than 
 cart-horses in the deserts of Arabia: the former would be loaded 
 with flesh and phlegm — the latter would melt and starve. 
 
 The skin of light-coloured Arabians is either pure black, 
 or blueish-black, and this gives them the silvery-grey colour, 
 so much esteemed. Bay and chestnut are common, and are 
 considered good colours. Horses of a dark grey colour are 
 not so much esteemed as runners. 
 
 But there are in fact many breeds of horses in Arabia. 
 In Egypt alone they reckon five, the least of which can 
 scarcely be classed above the rank of ponies, the hardiness 
 and speed of which is surprising, though labouring under 
 every possible disadvantage but that of kind treatment. 
 
10 THE HORSE. J 
 
 As our space will not permit us to enter into tliese varieties, '\ 
 we will notice tlie noble breed only, which is thus described | 
 by Count Ezeiousky : — ] 
 
 ** Above all the horses in the world, the Kolilan is dis- ;, 
 tinguished for the goodness of his qualities and the beauty of ; 
 his form. An uncommon mildness of temper ; an unalterable ;; 
 faithfulness to his master; a courage and intrepidity as 1 
 astonishing as they are innate in his noble breast ; an unfail- i 
 ing remembrance of the places where he has been — of the : 
 treatment he has received ; not to be led, not to be touched 
 but by his master." 
 
 The Arab horse is not gorged with large quantities of 
 food as English horses are. In spring, they are turned out | 
 to pasture, when pasture is available ; in the desert it is out 
 of the question. At other periods of the year, their day's 
 provender does not exceed five or six pounds of barley, with 
 sometimes a little cut straw, and on this" they can sustain 
 fatigue and exertion far beyond the endurance of an English i 
 horse, in their own climate. The Arabs give them a very ' 
 small quantity of drink two or three times a day ; judging j 
 that an unlimited supply of water would not only destroy ! 
 their shape, but affect their breathing also. I 
 
 The Bedouin Arabs are great horse-breeders, and produce ; 
 some first-rate animals ; but from their unsettled mode of 1 
 life, as well as their innate knavery, little dependence cam 
 be placed on the pedigree of their horses. The skill of 
 these people as breeders is unsurpassed in any country, and 
 their accumulated experience is handed down from father to 
 son by oral tradition, never by written rules. 
 
 The genealogy of the horse is reckoned from the mother ; 
 and the Arabs are as particular in their pedigree of the noble 
 breeds of horses as in that of their chiefs. It is an undoubted 
 fact that they have pedigrees amongst them of not less than 
 
THE HORSE. 11 
 
 five hundred years, with, the succession distinctly traced. 
 In the case of these horses, it is necessary for the chiefs to 
 attest the coition of the animals, and also to certify the birth 
 of the foal. If either of these prescribed formalities have 
 not been attended to, the colt, however good his points, has 
 lost caste, and will never bring a good price, or be considered 
 of value, however fine may be his action. 
 
 THE ABYSSINIAN HORSE. 
 
 Upper Egypt produces horses of much larger stature than 
 the Arab— or rather we should have said Abyssinia, for the 
 original stock is from the deserts of the latter country. 
 They possess great speed, and can endure almost any 
 amount of fatigue, the universal characteristic of the 
 Oriental horse. Some of these have been imported into 
 England, but do not seem to have answered the expectations 
 of their importers, and for the usual reason — stallions were 
 imported instead of mares. " Possibly," says the author, 
 " with three-part bred mares, they might improve our 
 cavalry horses." It is more probable, that if the mares were 
 imported, and put to our best stallions, they would improve 
 our breed of useful horses. These animals sometimes fetch 
 a high sum in Egypt, the breeders of which country are no 
 bad judges. Borman thus writes of them : — " They are the 
 most perfect in the world, beautiful and symmetrical in their 
 parts, nervous and elastic in their movements, and docile 
 and affectionate in their manners." Bruce speaks of them in 
 terms equally high, and now that, by the facilities of transit 
 through Egypt, their acquisition would be comparatively 
 easy, it would be worth the while of any speculator to visit 
 Upper Egypt in search of so promising a breed. 
 
 " What figure," says Bruce, " these horses would make in 
 point of fleetness, is very doubtful, their make being so 
 
12 THE HOESE. : 
 
 entirely different from tliat of the Arabian ; but if beautiful 
 and symmetrical parts, large size, strength, and most agile, 
 nervous, and elastic movements, great endurance of fatigue, 
 docility of temper, and seeming attachment to man beyond any 
 other domestic animal, can promise anyi/hing, these horses 
 are, above all comparison, the most eligible in the world." 
 
 THE BAEB 
 
 Ts not properly an Arab horse, but a race nearly allied. 
 They are supposed to have been produced by a cross with 
 Algerine horses, these being a cross with a south European 
 breed and the Arab. They are often larger than the Arab, 
 with fine heads and crests, well formed about the shoulder, 
 with straight backs, drooping considerably towards the 
 haunches. They are remarkably swift. 
 
 These horses are seldom kept in stables, but are picketed 
 to the ground. They are watered and fed only once a day, 
 the former at one o'clock, and the latter at sunset. The 
 mode of cleaning the horse is to plunge him in a river two or 
 three times a week, and allow him to dry without being 
 rubbed down. 
 
 The superiority of some of these horses has been proved in 
 England ; the Godolphin Arabian, as already stated, was sup- 
 posed to be a Barb, and contributed more to the improve- 
 ment of our racers than any other foreign horse before or since. 
 
 THE AUSTRALIAN HOESE. 
 
 The horse is not indigenous to Australia, most of the 
 indigenous animals of this singular country being of the 
 marsupial class alone, of which the kangaroo is a type. At 
 first, horses were exclusively imported from England, but 
 they were found rapidly to degenerate. The coasts of Chili 
 and Peru were then tried for mares, and this step was fol- 
 
THE HORSE. 13 
 
 lowed by the production of a breed admirably suited to tlie 
 country. Surefootedness and endurance are now eminently 
 the characteristics of the Australian horses, and their sagacity 
 probably exceeds that of all other breeds. It is wonderful to 
 see an Australian stockman at full speed after a drove of wild 
 cattle, amidst a mass of forest of which neither he nor his 
 horse have the slightest knowledge. The ground beneath his 
 feet is full of yawning chasms in the earth, caused by the 
 dryness of the climate, whilst the overhanging branches 
 threaten him every moment with such blows on the head, as, 
 if not avoided, would speedily put an end to his horsemanship. 
 Under these circumstances, there seems to be a compact 
 ])etween horse and rider, that the horse shall look at all 
 dangers beneath his feet,- whilst the rider ducks between the 
 overhanging branches ; and between them they perform feats 
 which few English steeple-chasers would face, though acci- 
 dents are very rare. 
 
 A similar, and perhaps a still better, breed is rapidly being 
 introduced into New Zealand. The breeding stock is the 
 same, but from the greater favourableness of the climate, it 
 is probable that this country will produce one of the finest 
 breeds of horses in the world. The South American horses 
 imported here are fresh from the prairie, where they have 
 been caught with the lasso, and the operation of breaking 
 them does not take place till after they are landed, several 
 Chilian or Peruvian horse-breakers always accompanying the 
 cargo for the purpose. 
 
 We have often witnessed the process of these persons in 
 breaking the wild horse as he finds a purchaser from the ship. 
 As it is curious, and may afford hints to English horse- 
 breakers, we will describe it. A post is firmly fixed in the 
 ground, to which a ring is attached. The horse is then 
 brought to the post with a long halter, and made fast. The 
 
14 THE HOESE. 
 
 breaker takes liis ponclio— a large cloak worn by tlie South 
 Americans — and ties it round tbe ej^es of the horse, so as to 
 blindfold him. The animal is then left to himself, and shortly 
 begins to tremble with fright at his unusual helpless position. 
 A profuse perspiration breaks out upon him, and if suffered 
 to continue thus, he falls from the exhaustion of the nervous 
 system caused by his fright. Before this takes place, a rude 
 saddle is placed on his back, heavily weighted at the stirrups, 
 and to this he quietly submits. Presently, when the animal 
 is stupified, the breaker goes up to him, and patting his neck 
 and otherwise caressing him, in some respects soothes him, 
 and this goes on till the horse exhibits signs of reliance on 
 the breaker. By-and-by, the poncho is removed, and the 
 lesson wished to be imparted has been learned, viz., — that of 
 looking on man, who has relieved him from the fearful 
 poncho, as his friend. 
 
 We have seen this lesson so skilfully .administered, that 
 the breaker has removed the weighted stirrups, and mounted 
 on the bare back of the horse, which behaved with perfect 
 docility. More generally, however, the lesson — always the 
 same— has to be repeated, till the horse becomes perfectly 
 docile, having learned to rely on man. And if afterwards 
 kindly treated, there are no more docile horses to be found 
 than these recently wild horses of the prairie. 
 
 THE TUEKISH HOESE. 
 
 The only remaining Oriental horse worthy of notice is the 
 Turkish horse. These are principally descended from those 
 of Arabia, Persia, and Barbary. Their bodies are long, and 
 their cruppers elevated ; their foreheads are slender, and they 
 carry their heads higher than the Arabian. They possess 
 much fire and spirit, are extremely active, and are admirably 
 fitted for the operations of Turkish cavalry. They are 
 
i IlllillliPIII |I''i|L 
 
THE HOESE. 15 
 
 very affectionate, evincing great regard for their masters and 
 tlie attendant grooms. 
 
 The Turks never strike their horses, and the animals, as a 
 matter of course, never bite nor turn restive, their gentleness 
 and obedience being perfect. The Turks take a pride in 
 their horses, even beyond the Arab : and much as we have all 
 read of the Turkish ferocity, these people are, ^J«r excellence, 
 the most kind-hearted of the human race. They caress their 
 horses with almost as much affection as their offspring, and 
 iheir children are taught to treat them with equal gentleness. 
 They especially delight to teach their horses all kinds of 
 entertaining and useful tricks, amongst which they will 
 pick up a stick or scimitar from the ground, and lift it to the 
 rider. When a horse has learned this feat, his nose is 
 adorned with a silver ring, as a badge of his proficiency. 
 
 Many Turkish horses have at various times been intro- 
 duced into Britain with good success, and have become the 
 sires of fine horses. But the improvement of English breeds 
 will not be complete till the practice of introducing Oriental 
 mares has become a point of as much importance with 
 breeders as has been the importation of stallions. 
 
 In the above notice of Oriental horses, our aim has been 
 to give such of their chracteristics as may be suggestive 
 rather than amusing to the English farmer, who may derive 
 therefrom many hints as to the treatment of his breeding-stock. 
 
 As our account of foreign horses would be incomplete 
 without a slight notice of the principal breeds on the western 
 continent of Europe, we shall allude to a few only of these. 
 And fiLrst of 
 
 THE DUTCH HOESE. 
 
 The characteristics of the Dutch horse are well known in 
 le Enghsh metropolis, the unwieldy but well-shaped animals 
 
16 THE HORSE. 
 
 used by brewers being all sprung from this origin. The 
 Dutch horse is large, but his action, though slow, is steady 
 and agreeable. To keep up this breed some horses are still 
 imported from Holland, chiefly into the eastern counties. 
 Many of the Yorkshire coach-horses were obtained from the 
 same source. 
 
 The Flemish horses, though as large as the Dutch, are 
 inferior, their heads being uncouth, and their feet large and 
 flat. They are subject to watery humours in the legs, and 
 swellings in the heels. This arises from the low rank 
 pastures on which they are fed — these producing rank grass, 
 forming adipose and cellular substance, and rendering the 
 muscular fibre soft. From the many hints of this nature 
 thrown out in the present treatise, the farmer will be at no 
 loss to perceive the influence of pasture on breed. 
 
 An enumeration of the horses of JN'orthern Europe will 
 conclude our notice of foreign horses, and this part of the 
 subject is becoming an important one to English breeders. 
 Since a line of steamers from Lowestofi'to Denmark has been 
 established in conjunction with the Eastern Counties Rail- 
 way, great numbers of northern horses are finding their way 
 to English fairs. 
 
 We shall first speak of 
 
 THE DANISH HOESE. 
 
 These are generally about fifteen hands high — lean, hardy, 
 and capable of drawing great weights, being more remark- 
 able for this than for speed. A singular instance of this 
 is on record. A Count Haxhausen had a horse which was 
 amongst the Danes a marvel of fleetness. The Danish 
 monarch, Frederic IV., laid a wager with the Count that 
 a footman of his should beat the horse in a race of twenty 
 Enghsh miles, from ' Copenhagen to Fredericsberg. The 
 
THE HOESE. 17 
 
 race took place, and the footman beat the horse bj one 
 minute, but with a fatal result to himself; for on making his 
 bow to the king, on the termination of the race, the footman 
 fell dead at his majesty's feet. 
 
 A notice of the system pursued in the Danish royal 
 stables may not be without its use. The floor is laid with 
 rough stones, on an inclined plane, and is so laid to prevent 
 lameness, which frequently occurs when horses are allowed 
 to stand in their unmoved litter. The mangers are semi- 
 circular, and are high ; the cribs are of iron. 
 
 THE SWEDISH HOESE. 
 
 These nearly resemble Scotch galloways, strong-built, 
 clean, neat, hardy little animals, better adapted, from their 
 small size, for the road, rather than for draught. On a 
 journey they rarely tire, and from the firmness of the hoofs, 
 as seldom stumble, whilst swelled legs and greasy heels are 
 unknown amongst them. Their size is from thirteen hands 
 upwards, and they are stout in their make. The colour is 
 gray or dark chestnut, and they are for the most part beauti- 
 fully dappled. The dun ones have always a black mane 
 and tail, and a black list along the back. In all respects, 
 their importation would be desirable for the purposes to 
 which they are adapted. 
 
 Besides these is the sledge-horse, of larger size and thinner 
 make. These are almost exclusively employed in drawing 
 sledges, and the speed with which they trot with these is 
 remarkable, going at the rate of eighteen miles in an hour. 
 At Gottenburg there are annual races, not for galloping, but 
 for sledge-trotting. The fleetest of these trotting horses 
 frequently sell for a hundred guineas each. Mr. Wilson 
 states that the Swedish horses are only shod in the fore-feet. 
 
 The Finland horses are smaller than the Swedish, seldom 
 
18 THE HOESE. 
 
 more than twelve hands, but finely formed, fleet, and good 
 in their paces, trotting twelve miles an hour with ease. 
 
 The Norwegian horses are larger than the Swedish, and 
 are very hardy, and remarkably sure-footed, as would be 
 the case from the hilly nature of the country. They are full 
 of spirit, and climb and descend precipices like goats. They 
 require, however, to be left to their own management, or the 
 rider would run no slight risk of breaking his neck. 
 
 The Eussian horse scarcely merits a separate notice, the 
 ordinary breed being only distinguished for its ugliness, 
 towards which its woolly hair in no slight degree contributes. 
 They are hardy, patient, and bold. There are, however, 
 many fine horses in Russia, which are procured from the 
 Calmucs and the colonies. 
 
 Of late years the Eussians have been large purchasers of 
 English racers, and their breed of horses has become con- 
 siderably improved. Numbers of English, horse-dealers and 
 grooms find profitable occupation in Russia. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 HISTOEY OF THE ENGLISH HOESES. 
 
 That horses were introduced into Britain long before the 
 Christian era, we have abundant evidence, and that the inha- 
 bitants had acquired great expertness in their use is equally 
 certain. In the ancient British language Rhecliad is the 
 word for a course — Rheder to run — and RJiedecfa a race. 
 All these spring from the Gaulish RJieda, a chariot. Here, 
 then, is direct evidence that horses were introduced from 
 Gaul, and that chariot races were established at a very early 
 
' THE HOESE. 19 
 
 period. From the different kinds of vehicles noticed by the 
 Latin writers — the carruca, tlie covinus, the essedum, or war 
 chariot — it would appear that the ancient Britons had horses 
 trained to different purposes, as well domestic as warlike. 
 
 During the occupation of England by the Eomans, the 
 British horse was crossed to a considerable extent by the 
 Boman horse, and yet, strange to say, no opinion is given 
 by any historian, Boman or British, as to the effect of this. 
 After the evacuation of England by the Bomans, and its 
 conquest by the Saxons, considerable attention was paid to 
 the English breed of horses ; and we know that after the 
 death of Alfred, and under the reign of Athelstan, several 
 running horses were imported from Germany : this being 
 the first historical intimation we have of running horses 
 in England. It is scarcely to be doubted that this im- 
 portation produced a marked effect on the character of the 
 native breed ; but here, as before, no historian has thought 
 it worth his while to record the fact of either improvement 
 or deterioration. 
 
 English horses, after this, appear to have been highly 
 prized on the continent, so that the German horses which 
 were presented by Hugh Capet to Athelstan had been 
 ■turned to good account. The English themselves were, 
 however, anxious to preserve the monopoly of the breed, for 
 in 930 A.D., a law prohibited the exportation of horses. In 
 Athelstan's reign many Spanish horses were imported, which 
 shows the desire on the part of the English, even at that 
 early period, to improve the breed. It is no wonder that 
 their descendants should have produced the finest horses in 
 the world. 
 
 Shortly before the Norman conquest, a horse was valued 
 at thirty shillings, a mare or colt at twenty shillings, and an 
 untrained mare at sixty pence. 
 c 2 
 
20 THE HORSE. ^ 
 
 William the Conqueror took great pains' to improve tlie 
 Englisli breed, introducing many fine steeds from Normandy, 
 Flanders, and Spain. This monarch owed his success at 
 Hastings chiefly to his cavalry ; his own horse was a Spanish 
 one. In this reign we have the first notice of horses being 
 employed in agriculture. They had been used for the saddle 
 for many centuries, Bede informing us that the English 
 began to use saddle-horses as early as 631 a.d. ; and that 
 people of rank distinguished themselves by appearing fre- 
 quently on horseback. 
 
 During the Conqueror's reign, the then Earl of Shrews- 
 bury, Eoger de Belesme, brought a number of Spanish 
 horses to his estate of Powisland. The breed issuing from 
 these is highly eulogized by Giraldus Cambrensis and 
 Drayton. 
 
 In the reign of Henry I. we have an account of the first 
 Arab horse imported into the country. It was presented by 
 Alexander I., King of Scotland, to the church of St. An- 
 drew's, together with many valuable accoutrements, and £ 
 considerable estate. History, however, is silent as to the 
 purposes to which this animal was devoted, or as to whal 
 ultimately became of him. Much interesting curiosity if 
 derived by tracing the progress of a pursuit which employs 
 80 much capital, and engages the attention of so many minds 
 as does the turf; and it is the passionate fondness which this 
 nation has devoted to racing— originally introduced as at 
 amusement,— which has been the means of establishing thai 
 class of horses denominated the thorough-bred. The higl: 
 repute which we have gained for the production of them has 
 long been acknowledged by foreign states ; and it would be 
 a grievous reflection on the present age of improvement i; 
 the character of our horses should descend from its prouc 
 pinnacle of fame. There is every probability that the chase 
 
THE HORSE. 21 
 
 gave the first impulse to racing : at all events it proved a 
 powerful stimulus. The speed and stoutness shown by horses 
 when galloping over the open country in pursuit of the 
 antlered monarch of the forest, was calculated to suggest the 
 idea of similar trials on the green sward. 
 
 The English had now become sensible of the value and 
 breed of their horses, and in the twelfth century a regular 
 race-course had been established in London ; this being none 
 other than Smithfield, which was at once horse-market and 
 race-course. Fitzstephen, who lived at that period, gives the 
 following account of the contests between the palfreys of the 
 day :— 
 
 "When a race is to be run by horses, which in their kind 
 are strong and fleet, a shout is raised, and common horses 
 are ordered to withdraw from without the way. Two 
 jockeys, then, or sometimes three, as the match may be made, 
 prepare themselves for the contest, such as are used to ride, 
 and know how to manage their horses with judgment, the 
 grand point being to prevent a competitor from getting before 
 them. The horses on their part are not without emulation. 
 They tremble and are impatient, and continually in motion. 
 At last, the signal once given, they hurry along with unre- 
 mitting velocity ; the jockeys inspired with the thoughts 
 of applause, and the hopes of victory, clapping spurs to 
 their willing steeds, brandishing their whips, and cheering 
 them with their cries." 
 
 This is a quaint and amusing picture of the dawning spirit 
 of horse-racing. Crossing was evidently an acknowledged 
 accomplishment, and personal flagellations between competing 
 jockeys not unfrequently resulted from excess of emulation. 
 Fertile indeed must have been their imaginations if they 
 dreamed that their racing frolics would, in process of time, 
 grow into an important national speculation ; much less could 
 
22 THE HOESE. 
 
 they have anticipated that their unsophisticated pastimes 
 were the embryo of that fame which has been acquired by 
 England through the medium of the race-horse. 
 
 This description, with the exception of the cries, might 
 have formed part of the record of a modern race at Epsom 
 in the cokimns of a morning paper ; so national is the English 
 sport of horse-racing, and so unchanged are its characteristics 
 in all but the existing gambling system, which has been 
 incorporated with the efforts of the noble animal to reach the 
 goal first. 
 
 The crusades now followed ; yet, though the opportunities 
 of improving the English breed were necessarily great, from 
 the facilities with which the finest Oriental horses might 
 have been obtained, no advantage seems to have been taken 
 of them. A gloomy and superstitious fanaticism solely occu- 
 pied the minds of the warriors, and to this all useful purposes 
 were sacrificed ; the English horses were none the better for 
 their experience, though they must frequently have felt the 
 superiority of the Oriental breed in actual warfare. 
 
 King John paid great attention to the improvement of 
 horses for agricultural purposes, and to him we are indebted 
 for the origin of our draught-horses. He chiefly imported 
 Flemish horses, and such was his anxiety to possess the 
 finest stock from these, that he would accept strong horses as 
 rent for Crown lands, and as fines for the renewal of leases. 
 His personal stud was both numerous and excellent. 
 
 Edward III. was the first amongst our monarchs who 
 thought the subject worthy of his serious attention. He 
 was a zealous patron of the course, and in his reign English 
 horse-breeders began to cross the heavy native breed with 
 horses of a lighter structure and greater speed. The king 
 himself purchased a considerable number of Spanish horses, 
 the offspring of the Arabs, which had been introduced into 
 
THE HOESE. 23 
 
 tlieir country by tlie Moors. The effort was eminently suc- 
 cessful, for the English horse soon began to be valued in 
 other countries, and its exportation from our own shores was 
 prohibited under considerable penalties. 
 
 Such was the importance which this monarch attached to 
 the Spanish breed, that he gave a thousand marks for fifty 
 horses, negotiating at the same time with the kings of 
 France and Spain for their safe passage by land. They all 
 arrived safely, at a cost of thirteen pounds, six shillings and 
 eightpence each ; equal to a hundred and sixty pounds of 
 modern money. Edward was also an eminent example to 
 many stud-owners in our day, viz., by going deeply in debt 
 for his horses ; he having been at one time indebted to 
 the Count of Hainault in no less a sum than twenty-five 
 thousand pounds. The price of a running horse in his day 
 was three pounds six shillings and eightpence ; — though we 
 scarcely know what was the true meaning of a running horse 
 —probably a hackney. Edward was very jealous as to the 
 quality of English horses. A German dealer had imported 
 some which did. not come up to the monarch's standard, and 
 yet he would not allow him to re-export them, without a 
 stipulation that he would not take them to Scotland ! 
 
 Prince Edward, son of Henry III., was not deficient in 
 that acumen which has subsequently characterized the 
 adherents of racing. Being taken a prisoner with his father 
 at the battle of Lewes by the Earl of Leicester, during some 
 of the time when he was in captivity he was permitted to 
 enjoy equestrian exercise escorted by soldiers. Mounted on 
 a speedy horse himself, he proposed to his guards that they 
 should ride races with each other, which request, for the sake 
 of amusement, they willingly complied with. Like a skilful 
 tactician, the prince reserved the powers of his own steed till 
 he saw that the horses of his attendants were jaded, and then 
 
24 THE HOESE. 
 
 seizing tlie opportunity, set spurs to his charger, and soon 
 left the others in the rear. This anecdote, although it bears 
 no analogy with racing, as it is conducted at the present 
 period, serves as evidence that trials of speed were resorted 
 to for amusement in the early ages of British history. 
 
 Horse-jockeyism had now become an important trade, and 
 many cheats were practised. To so great a pitch had this 
 arisen, that in 1386, Eichard II. passed a horse statute ex- 
 pressly against such frauds. 
 
 Eichard II. and the Henries were equally anxious for 
 the further improvement of the breed of English horses. 
 They were even more strict in their prohibitions in case of 
 exportation; they were, however, more eager to gain by 
 speculating than to extend the improvement of the breed. 
 The improvement, indeed, much as it was valued, had scarcely 
 extended beyond those crosses from which little good could 
 have been expected, and which had more reference to the 
 then heavy carriages, bad roads, and consequently slow tra- 
 velling, which prevailed, than to the noble changes in the 
 horse, as well as in the country, which were destined to be 
 effected in the course of a few centuries. 
 
 Eaces were now regularly established in various parts of 
 the kingdom, and their regulation became a favourite object 
 with the higher classes, as the race itself was the favourite 
 recreation of the common people. The earliest amongst the 
 regularly established race-courses were at Chester and Stam- 
 ford. But there was, at that time, no recognized breed of 
 running horses ; all sorts were . mingled together, none being 
 excluded. It was not until the last year of James I., that 
 rules and regulations as to the quality of the horses permitted 
 to enter were established, and from that period may date the 
 commencement of the present system of racing. 
 
 Till the reign of Henry YII. we have few other accounts 
 
THE HORSE. 25 
 
 of the progress of the English horse. Post-horses and stages 
 ■were, however, established ih the reign of Eichard III. Like 
 the Arabs, English gentlemen in these times never rode 
 mares, but the clergy did. 
 
 In the reign of Henry YII. horses had become so nu- 
 merous, as to be pastured over the waste lands by the com- 
 mon people. Exportation was still forbidden, except in the 
 case of mares. In the reign of Henry VIII. much attention 
 was given, to breeding powerful horses, and statutes were 
 enacted which fixed the proportions of size and mould of 
 horses and mares which should be bred from. The thirty- 
 second of Henry VIII. enacts, that no person shall, upon any 
 common or waste, keep a stallion under fifteen hands ; and 
 if that any person find such a horse, he may, on. satisfying 
 the constable of the next town that the horse is under 
 standard, keep him for his own use. Such foals, fillies, or 
 mares, as were not considered able to bear foals of reason- 
 able stature were, by the same act, to be kiUed and buried. 
 
 There is no doubt but that these statutes, harsh as they 
 were, laid the foundation of the excellent breeds now common 
 in England. Henry VTII. was every inch a horseman, and 
 he delighted especially in everything regarding the noble 
 animal. He compelled the nobility, gentry, and higher 
 orders of the clergy, to keep a number of horses in proportion 
 to their rank ; whilst even th.e country parson, " whose wife 
 should wear a French hood, or velvet bonnet," was com- 
 pelled to keep an entire trotting-horse, under penalty of 
 twenty pounds. During the reign of Henry VIII., an annual 
 race was run at Chester, but the year when it first took place 
 is not known. The prize was a wooden ball embellished with 
 flowers, fixed upon the point of a lance. This diversion was 
 repeated in the presence of the mayor of the city, and was 
 celebrated on the Roodee, the identical spot where the races 
 
26 THE HOKSE. 
 
 are held at this day. These trophies were provided by the 
 Company of Saddlers. In the year 1540, a silver bell was 
 substituted for the former prize, under the title of " St. 
 George's bell." 
 
 The classification of horses at this period is various. The 
 gentill horse was one of high caste. The palfrey was a 
 lady's horse, noted for its easy paces. The 'great horse was 
 a war-horse. The Jiohhy was a strong, active riding-horse, 
 whence the proverb of a man "riding his hohhy." The 
 clothseh was a cloak-bag horse. The gret dohle was a trotting- 
 horse, employed in carrying burdens. The curtal was a 
 horse whose tail has been shortened. A gamhaldinge horse 
 was one which was trained for show and parade. An 
 amhlinge was a horse trained to the favourite ladies' pace. 
 
 The first English writer on the horse was in this reign, 
 viz., Sir John Fitzhubert, Judge of the Common Pleas. And 
 he had evidently bought his experience pretty dearly, for he 
 cautions the buyer against being done by dealers — " as I have 
 been a hundred tymes and more " wherefore he was no doubt 
 as well fitted to judge of horseflesh as of law. Sir John's 
 mode of judging a horse is, however, more curious than use- 
 ful. " Thou shalt know that a good horse has fifty-four pro- 
 perties ; that is to say, two of a man, two of a badger, four 
 of a lion, nine of an ox, nine of a hare, nine of a foxe, nine of 
 an asse, and ten of a woman." 
 
 In the reign of Edward YI. horse statutes became actually 
 ferocious. To steal a horse was visited with death without 
 privilege of clergy, and this barbarous statute extended to 
 our own times, as all elderly, or even middle-aged persons 
 can call to remembrance. 
 
 In the reign of Elizabeth there appears to have been a 
 great falling ofi" of cavalry horses, for in 1588, on the 
 threatened invasion of the Spanish Armada, more than 3,000 
 
THE HORSE. 27 
 
 horses could not be mustered, and tliese, says a contemporary 
 writer, were very indifferent as cliargers. He states, how- 
 ever, of English horses generally, that they were strong, 
 bulky animals, slow in action, and only fit for agriculture or 
 draught. Coaches were introduced in this reign, and these 
 bulky animals were in great demand, from the unwieldy 
 nature of the carriages, of which the Lord Mayor's annual 
 raree-show presents a specimen. 
 
 To James I. the improvement of English horses owes much ; 
 for it was he who first ventured upon that grand improve- 
 ment in breeding, the introduction of horses from eastern 
 countries, from which the fame of their horses had gone forth 
 from time immemorial. He purchased an Arabian horse 
 from a merchant named Markham, and gave for it the enor- 
 mous price, according to the value of money at that period, 
 of oOOZ. This horse, however, on trial, was found deficient in 
 speed, and the Duke of Newcastle, who then managed the 
 sporting affairs of the king, took a dislike to the horse on this 
 account ; no one had sufficient courage to demand that his 
 breed should be put to the test ; and for the greater part of 
 a century, the Arabian breed sank into disuse, and almost 
 into contempt. 
 
 The only annual race established prior to the reign of 
 James I. vras that at Chester ; meetings were now held in 
 Yorkshire, at Newmarket, at Croydon, and at Theobald's, 
 on Enfield Chase. Training the horses came into vogue, 
 a ceremony which no doubt created intense interest with 
 those who engaged in the pursuit. The practice of weigh- 
 ing the jockeys was also adopted, and the pedigrees of the 
 horses which acquired fame became a subject of attention, 
 an example in all probability borrowed from the Arabs. 
 Those which gave proof of superior speed were selected 
 to breed from, and the produce was devoted principally 
 
28 THE HORSE. 
 
 to racing. Tlie genealogy of our present stock cannot be 
 traced to so early a date ; yet it is probable some of that 
 blood was continued in strains, whicli will be hereafter 
 noticed. Importations of foreign horses took place during 
 the reign of Charles I., and at the time of the Common- 
 wealth, also during the respective sovereignties of Charles II. 
 and James II. AVhether they came from Barbary, Turkey, 
 or the continent of Europe, they were supposed to be the 
 lineal descendants of horses from the Arabian deserts. 
 
 During the protectorate of Cromwell, a south-eastern 
 horse, the beautiful White Tube, was introduced. The 
 advantages of the breed again became perceptible, and he 
 was soon followed by the Helmsley Turk, the Morocco barb 
 and by a variety of horses of similar descent. Thus, a 
 beauty of form, and a degree of speed and stoutness, to 
 which an approach had scarcely been observed in the original 
 breeds, was obtained. 
 
 On the Hestoration, Charles II. gave every possible en- 
 couragement to horsemanship. He established races on 
 Datchet Mead, and often attended the newly-established 
 course at IN'ewmarket, entering his own horses. The racing 
 cup was now substituted for the bell, the old prize, and the 
 example of the king raised the course to a splendour before 
 unknown. 
 
 This king, to whom we are in a great measure in- 
 debted for the introduction of the present strains of foreign 
 blood, sent his master of the horse abroad to procure a 
 number of foreign horses and mares ; the latter, which were 
 brought over by him, were called the Eoyal Mares, from one 
 of which in the maternal line the genealogy of Eclipse is 
 traced. The pedigree of his sire, Marske, is somewhat 
 obscure: it goes back through eight generations to a daughter 
 of Bustler ; but how her dam was bred there is no authority. 
 
THE HORSE. 29 
 
 It may be conjectured that she was descended from some 
 of the worthies which distinguished themselves on the course 
 in the reign of James I. There are several examples of a 
 similar nature traceable in the stud-book, which lead to the 
 conclusion, that during the early periods of breeding for the 
 turf, mares used for ordinary purposes were occasionally 
 selected in case they evinced speed and stoutness, without 
 reference to their oriental pedigrees. The pedigree of High, 
 flyer affords a similar instance to ^that of Eclipse, and 
 singular to relate, runs into precisely the same strain of 
 blood. On his dam's side he can be traced to a royal mare ; 
 but in the paternal line his genealogy terminates in a mare 
 which produced a filly from Bustler, which horse was a son 
 of the Helmsley Turk. Although there are scarcely any 
 horses on the turf at the present day which are not in some 
 degree descended from the royal mares, it appears too much 
 to assert that they all owe their origin entirely to Eastern 
 blood. The casuist may, therefore, with consistency inquire. 
 What is a thorough-bred horse ? The term is accepted con- 
 ventionally to signify a horse whose pedigree can be traced 
 through many generations, the members of which have 
 signalized themselves on the turf, or have established their 
 reputation as progenitors of superior horses. 
 
 " Having indulged in a few preliminary canters " with the 
 coursers of the earlier ages, to the era of James II., we will 
 now draw near to the starting-post, from which we can gain 
 more extensive and authentic information concerning pedi- 
 grees and performances, and thereby more satisfactorily trace 
 the progress which has been made in racing, and breeding for 
 that purpose. William III., endowed with an ardent desire 
 to gain popularity by patronizing the tastes and fashions of 
 his people, became a decided patron of racing. The latter 
 part of this reign was distinguishable for a very notorious 
 
30 THE HOESE. 
 
 cliaracter in tlie person of the celebrated Tregonwell Framp- 
 ton, who, by some means, acquired the title of Father of the 
 Turf, an honour of which he was totally undeserving, unless 
 that the most diabolical acts and deceptive practices occa- 
 sioned the distinction. Many tales are related of him, known 
 to be authentic, one of which is too disgraceful to be given, 
 but there is another which will bear repetition, though often 
 told before, as it will serve to show that many of the delin- 
 quencies of modern days are not without their parallel. Sir 
 WilHam Strickland and his friends backed a horse called 
 Merlin to run against a favourite of Frampton's, for a large 
 amount, the race to take place at Newmarket, where Merlin 
 was sent from the north, to be trained, under the care of a 
 man named Heseltine. The trainer had not been long at 
 Newmarket when a proposal was made to him by Frampton's 
 man to run a private trial, at the same weights and distance 
 as the proposed match, for their own special guidance and 
 information. Heseltine, with a sense of integrity which did 
 him credit, immediately informed his employer of the propo- 
 sal, whereupon he was instructed to do it, but secretly to carry 
 seven pounds extra. Frampton, who was privy to the scheme, 
 had ordered his man to do precisely the same tiling. The 
 horses ran the trial, which was won by Merlin by a length ; 
 the result was communicated to the respective masters, who, 
 in consequence doubled the stakes, each thinking, of course, 
 that he had the best of it. The day came for the race to be 
 run, and anxious speculators attended to witness the event. 
 Merlin won the match, as he had won the trial — thus, the 
 perpetrator of the disgraceful artifice was, to use a modern 
 phrase, " put in the hole " which he had prepared for others. 
 A trifling addition to his style would have rendered it more 
 complete and applicable, — he should have been distinguished 
 as the Father of Turf Delinquencies. He has left a nume- 
 
THE nOESE. 31 
 
 rous family, mucli to the regret of the honourable patrons of 
 racing. 
 
 The principal ancestors of our earliest race-horses were the 
 Byerley Turk, ridden by Captain Byerley, as a charger in 
 Ireland, about the year 1689. The Darley Arabian, in force 
 about 1712. Curwen's Barb, a contemporary ; and the Go- 
 dolphin Arabian, which celebrated sire died in the year 1753, 
 supposed to be in his twenty-ninth year. It is a moot point 
 whether he was an Arabian or a Barb, but, however doubtful 
 the land of his birth, it is an unquestionable fact that there 
 are very few horses of distinction without a cross of the Go- 
 dolphin Arabian : to him and the Eoyal mares the highest 
 honours are due. Other horses of eastern origin were im- 
 ported and used for the purpose of breeding when that 
 interesting engagement was in its infancy, but none of them 
 acquired the celebrity of the four just named. They were 
 not numerous, and from necessity the practice was resorted 
 to of breeding from animals very nearly related. The highly- 
 eulogized riymg Childers affords a remarkable instance of 
 this ; his great grandam was a daughter of Spanker, her dam 
 a Barb mare, the mother of Spanker ; thus the breed was per- 
 petuated by the union of the mother with the son. Eachel, 
 the dam of Highflyer, was a daughter of Blank, and gran- 
 daughter cf Eegulus. Blank and Eegulus were both sons 
 of the Godolphin Arabian. Fox, a good runner of his day 
 (1719), and sii-e of superior stock, was bred in a similar 
 manner, but substituting the father with the daughter for 
 the mother with the son. Goldfinder, another of the worthies 
 of olden times, foaled in 1764, was a son of Snap, his dam a 
 daughter of Blank, and grandaughter of Eegulus, whose con- 
 sanguinity has been already noticed. Buckhunter, after- 
 wards named the Carlisle gelding, was a son of the Bald gal- 
 loway, his dam by Lord Carlisle's Turk, grandam also by the 
 
32 THE HOESE. 
 
 Bald galloway. He was foaled in 1713. Tliese examples 
 might be multiplied to a considerable extent witb horses bred 
 about the commencement of the eighteenth century, but as 
 the resources for breeding became more numerous, the neces- 
 sity for the continuance of incestuous strains no longer pre- 
 vailing, experience, together with the principles of physiology, 
 convinced breeders that it was an erroneous practice. The 
 most striking instance of incestuous breeding at the present 
 date is found in the pedigree of the St. Leger winner, the 
 Knight of St. George. He was by Irish Birdcatcher, dam 
 by Hetman Platoff, grandam Waterwitch, by Sir Hercules. 
 Birdcatcher was a son of Sir Hercules : thus that justly cele- 
 brated stallion was grandsire on the one side and great 
 grandsire on the other, a degree of consanguinity sadly too 
 closely allied to be justified by sound experience, and it 
 would be dangerous if this instance of success were to be 
 taken as a precedent. A few breeders , will no doubt be 
 tempted to try the experiment, but there is not much proba- 
 bility that it will become a general practice. 
 
 As it is evident that our thorough-bred horses owe their 
 descent principally from Arabian, or other eastern ancestors, 
 Barbs, or Turks, in theory it would appear that parents of the 
 same blood would produce stock of the highest value, and the 
 opinion has been very earnestly expressed that the introduction 
 of Arabian sires is absolutely required to infuse vigour, con- 
 stitution, stoutness, and endurance into the race-horses of the 
 present day. Practical experience confutes the argument, 
 and the reasons will become quite obvious when the invari- 
 able unsuccessful examples of modern times are brought 
 forward. During the present century several Arabians have 
 been imported for the purpose of breeding, and their stock 
 has been found worthless compared with that which, in the 
 course of years, has become, so to speak, indigenous to the 
 
THE HOESE. 33 
 
 country. Witli tlie exception of one mare called Fair Ellen, 
 an offspring of tlie Wellesley Arabian, none liave evinced 
 even common pretensions to racing superiority ; and here it 
 must be observed, tbat altliougli the last-named horse came 
 from the East, his Arabian ancestry, like that of many others, is 
 disputed. Within the last twenty years several horses, stated 
 to have been of the pure blood of the desert, have been brought 
 to England and started for various races, but they have been 
 invariably beaten, although the levelling power in turf calcula- 
 tions, — a vast concession of weight has, in every instance, 
 been accorded to them. So great is the superiority of the 
 present breed of English race-horses over those of eastern 
 extract, that no reasonable weight will equalize their powers 
 at the winning-post. 
 
 Queen Anne patronized the turf extensively by runnino- 
 horses, and also by annual presentations of gold cups, value 
 one hundred guineas each, to be run for at York. According to 
 the *' Eacing Calendar," published by Weatherby, which 
 appears to be the only veritable authority extant, the first of 
 these cups was given in 1711, and they were continued to the 
 end of her majesty's reign. It is, however, recorded that the 
 first cup run for as a prize was in 164,6, at Stamford, where 
 there were races on every Thursday in March, but by whom 
 it was given, or how provided for, I can find no evidence. 
 George I. continued the example of his royal predecessor in 
 the presentation of cups, and in his reign the first royal^Za^e 
 is mentioned as having been won at Black Hambledon in 
 1716, by Brocklesby Betty, a mare at that time in high 
 repute. Eacing, and consequently the stimulus to breed 
 horses for that purpose, when in its infancy, received a 
 gracious impetus by the presentation of royal plates, which 
 at the period when they were first offered, and during many 
 years, were regarded as prizes of sufficient value to induce 
 
 D 
 
34 THE HOESE. 
 
 noblemen and gentlemen to breed and train horses in tlie 
 liope of gaining tliem, to wbicli emulation was doubtless a 
 powerful excitement. So great are the changes which have 
 taten place, and so large and numerous are the stakes open 
 for public competition, that the royal plates are now scarcely 
 considered wortLy of notice. Nevertheless it is necessary to 
 trace their progress in order to show the promotion which 
 has taken place in the prosperity of the turf. In the reign 
 of George II. the number of these prizes was considerably 
 augmented. In 1730 three king's plates were given at New- 
 market, and one each at Guildford, Ipswich, Salisbury, Not- 
 tingham, Winchester, Hambleton, York, Canterbury, Lewes, 
 and Lincoln. The custom was continued throughout that 
 king's reign, but his majesty's name does not appear as the 
 owner of race-horses. The good king George III. increased 
 the number of plates to twenty-three in England and 
 Scotland, exclusive of those which were given to be run 
 for in Ireland. The succeeding sovereign made other 
 additions, and in 1830 we find twenty-seven enume- 
 rated in the Eacing Calendar, and at the end of the 
 reign of William lY. they numbered thirty-four. On 
 the accession of Her Majesty some new regulations were 
 introduced respecting weights and distances, to assimilate 
 with the prevailing customs of racing, in expectation that 
 they would render the queen's plates attractive — a good 
 intention, which has not been realised. Since that period a 
 plate has been awarded to Brighton, and another for mares 
 at York, raising the number to thirty-six ; and some of the 
 plates have been transferred from places where racing was 
 on the wane to others of greater importance. When the 
 royal plates were first presented, it was an invariable cus- 
 tom that the five-year old horses should carry ten stone each, 
 and run four-mile heats, certain plates being confined tc 
 
THE HORSE. 35 
 
 horses of that age ; the conditions of those plates which 
 were for horses of greater ages imposed a burden of twelve 
 stone. These regulations remained in force at the com- 
 mencement of the present century ; but lieats are now 
 discontinued, the distances are shortened, and the weights 
 reduced. Many persons are of opinion that these alterations 
 are objectionable, as conducive to the encouragement of 
 a breed of horses less powerful and deficient in stoutness. 
 There may be some grounds for the impression, yet when 
 it is remarked, that according to the old system the sup- 
 porters of the turf of the present day are not inclined to run 
 their horses, and that the royal plates would ]io longer 
 continue to be productive of contests under the original 
 conditions, there was no alternative. In the course of 
 these remarks the misconceptions respecting the necessity 
 of distressing distances as tests of superiority will be more 
 diffusely considered. During the eighteenth century the 
 breeding of horses for the turf seems to have been gene- 
 rally confined to the nobility and gentry of wealth. The 
 fame of favourite progenitors was a powerful stimulant 
 with them, and the desire to breed good horses more than 
 the love of gain predominated. The pursuit has now, with 
 few exceptions, become an object of speculation, and persons 
 of all classes who keep studs do so with a view to profit. 
 Still the same good intention is accomplished, and much 
 more extensively. At the lowest computation there are 
 more than five times the number of horses bred at the 
 present period than there were in the corresponding year 
 of the last century. Every breeder endeavours to produce 
 the best horses — it is his ambition and his interest to do so. 
 As the most distinguished breeders of the olden times may 
 be mentioned the royal dukes of Cumberland : tlie first of 
 whom, a son of George II., conferred great benefits on the 
 d2 
 
36 THE HOESE. 
 
 racing public, as the breeder of Eclipse and Xin^ Herod. 
 The succeeding royal duke, a brother to George III., was a 
 successful breeder of racing stock. The Dukes of Ancaster, 
 Devonshire, Bridgewater, Somerset, Wharton, Eutland, and 
 Bolton, and many noble lords, are to be found prominent 
 on the lists of their respective days. When vre arrive at 
 the present century, we find the names of the Dukes of 
 Hamilton, Leeds, and Cleveland (then Lord Darlington), 
 the Marquis of Westminster (then Earl Grosvenor), Earls 
 Egremont, Derby, Eitzwilliam, Stamford and Warrington, 
 and Scarborough, each of whom had favourites, worthy 
 specimens of their species. With rather long intervals be- 
 tween the dates of their being foaled, the aforesaid noblemen 
 had several horses of repute, the progenitors of our present 
 stock. There were in those days but few mares devoted 
 to the stud. A few peculiarities of character, incidents, and 
 events connected with some of them are worthy of notice, , 
 from the examples they afford in the occult science of breed- 
 ing: Bonny Black, for instance, bred by the Duke of Hutland, 
 in 1715, distinguished herself on the course, but did not 
 prove a good brood mare ; none of her descendants were \ 
 of any worth, and her family is extinct. Her running was so 
 very superior that it deserves to be described : at three 
 years old she beat a six-year old horse at even weights four 
 miles ; the following year, for the king's cup at Hambledon 
 for five-year old mares, four miles, without any allowance 
 for her age, she beat a field of thirty, being the greatesi 
 number of horses that had been known to start for a race 
 in those days, or indeed for a long time afterwards. She 
 won the cup again at the same place when five years old., 
 beating a field of fifteen : also a cup at IS'ewmarket, beating 
 thirteen competitors. To account for the inferiority of hei 
 progeny it must be observed that her dam was by a Persiar 
 
THE HOESE. 37 
 
 horse ; blood wliic-li does not appear to liave been valued 
 even in those early days. It was reserved for Mr. Darley 
 to introduce a horse which became a worthy progenitor of 
 the best blood of the present day. This gentleman had 
 always thought that the Arabian purchased from Mr. Mark- 
 ham had not been fairly treated, and anxious to renew the 
 experiment, he commissioned his brother, then in the East, 
 to procure another Arabian of promise and send him to 
 England. The commission was carefully executed, and a 
 horse was met with which was bred in the desert. On his 
 arrival the beauty of his symmetry was immediately recognized, 
 for it embraced every point that could be desired in a race- 
 horse. Erom this horse is descended a vast number of the 
 most celebrated racers, and at the present period there is 
 scarcely one which does not possess some of his blood. The 
 most celebrated of his immediate offspring were the Devon- 
 shire or Elying Childers, and Eartletts Childers, a horse 
 which was never trained, but his superiority in the stud 
 is well known. The wonderful tales which have been related 
 concerning Elying Childers, like the snowball, have in- 
 creased in their progress, therefore a brief digression is 
 necessary to unfold these romantic conceptions. It is related 
 that he gave Eox twelve pounds over the Beacon course at 
 NewmarkeL, and beat him a quarter of a mile in a trial- 
 Every racing man would naturally inquire if Fox could not 
 have got nearer at the end, and few indeed place much 
 reliance on trials without substantial evidence to corroborate 
 reports. It is also said that he ran a trial against Almanzor 
 and the Duke of Eutland's Brown Betty, nine stone two 
 pounds each, over the round course at I^ewmarket, three 
 miles, six furlongs, and ninety-three yards, which distance, 
 according to many accounts in print, " He ran in six minutes 
 and forty seconds, to perform which he must have moved at 
 
38 THE HOESE. 
 
 tlie rate of eiglty-two feet and a half in one second of time, 
 or nearly at the rate of one mile in a 7)iinute." The inac- 
 curacy of this is patent. If a horse moved at the rate 
 described, he would get over the distance in a trifle less 
 than four minutes and a half. No horse that ever was foaled 
 ever went at tlie pace spoken of. The rate of fifty feet in a 
 second is very great, and more than the average pace 
 required to run the distance of the Beacon Course, four 
 miles, one furlong, and one hundred and thirty yards, in 
 seven minutes and a half, which Childers is also reported to 
 have done. After all the high-flown panegyrics concerning 
 the racing exploits of ^this horse in public — the only trials 
 worthy of credence, — they were confined to the winning of 
 two matches, for the first of which at six years old, carrying 
 eight stone five pounds each, he beat Speedwell, a gelding 
 of equivocal celebrity (the distance was four miles) ; for the 
 second, when seven years old, he beat Chanter, twelve years 
 old, six miles. He was engaged in three other matches, for 
 which he received forfeit. It is related that he was at first 
 used as a hunter, and that he was headstrong and vicious. 
 He was the property of the Duke of Devonshire, who 
 bought him when young from Mr. Childers, whence his name. 
 He died in the Duke's stud at the age of twenty-six years. 
 These observations are not intended to detract from his 
 excellence in the stud, but to confute the marvellous tales 
 which seem to excite the wonder and admiration of the 
 uninitiated, while among experienced turfites they attain 
 no credence. Bartletts Childers, another son of the Darley 
 Arabian, was never trained to the course, but his symmetry 
 sufiiciently spoke for itself. A great many of the first horses 
 of the day owned him for their sire, and the two Childers 
 were soon acknowledged for their superiority in the stud. 
 As a worthy scion of the latter stands his great-grandson 
 
THE HOESE. 39 
 
 the celebrated Eclipse, of whose speed no correct estimate 
 was formed ; for, although he contended with some of the 
 best horses of his day, he never met with an opponent 
 sufficiently fleet to put his powers to the test. He was soon 
 withdrawn from the turf, and became the sire of one hundred 
 and thirty-four winners, who brought their owners more 
 than 160,000Z. exclusive of cups. He was bred by the 
 Duke of Cumberland, and owed his name to his having been 
 foaled during the great eclipse of 1764. At the sale of the 
 Duke's stud, he was bought for seventy-five guineas. Eclipse 
 was five years old before he was brought on the turf, his fir^t 
 race being for the maiden plate at Epsom. His powers 
 were at once seen, and in his next race at York, twenty 
 guineas to one were betted on him. During the race this 
 increased to a hundred guineas to one. At the end of the 
 first two miles he was a distance before his competitors, and 
 won with the greatest ease. 
 
 In 1769, a Mr. O'Kelly became his proprietor for sixteen 
 hundred and fifty guineas. In 1779, one of the Bedford 
 family asked his price. O 'Kelly replied, that " all Bedford 
 Level would not purchase him." Erom another person he 
 asked 25,O0OZ. down, and an annuity of 500Z. for life. O'Xelly 
 cleared 25,000^. by him.! 
 
 Eclipse won eleven king's plates, in ten of which he carried 
 twelve stone, and in the other ten. In running he had a vast 
 stride, and his hind legs were so spread " that a wheelbarrow 
 might have been driven between them," The points of this 
 horse most useful to the breeder were, the curve of his head, 
 the slant, extent, and substance of his shoulders, the length 
 of his waist, and breadth of loins, the extent of his quarters, 
 and the length and substance of his thighs and forearms. 
 He died in 1789, aged twenty-six years. His heart weighed 
 fourteen pounds. 
 
40 THE HOESE. 
 
 King Heeod was anotlier famous racer, whose blood is 
 much valued at the present day. He was a descendant of 
 Flying Childers, was the sire of no less than four hundred 
 and ninety-seven winners, which gained for their proprietors 
 upwards of 200,000/. He was not brought on the turf till five 
 years old. His forte was stoutness or bottom and with 
 physical powers, which enabled him to carry weight. He 
 was, however, beaten twice out of five races at Newmarket. 
 He was the sire of many celebrated horses. King Herod 
 died in 1780, at twenty-one years of age. 
 
 Several horses of high character were foaled towards the 
 end of the last century ; the most conspicuous of which were, 
 Sir Peter Teazle, bred by the Earl of Derby ; Gohanua, by 
 the Earl of Egremont ; Haphazard, by Lord Darlington ; 
 Beningborough and Hambletonian, by Mr. Hutchinson ; 
 Dick Andrews, by Mr. Lord. Sir Oliver, a horse of great 
 power and substance, was bred by the Earl of Stamford and 
 Warrington in 1800 ; he was the sire of many good brood 
 mares, but not of many first-rate horses : this is not an indi- 
 vidual case — a subject which will bear remarks on a future 
 opportunity. The Marquis of Westminster kept up his stud 
 till within the last fourteen or fifteen years, with triumphant 
 success, and in former years bred several winners of the 
 Derby and of the Oaks, and more recently, Touchstone, 
 Satirist, and Launcelot, winners of the St. Leger. More re- 
 cently, the Earls Jersey, Exeter, and Derby, have been most 
 extensive patrons ; the former noble lord, with the far-famed 
 Prunella blood, from the Duke of Grafton's stud, having been 
 unusually successful — Bay Middleton, to wit. During the 
 latter part of the last and commencement of the present 
 century, Sir Charles Bunbury was an extensive and very 
 fortunate breeder : his mare Eleanor having won both the 
 Derby and Oaks, was sufficient to stamp his fame ; he also 
 
THE HOESE. 41 
 
 bred the celebrated Higliflj^er, and Smolensko, the latter a 
 winner of tlie Derby. This gentleman was the first to pro- 
 mote a reduction of the distances for which horses were 
 accustomed to run. The opponents to the alteration were 
 ill-natured enough to assign the motive as arising from the 
 particular qualifications of his own horses — that they were 
 speedy, but wanting in stoutness. The Sorcerer blood, to 
 which he was partial, had that character, but it is question- 
 able whether the deficiency of stoutness was not imaginary. 
 At all events, the failing has not invariably descended to the 
 progeny, for which Yenison afibrds an example, as his dam 
 was a daughter of Smolensko, a son of Sorcerer. Foreign 
 states have devoted much money and attention to the improve- 
 ment of their horses by establishing extensive breeding studs. 
 This kingdom has acquired unequalled celebrity without such 
 auxiliaries, and it redounds much to the praise of British en- 
 terprise, that so much renown has been gained by the spirited 
 exertions and liberality of noblemen and gentlemen of wealth. 
 His Eoyal Highness the Prince Eegent gave great encou- 
 ragement to breeding horses, and to racing. By his command, 
 the paddocks at Hampton Court were placed under the direc- 
 tion of the late Mr. Goodwin, whose son was thirty-seven 
 years inspector and veterinary surgeon to the royal stud ; 
 but from ill-health he has now retired. It was the intention 
 of the Prince Eegent, independent of breeding race-horses, 
 to breed thorough-bred gray horses, sufficiently powerful for 
 his own riding ; and for that purpose twelve gray mares were 
 purchased, and also Sir Harry Dimsdale, a gray stallion; but 
 his Eoyal Highness's anticipations were not very successfully 
 reahzed. Gustavus, a gray horse, the winner of the Derby, 
 was bred at Hampton Court ; and to exemplify the uncertainty 
 connected with racing, this horse's history is worthy to be 
 introduced. He was so small as a yearling, that the idea of 
 
42 THE HOESE. 
 
 his ever aspiring to the honour of carrying his royal master 
 was out of the question, and he was sold to Mr. Hunter for 
 twenty-five guineas, and that gentleman was afterwards so 
 much dissatisfied with his bargain, that he ofiered to sell him 
 at a loss. At the low price of fifteen guineas, he was unable 
 to attract a customer, and was therefore obliged to keep him. , 
 The following year, with the odds 20 to 1 against him, he 
 won the July stakes at Newmarket. At three years old he 
 won the I^ewmarket stakes, the Derby, and two matches ; 
 and when four years old, the Claret stakes and 200 guineas at 
 Newmarket, after which he was put to the stud. This, it must 
 be acknowledged, was a fortunate speculation, and is one of 
 numerous other proofs that might be introduced, that a race- 
 horse, if sound, should never be discarded till he has been 
 fairly tried. 
 
 Contemporary with the Prince Eegent, his Koyal Highness 
 the Duke of York had a select stud of mares at Oatlands, 
 where Moses, a Derby winner, was bred. The principal 
 favourites with his Hoyal Highness were Kubens, Moses, 
 Seymour, and Aladdin. 
 
 The stud at Hampton Court was kept up with great care 
 through the reigns of George IV. and William TV., and I 
 have good authority for stating, that the latter sovereign 
 made a good profit by the investment. The horses kept for 
 the use of the stud from 1820 to 1837 were. Soothsayer and 
 Eainbow, both sent to France in 1823 ; Waterloo, Moses, the 
 Colonel, and Tranby, the latter sent to Virginia in 1835 ; 
 Helenus, sent to Germany in 1835 ; Eubini, Cain, and Acteon. 
 At the conclusion of the reign of William IV., there were 
 fifty brood mares of unexceptionable pedigree and character, 
 including a few Arabians ; and at the annual sale which took 
 place in the spring of 1837, at Messrs. Tattersall's, the last 
 during the reign of his late majesty, eleven colts and thirteen 
 
THE HOESE. 43 
 
 fillies produced 5,389 guineas. Here it may be mentioned, 
 that two colts, one a descendant of Hubini and an Arabian 
 mare, the otber a pure -bred Arabian, were sold for twenty- 
 seven and thirty -three guineas respectively. This is a certain 
 criterion of the low estimation in which the Arabian blood is 
 regarded, and of their worthlessness for improving the cha- 
 racter of thorough-bred stock. 
 
 At the decease of King William the royal stud was dis- 
 posed of by Messrs. Tattersall, in October, 1837. It con- 
 sisted of forty-three brood mares, thirteen colts, and eighteen 
 fillies ; also Acteon and the Colonel ; they produced 16,578 
 guineas. Great efforts were made by the most influential 
 noblemen and gentlemen, members of the Jockey Club, to 
 impress on her majesty's ministers .the policy of retaining 
 the establishment, but they were unavailing. From that 
 period till recently, the Hampton Court paddocks were un- 
 occupied by royal property. A small but valuable and 
 splendid stud of mares has again been formed, and we may 
 hope to see the establishment increase ; considering the great 
 prices which were realized by the sale of the yearlings, 
 under the insinuating hammer of Messrs. Tattersall, in 
 June, 1854, the prospect is most flattering. A colt, by Irish 
 Birdcatcher, out of Jamaica, was knocked down to Mr. 
 Howard for 1,000 guineas ; a filly, by Bay Middleton, out of 
 Stamp, to the same spirited purchaser, for 900 guineas ; two 
 other colts at nearly equal sums, to other persons. All the 
 lots were disposed of at high premiums — suffice it to state, 
 that eight colts and six fillies produced 6,199 guineas, exceed- 
 ing by 810Z. the sum given for twenty yearlings, the property 
 of the late king in 1837. 
 
 Yoivode, a chestnut yearling colt, bred by Mr. Cookson, by 
 Surplice, out of Mincemeat's dam, was sold by Messrs. Tat- 
 tersall at Doncaster to Mr. Merry for 1,020 guineas. Such 
 
44 THE HORSE. 
 
 prices must liave tlie effect of stimulating persons to devote 
 their attention to breeding racing stock. 
 
 A stud farm on a large scale lias, witliin a few years, been 
 established at Rawcliffe, near York, upon the joint-stock 
 principle ; there is no doubt it will be a profitable investment 
 to the proprietors, and an acquisition to the country. They 
 are in possession of some stud horses of the highest repute, 
 including the Flying Dutchman, Chanticleer, Slane, and Con- 
 naught Eanger. Undertakings of a similar kind formed in 
 different parts of the kingdom would be of great value in 
 maintaining the character of our breed of horses, and in sup- 
 plying the country with really useful animals. When the 
 object is to breed for sale only, every exertion must be used 
 to rear such horses as may be useful for general purposes 
 in the event of their not being adapted to racing. Noblemen 
 and gentlemen who breed for their own use on the turf gene- 
 rally direct their attention most especially to racing qualifica- 
 tions. 
 
 Near London, at Dudding Hill, there is a stud farm on a 
 very extensive scale, the property of Messrs. Henry and 
 Cheslyn Hall. It is conducted with the utmost liberality, 
 and every department evinces the skill which has been exer- 
 cised in the arrangements. The stallions are Harkaway, 
 The Libel, Tearaway, Pitsford, Chabron, Lothario, Eetriever, 
 Ethelbert, Cleveland Shortlegs (a splendid animal of the 
 breed which his name denotes), and The Wonder, an extra- 
 ordinary trotter with splendid action. A morning devoted 
 to the inspection of the stud cannot fail to be highly 
 gratifying to sportsmen, and indeed to all others who are ad- 
 mirers of the equine species, and any person will be amply 
 repaid if it is only in contemplating the perfect symmetry of 
 one horse, Lothario. He is the Adonis of his kind, and similar 
 perfections of symmetry can be traced to his ancestors, 
 
THE HORSE. 45 
 
 impartiDg an important example to breeders. His dam 
 Moggy, and liis grandam Active, both bred by tlie late Sir 
 George Pigot, were strikingly beautiful ; so also was his 
 grandsire Sultan, and his great-grandsire Partisan. Giovanni, 
 bis sire, was a finely formed and powerful horse, and Filho 
 da Puta, his paternal grandsire, was one of the best and 
 truest-shaped horses ever foaled. They might, with great 
 propriety, be designated the handsome family ; Lothario's 
 colour, a beautiful bay, is most attractive, and the prevailing 
 colour with his ancestors was similar. These two coinci- 
 dences of symmetry and colour serve to supply an example 
 of certain characteristics which often descend from gene- 
 ration to generation, for it is acknowledged by breeders 
 that the young stock will, in those respects, often re- 
 semble their grandsires or grandams, and even more remote 
 ancestors. 
 
 The Duke of Grafton, at the conclusion of the past and at 
 the beginning of the present century, indeed for many years, 
 had one of the largest and by far the most successful studs of 
 the day. It is a fact worthy of notice, as it establishes the 
 value of good blood, that many of the most fashionable and 
 justly esteemed horses of modern times are descended in 
 a direct line from his Grace of Grafton's celebrated mare 
 Penelope, vvhose lineage can be traced to one of the royal 
 mares of Charles II., and still further back to Place's White 
 Turk, and the Byerley Turk. By investigating this mare's 
 pedigree it will be found that, although she inherited the 
 Arabian blood from Godolphin, and the Parley Arabian, 
 strains of Turkish and Barb blood prevail over those of the 
 Arabian. Thus we must trace the superiority of our horses 
 to the legitimate source, and it may be taken as a general 
 maxim that our best horses are those whose pedigrees are 
 continued from the earliest periods. There is a circumstance 
 
46 THE HORSE. 
 
 connected with tlie produce of Penelope wortliy of observE' 
 tion : the first seven of her offspring, and which were by 
 far the most valuable, were by one sire, Waxy. From that 
 horse she gave birth to a filly, which was not named, and put 
 to the stud ; then came Whalebone, Webb, Woful, Wire, 
 and Whisker, all superior animals. The next was Waterloo, 
 by AYalton ; Wildfire, by Waxy, sent to Germany ; and 
 Windfall, by the same horse : she then had Whizgig, by 
 Hubens ; Waltz, by Election ; and AVamba, by Merlin. 
 Whalebone and Whisker were winners of the Derby in their 
 respective years, and subsequently the progenitors of several 
 horses of the highest pretensions. The produce by Walton, 
 !Rubens, Election, and Merlin, were very inferior to those by 
 her first partner. A gentleman, whose experience in breed- 
 ing race-horses was extensive, and who was much disposed tc 
 penetrate into the mystic recesses of nature, was wont tc 
 declare that the sire never ought to be changed unless undei 
 uncontrollable circumstances, alleging that a mare having 
 stock by different horses would give birth to succeeding foals 
 bearing resemblance in some points to her former partners 
 Without pronouncing the theory to be correct, there may bf 
 some foundation for it. Descendants from Penelope will hi 
 recognized in the blood of Camel, Defence, Sir Hercules.. 
 Irish Birdcatcher, Bay Middleton, Touchstone, Cotherstone. 
 Faugh a Ballagh, Alarm, Orlando, Cossack, Hero, and the 
 Flying Dutchman, all acknowledged as very superior horses 
 on the turf ; the two last-named have yet to establish theii 
 fame in the stud. That very extraordinary good creature 
 Catherina was a grand-daughter of Penelope. The same 
 strain of blood takes a still wider range by including Partisan, 
 also bred by the Duke of Grafton. This horse was by 
 Walton, his dam Parasol own sister to Penelope. Alarm 
 combines this excellent genealogy in a twofold degree, with- 
 
THE HOESE, 47 
 
 )ut SO near an alliance as to be objectionable on tlie score of 
 !onsanguinity. 
 
 We must not, ho^vever, avrard all the merit wbicli the 
 English, race-horse of the present time possesses to this one 
 lource ; for it must be acknowledged there are many others. 
 Drville may be mentioned as a sire of very high repute ; his 
 Dedigree can likewise be traced to one of the royal mares of 
 I^harles II. Many very celebrated horses are descended 
 rom Orville, among which stand foremost in review his son 
 Smilius, and his grandson Priam, both Derby winners. Un- 
 brtunately, the latter horse was sold to go to America, but 
 lot before he had left traces of his sterling worth. He was 
 he sire of Miss Letty, Industry, and Crucifix, each of them 
 /dinners of the Oaks. Cossack and Hero also claim alliance 
 ;o him. The celebrated mare, Alice Hawthorn, and the 
 lams of Voltigeur and Frantic, possess the Orville blood, to 
 vhicli a numerous family may be added by reference to the 
 itud-book. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 VARIETIES OF ENGLISH HOESES. 
 
 THE EACE-HOESE. 
 
 The English race-horse is undoubtedly the finest animal 
 Df his species in the world. In swiftness and energy he sur- 
 passes even his Arabian progenitor, though on the burning 
 3ands of the desert, to which not being acclimatised, he might 
 Qot be equal in point of endurance. He is always distinguished 
 jy the beautiful head of the class from which his ancestors 
 sprung J this being as finely set on a neck of faultless con- 
 
48 THE HOESE. 
 
 tour. His oblique shoulders give as good earnest of strength 
 as do his well-formed hind legs of speed. By the sculptor, 
 perhaps, the legs from the knee downward might be pro- 
 nounced unfit for the heau ideal of a perfect animal, yet this, 
 though admitted by judges to be sometimes the case, is, after 
 all, a matter of little consequence. Certain it is, that when- 
 ever the English race-horse has contended on fair ground 
 with the finest Arabian breeds, he has invariably come off con- 
 queror, even though he may be by no means the finest speci- 
 men of his own class. So marked is his superiority over al 
 European breeds, that it is customary on the English cours< \ 
 to allow any foreign horses a considerable advantage in th( 
 weight they carry, but to no purpose, as they seldom succeec 
 in carrying off the prize. 
 
 The climate of England has no doubt almost as much t» 
 do with our breed of horses as has the purity of their pedi 
 grees. When an English race-horse leaves his native country 
 for the continent, he is observed to degenerate, and his pro i 
 geny also ; though whether this is the case with Englisl^ 
 horses exported to E^ussia, we have no perfect means of ascei 
 'taining. The influence of climate is also evinced in the grea 
 success of some English horses which were known not to b 
 of perfectly pure blood, though the latter is invariably in 
 sisted on as the requisite of a first-rate horse. 
 
 The history of the racing-colt (so says the author) in th 
 present day has in it much that is interesting, and a great dea 
 that is in the highest degree disgraceful to the turf. The firs 
 six months of the racer are usually spent happily enough: he i 
 with his dam, well sheltered, well fed, and every want antici i 
 pated, in order that his frame and his powers may be fully de^ 
 veloped in the least possible time. Then comes the spirit o 
 curiosity and of speculation : the owner is anxious to kno\ 
 whether his stock will be worth the expense of keeping, an< 
 
THE HORSE. 49 
 
 they are prepared for being broken in soon after they have 
 attained the age of twelve months ; the mouth is begun to be 
 formed, and before the succeeding autumn has closed in they 
 are under the care of the training-groom. 
 
 The system of management is much improved. The train- 
 ing-groom possesses more real knowledge of his business, 
 and there is far more humanity exercised than there used to 
 be. In a very great proportion of the training-stables the full 
 exertion of the power and speed of the colt is oftener ob- 
 tained by kind usage than by brutal cruelty. 
 
 By-and-by comes the day of trial. The course is a short 
 one, usually half a mile, but their fleetness and their strength 
 are put fully to the test. This is occasionally repeated, in 
 order that the trainer or the owner may be put in full pos- 
 session of the powers and promise of the animal. At two 
 years old the course is sometimes lengthened to three-quarters 
 of a mile, and the speed is again fully tested. 
 
 At the first glance there appears to be some indiscretion 
 in this ; but the system must be examined. It must be in- 
 quired whether it is not wrong to call thus severely on the 
 power of any animal before the period at which its strength 
 is developed ; and whether the horse so treated can attain 
 the state of perfection for which he was designed. He may 
 exhibit strength and speed extraordinary for his age, but is 
 he able to sustain the reputation that he acquires ? His bones 
 not having acquired their proper strength, and the muscles 
 not having attained their full power, is it not reasonable to 
 expect that at no remote period he may deceive his backers 
 and be publicly disgraced ; or is it seen that he gets old, 
 although not arrived at the pride of youth, and is he with- 
 drawn from the course? These questions will be more 
 diffusely discussed in future pages. 
 
 It must be conceded, that if another year were granted, 
 
 E 
 
50 THE HORSE. 
 
 and tlie general date of the appearance of tlie young horse 
 on the course were three years instead of two, the spirit of 
 sheer gambling would be somewhat curtailed ; many a good 
 horse would be saved from the sad fate of those that are cast j 
 and the owner would rarely be out of pocket. 
 
 On a fair view of the turf, however, there is considerably 
 less cruelty exercised than there was thirty years ago. The 
 training for, and the running of the four-mile courses, was 
 accompanied by a great deal of barbarity. The number of 
 those which die in the training, or in the running, is mate- 
 rially diminished. There are numerous accounts of the horse 
 dropping and dying in contesting the four-mile course, and 
 sometimes there were more outrageous heats than these. 
 The starting-post of the six-mile course once stood near Six- 
 mile Bottom at Newmarket. The horses are not so much 
 punished in their running as they used to be. "No jockey oi 
 the present day would disgrace himself by the atrocities i 
 that were formerly committed. It is now understood that, 
 when a horse is exerting the utmost extent of his stride 
 and is straining every muscle and every limb from a natural 
 principle of emulation, the working of the bit, or the mode- 
 rate application of the whip or spur, may keep him up to the 
 mark ; but when he has wound up " each corporeal ageni 
 to the terrible feat," the infliction of sudden torture wil 
 necessarily disturb the harmony of action, and throw tht 
 animal quite abroad. Many a race has been lost by the 
 infliction of wanton cruelty. A bad-tempered horse imme- 
 diately shuts up. He is sure to abate or lessen his exertior 
 if he is severely punished when doing his best. The owner oi 
 the jockey will, however, be the best judge of the propei 
 manner of riding in particular cases. 
 
THE HORSE. 51 
 
 THE HUNTEH. 
 
 The author says, the hunter used chiefly to differ from the 
 road-horse in standing an inch or two higher, and possessing 
 more blood. He was at least three-quarters bred, with 
 small head and thick neck, and therefore light in the hand ; 
 the crest firm and arched, the jaws wide, and consequently 
 the head well set on, and the mouth light and pleasant. 
 The forehand was higher than that of the racer, and although 
 the shoulder was somewhat thicker, the saddle was in its 
 proper place. The barrel was rounder than that of the 
 race-horse, that there might be more room for the lungs 
 to play when the pace was becoming distressing ; the leg was 
 shorter and deeper ; the pastern shorter, yet retaining con- 
 siderable obliquity; and the foot sound ; the body short and 
 compact, the loins broad, the quarters long, the thighs 
 muscular, and the hocks well bent and well under the horse. 
 This was the hunter of former days, that would carry his 
 master to the covert side, and keep his place in the field 
 during a run of two or even four hours, and find his way 
 home again unhurt and not over tired. 
 
 It is not every good and fleet horse which will make a 
 good hunter. He may have strength and vigour for a long 
 journey, and yet not be able to bear the shocks and strain- 
 ings of the chase. There never was, says Captain Brown, 
 a long limber-legged horse that was able to gallop down 
 steep hills, and take bold leaps with a weight on his back, 
 without sinking or foundering. 
 
 A horse should never be used for field-sport till he is in 
 his sixth year, as his joints will not be well knit, nor his 
 tendons sufiiciently tenacious, till that period. A horse in his 
 fifth year may occasionally be ridden out with the hounds, 
 
 e2 
 
52 THE HOKSE. 
 
 but if lie is only moderately worked till tlie following year, 
 so much, the better. 
 
 It is now, however, the fasliion to breed the hunter chiefly 
 for speed ; he therefore is a very different kind of horse 
 from what he was. He is the race-horse somewhat more 
 stoutly bred. The hunter of the present day is com- 
 paratively seldom ridden to cover ; a hack conveys the 
 sportsman, and a second horse is provided, entrusted to some 
 groom who knows the country, and brings him to the spot 
 where he is most likely to meet the hounds during the chase, 
 which may be then generally prolonged without distress to 
 either horse. 
 
 The spare horse, however, is not always forthcoming when 
 wanted, for the chase may have taken a contrary direction to 
 that which was expected. Then comes a duty of which the 
 horse will not remind the rider until his strength is rapidly 
 wasting, although the attentive and huniane sportsmai^ can 
 scarcely overlook it. His action becomes feeble, the flanks 
 heave convulsively— there is a peculiar convulsive action oi 
 the diaphragm. These will be sufficient indications of dis- 
 tress, and no horse should be urged on after he has unequivo- 
 cally exhibited them. It would be an act of injustice anc 
 cruelty for which no excuse can be urged. The administra- 
 tion of some restorative, and leading slow to the nearest 
 stable, are the best alternatives at the moment of distress. 
 
 There is one abuse of hunting that has lately crept in 
 chiefly advantageous to horse-dealers, and established foi 
 their pecuHar purposes, but which is an outrage to humanitj 
 — the steeple- chase. That these noble animals should b( 
 urged at their utmost speed over all sorts of ground, anc 
 with every dangerous obstacle in their way, is a practic( 
 unsanctioned by any good or legitimate object, and whicl 
 should be put down by the expression of universal detestation 
 
THE HOESE. 53 
 
 During tlie sporting season the Iiunter is well fed, and 
 with that kind of food which contains a great proportion of 
 nutriment in little compass. A small quantity of hay, rarely 
 more than eight or ten pounds per day, is allowed, and less 
 than that on the day before work. The quantity of corn 
 may vary from ten to fourteen pounds daily. There is a 
 prejudice in most hunting stables, and probably well founded, 
 against chaff, and it is seldom that the oats are bruised, 
 certainly not so frequently as they ought to be. Gruel and 
 a bran-mash is given after a day of hunting ; and mashes 
 are serviceable at other times when there has not been 
 more than ordinary work, provided that at least two days 
 are suffered to elapse before the horse is again taken into the 
 field. 
 
 The hunting season having passed, the horse used to be 
 turned into the field as soon as the grass had begun fairly to 
 sprout, and there, with his feed or two feeds of corn 
 daily, and his hovel, into which he might retreat from the 
 sun or the storm, he remained until the middle of June, or 
 the files began to be troublesome. Of late years, however* 
 it has become the fashion to confine him to his box, whence 
 he stirs not except for an hour's walking exercise, until he is 
 taken into training for the next winter's business. 
 
 The training of the hunter for this work is a simple affair. 
 It is, by means of exercise and of physic, getting rid of 
 all superfluous fat and flesh, without debilitating him. The 
 physic is useful, in moderate doses ; but the chief thing is 
 gradually to accustom him to the exertion of every power 
 that he possesses, without too much hurrying his breathing, 
 or overstraining him. 
 
 The training of the race-horse is of a similar character 
 with that of the hunter, but it is far more severe, for his 
 Btrength, his speed, and his endurance, must be tested to the 
 
54 THE HORSE. 
 
 ■utmost. The liunter lias to carry liis rider gallantly and 
 well through perhaps a long burst, and if he tires, and the 
 sportsman has the good sense and humanity to cease to urge 
 him on, the greatest evil is some temporary suffering to 
 him, and disappointment to his master; but if the race-, 
 horse breaks down, or if his capabilities have not been 
 accurately calculated, the most serious loss may be sustained. 
 Thence arises the necessity of testing every power in the 
 preparation of the race-horse ; and thence, too, it sometimes 
 happens, from injudicious management, that young horses 
 break down and become perfectly useless in their training. 
 
 THE HACKNEY. 
 
 In point of real utility this is the most valuable of the 
 species, and it is difficult to be met with in perfection, which, 
 of course, includes cheapness as well as ease and safety ol 
 action. Many faults may be tolerated in the racer or hunter, 
 but if the former have speed, and the latter bottom, this 
 may be overlooked, in consequence of the animal being 
 otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which he is 
 intended. The racer is frequently vicious, and the hunter 
 scarcely less so — both perhaps from injudicious or cruel 
 treatment ; but next to safety, it is requisite that the 
 hackney should be quiet and docile, always ready to identify 
 his movements with those of the rider, whether he be in 
 action or standing still waiting the transaction of his owner's 
 business. By kind treatment a horse acquires a knowledge 
 of his owner's movements almost as readily as a dog, and is 
 as ready to acquiesce in them ; so that his teaching in this 
 respect devolves on his owner as much for his own interest, 
 as for the perfection of his horse. 
 
 The degree of substance which the hackney should possess 
 must depend upon the weight he has to carry, and the con- 
 
THE HOESE. 55 
 
 sequent degree of exertion required from liim. A country, 
 the surface of which is irregul'ar or hilly, will require strength 
 and action, as primary requisites before speed, or at least to 
 be combined with it. It is no doubt agreeable to possess a 
 splendid horse ; but it is questionable whether his services 
 will be superior to those of one of less pretensions. It is by 
 no means essential that he should carry his legs too high, go 
 that he goes clear over the ground. The height of the hack- 
 ney should be from fourteen hands and a half to fifteen 
 hands and an inch, having a body of a compact form, with 
 his joints well knit. 
 
 The head of the hackney should be small, and the neck 
 inclining to be thin towards the head. The head will be 
 then well set on, and it will form that angle with the neck 
 which will give a light and pleasant mouth. This, however, 
 depends much on the rider, who, if he do not feel his mouth 
 hghtly, may easily spoil its sensibility to a light touch, and 
 may entail upon himself a great deal of unpleasant attention 
 to his horse's movements. The animal, when well managed, 
 is accustomed to depend on his rider for his guidance ; and 
 if the rider have not as much sensibility of touch in his 
 hand as his horse has in his mouth, he is not in a situation to 
 give him an immediate check, so as to prevent accident to 
 either. Besides which, a light touch always gives a graceful 
 position to the horse's head, and is eminently conducive 
 towards ease and safety of action. 
 
 The shoulders of the hackney, compared with those of the 
 racer, or even with those of the hunter, should have a little 
 more substance or thickness, and they should slope back- 
 wards at a considerable angle from the point of the shoulders 
 to the withers — at which point there should be an evident 
 degree of thinness and elevation. A well-shouldered hack- 
 ney will, when standing, have his forelegs perpendicular to 
 
56 THE HOESE. 
 
 the ground. Hence it is essential to judge of tlie animal as 
 well when standing as moving. Observe also, when walking, 
 whether he place his forefoot more forw^ard than the shoulder- 
 point when he puts it on the ground. If his shoulders are 
 upright, he cannot do so ; and if this be not the case, he will 
 always do so, and should be rejected, as not having a sound 
 footing when in motion. 
 
 He should have the bones beneath the knee broad and flat, 
 as much so immediately under the knee as they are above 
 the fetlock. The forelegs should be perfectly straigPit, for a 
 horse which stands over on his knee, although but to a slight 
 degree, will, from many a trifling cause, especially if over- 
 weighted, be liable to fall. The arms, too, should be compact 
 and muscular, exhibiting considerable bulk in proportion to 
 the height of the horse. 
 
 The foot is of the first importance in a hackney. In a 
 few words, it should be of a size evidently corresponding 
 with the general bulk of the animal. The feet should neither 
 be too hollow — showing a tendency to contraction — nor too 
 fiat, the consequence of disease, exposing the sole to continual 
 bruises. 
 
 As his general safety of action may be judged of by his 
 shoulders, so may his soundness be estimated by his legs and 
 feet. The foot should be open at the heels, and free from 
 corns and thrushes. 
 
 The pasterns should be so united at the fetlock that the 
 feet may neither turn inwards nor outwards. Of the two 
 faults it is better that the feet should turn a little outwards, 
 so that they do not strike against his fetlock, than that they 
 should turn inwards. The pastern should be short, with suf- 
 ficient obliquity to give pleasant action, but not enough to 
 render the horse incapable of the wear and tear of constant 
 hard work. 
 
THE HOESE. 57 
 
 The last test is to mount liim, first looking if his shoe is 
 unnecessarily worn at the toe.' If he put his feet flat on the 
 ground, he is worth having ; if he do not so place them, 
 but drive his toe into the ground, reject him ; for the odds 
 are, that before long the rider will have to measure his length 
 on the ground, as the least obstacle will cause the horse to 
 trip. The condition of the shoe is, however, a pretty good 
 criterion of this. If the toe be greatly worn, whilst the heel 
 is not worn at all, a judgment may be formed that the horse 
 will be unsafe. 
 
 The hackney is most valuable for the pleasantness of his 
 paces, his safety, good temper, and endurance. If he is 
 cqnal to eight or ten miles an hour, the owner should be 
 satisfied. Horses that have extraordinary fleetness on the 
 road are not always pleasant to ride, and it is their too usual 
 fate to be disabled, and comparatively worthless, when the 
 slower horse is in his prime. 
 
 The early life of the hackney, perhaps, differs a little 
 from that of the farmer's horse : he is better taken care of 
 during the first -winter; he has a hovel in which he may 
 shelter himself, and has an allowance of hay, and perhaps of 
 corn. The winter passes away, and he has suffered little ; 
 and during the early part of the year he gets his new coat, 
 and is full of spirits and vigour. In the third year comes 
 the breaking-in ; and, with occasional exceptions, he suffers 
 Qot much from the ignorance and brutality of the breakers. 
 The exceptions to this, although they may be comparatively 
 Few and far between, should not be suffered for one moment 
 to exist. The hackney is destined for the immediate service 
 Df the master, and much of his after character, and the 
 pleasure derived from him, depend upon the manner in which 
 the breaking is performed. There is, as in the inferior 
 aorse, one thing absolutely indispensable— the colt, pre- 
 
58 THE HOESE. 
 
 viously almost as free as the air, must be taught to yield 
 up his will to another, and to obey with alacrity his master's 
 bidding. Generally speaking, this is easily accomplished. 
 It demands only a certain degree of firmness, mingled with 
 kindness, and this task is, in the majority of cases, readily 
 accomplished. If the animal is at the first somewhat disposed 
 to resist, mingled firmness and kindness will rarely fail tc 
 obtain a victory. 
 
 The faults which will oftenest require correction in the 
 hackney are fear and restiveness. 
 
 Gentle treatment will rarely or never fail to overcome fear 
 The disinclination of the colt to come into contact with thi 
 object should be quietly but firmly resisted, and then, bj 
 succeeding in persuading him that there is no ground o. 
 alarm, an unpleasant and dangerous habit is broken at once 
 The pretended fear which the colt will occasionally exhibit ii 
 a species of affectation that may be as readily, and must br 
 very determinedly, resisted. The quadruped has occasionally 
 as much affectation as the human being, and it is fortunat* I 
 for him, as well as his owner, when this is put down with al 
 possible promptness. 
 
 Hestiveness is defined, by the author of a recent work oi 
 " Humanity to Brutes," to be " a compound of mischievous i 
 ness and stubbornness, the will of the hcrse being directly 
 opposed to that of the rider." " Now," says this writer 
 *' the most zealous advocate for the humane treatment o 
 animals will readily admit that the man must be master anc 
 the quadruped must obey. The only question is as to th( 
 means of enforcing obedience. Correction may occasionally 
 be necessary, but the grand secret is to foil the horse witl 
 his own weapons. If severity is resorted to, it should not be 
 until all other means have failed. There should be no trial' 
 of strength between the biped and the quadruped, for that 
 
THE HOESE. 59 
 
 will probably again and a^ain terminate in a drawn battle 
 which will be renewed on the* first opportunity. The horse 
 may fret and exhaust himself, but the rider must be quiet. 
 If he will stand still, he should do so until he is tired, or 
 he should be made to walk backwards. If he endeavours to 
 turn round, he should be made to accomplish a whole instead 
 of a half circle, so that ha shall be precisely where he was 
 before. Nineteen horses out of twenty will soon be con- 
 vinced of the inutility of a struggle Hke this, and after having 
 repeated the experiment two or three times, with precisely 
 the same result, will submit, and become useful and attached 
 servants. If, however, he continues a brute, he must be got 
 rid of, or proper coercion must be applied." 
 
 THE CAVALEY HOESE. 
 
 The character of this horse differs materially, according 
 to the nature of the service required, and the taste of the 
 commanding officer. The horses of the household troops are, 
 probably, not so large and so heavy as formerly ; but there 
 are no foreign troops that can resist their charge. At the 
 battle of Waterloo they were highly instrumental in deciding 
 the fate of the day. The heavy cavalry are generallj^ more 
 than half-bred ; the lighter have still more blood. In training 
 the cavalry, as well as the race-horse, a great deal more is 
 to be done by kindness : the system of management is now 
 materially altered, and many cruel contrivances of former 
 days are no more to be heard of. The writer of this sketch 
 has had frequent opportunities of seeing the comparative 
 ease with which the horse is now taught its duty, the delight 
 with which he seems to practise every manoeuvre, and the 
 affection that he cherishes for his own rider, and also the 
 trooper for him. Their affection for their companions is also 
 very strong. - 
 
60 THE HOESE. 
 
 Opinions differ as to tlie kind of horse best adapted for a 
 charger. Formerly the cavalry were mounted on strong, 
 heavy horses, being the Flemish stock crossed with our own. 
 Lighter horses were, however, found more serviceable in wet 
 marshy tracts of country. The true" qualities of a troop-horse 
 should resemble those of a hunter. Compact in form, pos- 
 sessing fine action, small ears ; neck deep and arched, breast 
 large and swelling, ribs full and finely bent, chine broad and 
 straight, tail broad and flaccid, thigh swelling and muscular, 
 leg broad and flat, and pastern short. 
 
 THE COACH-HOESE. 
 
 The better kind are the Cleveland bays, mostly bred in the 
 country between Northumberland and Lincoln, and particu- 
 larly about Cleveland and the vale of Pickering. The Cleve' 
 land mares, at least those that have been kept for breedino 
 purposes, have materially improved within the last thirty on 
 forty years. They are taller, with better withers, yet suffi' 
 cient roundness of the barrel, and flatter and deeper legs 
 These mares are crossed by a three-part bred horse, or some 
 times by a thorough-bred one, that has sufficient substance 
 and height, arched crest, and high action. The foal is eithei 
 the tall coach-horse — the true Cleveland bay — or he is the 
 four-in-hand, or curricle-horse, or sometimes the hunter, and 
 of the best description, or the better kind of saddle horse. 
 If the sire is only half-bred, we have the post-chaise oi 
 coach-horse, the hackney, and the horse of common work, 
 the worst of mongrels. 
 
 Dealers at the proper season attend the fairs in this dis- 
 trict, and every part of the kingdom is thence supplied 
 with horses for show, and to a great degree, for usefulness. 
 Even the royal stables thence obtain some of their chiefest ' 
 ornaments. 
 
THB HOBSE. 61 
 
 The produce of Cleveland mares is a coach-liorse of high 
 repute, and likely to possess good action. His points are, 
 substance well placed, deep and well-proportioned body, 
 strong, and clean bone under the knee, open, sound, and 
 tough feet, with fine knee action, lifting his feet high. The 
 full-sized coach-horse is in fact an overgro^^n hunter. 
 
 The old Cleveland horse is almost extinct, and his place 
 supplied in the manner just described. The Sufi'olk Punch, 
 the product chiefly of Suffolk and some of the neighbouring 
 districts, is regenerated, but is a different sort of animal to 
 the breed of olden times. He usually varied from fifteen, 
 to sixteen hands in height, and was of a sorrel colour. He 
 was large headed, low-shouldered, broad and low on the 
 withers, deep, and yet round chested ; long in the back, large 
 and strong in the quarters, round in the legs, and strong in 
 the pasterns. He would throw his whole weight into the 
 collar, and had sufficient hardihood and strength to stand a 
 long day's work. The pure breed has, however, passed away, 
 and is succeeded by a cross between the half or three-party 
 bred Yorkshire with the old Suffolk. He is taller than the 
 former horse, somewhat higher and firmer about the shoulders, 
 with sufficient quickness of action and honesty to exert him- 
 self to the utmost at a dead pull, whilst the proportion of the 
 withers enables him to throw immense weight into the collar. 
 The encouragement given by the Eoyal Agricultural Society 
 of England for horses of this class has been the cause of con- 
 siderable increase in their numbers. 
 
 Another breed is the heavy draught-horse, found usually 
 in the line of country from Lincolnshire to Staffordshire. 
 These are often purchased by the Berkshire and Surrey 
 farmers at two years old, worked moderately until they are 
 four — earning their keep during the whole of the time — and 
 then sent to the London market at a considerable profit. 
 
62 THE HOESE. 
 
 A dray-liorse sliould have a broad cliest, thick and up- 
 right shoulders, a low forehand, a deep and round frame, the 
 loins broad and high, the forearms and thighs thick, the 
 legs short, the hoofs round, the heels broad, and the sole not 
 too flat. The largest of these horses are used as dray-horses, 
 the next as waggon-horses, and a smaller variety, with more i 
 blood, is employed by the undertaker. The larger ones— the 
 dray-horses of the metropolitan and other brewers— are 
 adapted more for parade and shown more to gratify the 
 ambition which one brewer has to outvie his brethren, thar 
 for any peculiar utility. They are certainly enormous 
 animals; but they eat their full share of provender, and ir 
 hard and continued work they would be comparatively 
 beaten by an equal number of hardy muscular horses mud 
 lower in stature. 
 
 Until the establishment of the railroads, the stage-coacl 
 horse stood high in point of utility and value. In conduct • 
 ing a racing establishment, it would soon be perceived wha 
 colts would train on, and what would ultimately break down 
 and, except there is much neglect in the management of thi 
 establishment, the unsound and weak-legged ones were sold 
 and a considerable proportion of them found their way t* 
 the fast coaches. They had the requisite speed, and strengtl 
 enough to last for a considerable time. A great improve 
 ment also, either from fashion or good feeling, took place ii 
 the management of the stage-coach horse. He was no longe: 
 half-starved, as well as over driven, but sufficiently fed, an( 
 nothing exacted from him but his own proper daily labour 
 while he was always fully equal to, or above, his work. Th< 
 consequence of this was, that he required little urging for 
 ward by the torture of the whip ; and there was a markec | 
 change in point of humanity in the conduct and charactei 
 of the driver. Every one accustomed to travel in the publii 
 
THE HOESE. 63 
 
 carriages will cheerfully and thankfully acknowledge the 
 iujin-ovement that had taken place in this respect. 
 
 The length of the stages was materially diminished ; and 
 the proprietors having one horse in four always at rest, each 
 of them had the advantage of one rest day in four. Nimrod, 
 a competent judge in these matters, has asserted, in his 
 amusing work on " The Chase, the Turf, and the Eoad," 
 that " no animal toiling solely for the profit of man leads so 
 3asy and comfortable a life as the stage-coach horse. He is 
 sumptuously fed and kindly treated; he has twenty-three 
 lOurs in the twenty -four of rest. He is, except from his 
 )wn fault, almost a stranger to the lash ; we rarely see him 
 vith a broken skin ; but we do often see him kicking up his 
 leels when taken from his work, after having performed his 
 stage of ten miles within the hour." 
 
 This pleasing picture, however, too frequently had its 
 ihades. The system of overworking and over-feeding, to 
 vhich the horse was subject when he came on the road, was 
 mdermining his constitution ; every disease in him took an 
 nflammatory character; his legs were peculiarly liable to 
 -ccident, and strains and other evils frequently occurred, 
 rhich required a peculiarly severe mode of treatment, and 
 he horse was unavoidably made to suffer dreadfully. Per- 
 laps the evil was never perfectly remedied. The animal 
 ras never competent to undertake his former work ; but he 
 ras attached to the heavier coaches, or transplanted to those 
 oncerns of atrocious cruelty, the night coaches. Then 
 ommenced that loss of character, and diminution of use- 
 Qlness, and increase of misery, which were the fate of 
 housands of horses every year. This is a picture of the 
 tage-coach horse on the bad roads, and under indifferent 
 lanagement. 
 
 Eailroads have now been introduced in almost every direc- 
 
64 THE HOESE. 
 
 tion, and tlie quickness and economy of tlie journey have, in 
 many parts of the country, comparatively destroyed the 
 business of the postmaster. The horses passed into other 
 hands, and sank to more degrading and painful labours 3 bul 
 of late their sky is again somewhat brightening. The 
 exportation of horses of this class to the Continent hag 
 increased to a degree that never could have been anticipated 
 These horses are destined for the cavalry service of differeni 
 countries ; they are such as could not be procured on tht 
 continent ; and the work that will be exacted from them wil 
 not, in the majority of instances, ever develope their laten 
 imperfections. 
 
 Of the sad cruelties practised on the hackney-coach horses 
 on the day and night cab-horses, and on those that belong t( ; 
 the costermonger and inferior tradesman, nothing is her( 
 recorded; but if the dog, a beast of draught in so man] 
 other countries, is — we scarcely know why — not allowed t( 
 be employed in this occupation, there ought to be som^ 
 strong enactments to protect those poor old debilitated, half 
 starved animals on whom the whole labour falls. 
 
 There is only space for a few remarks on some of thi 
 smaller breeds of horses. 
 
 THE GALLOWAY. 
 
 The Galloway derives its name from the district in whicl 
 it is bred, in the south of Scotland. There are records of i 
 as early as the time of Edward 1. Dr. Anderson thus de 
 scribes one of them : — " I possessed one of these horses whei 
 a boy. In point of elegance of shape it was a perfect picture 
 and was perfectly gentle and manageable. It moved almos 
 with a wish, and never tired. I rode this little creature fo: 
 twenty-five years, and twice in that time I rode him 15( 
 miles without stopping, except to bait, and that not for above 
 
THE HOESE. 65 
 
 an hour at a time. It came in at the last stage with as much 
 ease and alacrity as it travelled at first." The Galloway was 
 about fourteen hands high, of a bright bay or brown, with 
 black legs, small head and neck, and peculiarly deep and 
 clean legs. Its qualities were speed, stoutness, and sure- 
 footedness. One of them is said to have performed the ex- 
 traordinary feat of 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours. 
 
 The true Galloway is now seldom met with. It was de- 
 stroyed in the fruitless attempt to increase the size of the 
 animal, and to retain all its peculiar good qualities as a pony. 
 The small horses that are sold under the name of Galloways 
 are mostly from AVales or the New Forest, and still retain 
 many of the good qualities belonging to Merlin and to Old 
 Marske. The Welsh pony is often a beautiful animal, and can 
 scarcely be tired. The New Forest evinces the source 
 whence he sprung, by his spirit, speed, and endurance. 
 
 The Exmore ponies are far from being so handsome as the 
 Welsh, but they are hardy and useful. The Dartmoor ponies 
 are still more deficient in beauty of form, but well suited to 
 the country in which they are bred. 
 
 The Highland pony partakes of all the hardihood of the 
 others, but is slower and somewhat unpleasant in his paces. 
 The Shetlander is the most beautiful of the inhabitants of the 
 northern islands, although of a very diminutive size, varying 
 from seven and a half to nine and a half hands in height. He 
 is described as having a small head, a good-tempered coun- 
 tenance, and a short neck becoming gradually fine upwards. 
 The shoulders are low and thick, the back short, the quarters 
 expanded and powerful, the legs flat and fine, and the foot 
 retains its natural form even in old age. 
 
 THE CART HOESE. 
 
 Although we have incidentally spoken of one or two 
 t^arieties of the draught-horse, our volume would not be 
 
 F 
 
66 THE HORSE. 
 
 complete as a " Book of the Country," did we not enter 
 more particularly into a description of agricultural horses. 
 The English cart-horse varies in almost every county, but 
 one particular characteristic is, or should be, activity, in con- 
 junction with such a degree of weight as will give them more 
 physical power in draught. 
 
 The cart-horse should not be more than sixteen hands 
 high, with light well-shaped head and neck, short ears, fuU 
 chests, large shoulders, low in front, the rump being higher 
 than the forehand, back strong and compact, legs short ancj 
 flat, fillets large, and pliable in the joints. 
 
 For heavy waggon draught the horses should be large, pro- 
 vided the size arises from build, and not from flesh alone ^ 
 which they will be if fed on sloppy meat — this increasing th(;i 
 cellular and adipose matter, without nourishing the musculai 
 fibre. 
 
 The object of breeding draught-horses is to increase! 
 strength; and this is not best accomplished by increasinj' 
 size, a compact horse of fifteen hands and a half or sixteei 
 hands high being frequently more powerful than one o 
 seventeen. Cart-horses, when well treated and moderateh 
 worked, live to a great age, instances being on record of thei 
 reaching forty, though regularly worked every day witl 
 younger horses. 
 
 European horses, which have not Eastern blood in thei: 
 veins, are widely different in their physical structure fron 
 the Asiatic horse. Their bones are round and porous, thei: 
 joints thick, heads clumsy, bodies bulky, chest fleshy, leg! 
 thick, tendons relaxed, hair coarse, and hides spongy. Thii 
 arises from difference of pasture no less than of breed, th( 
 dry pastures of the East being well suited to develop th( 
 superior powers of the animal. 
 
 It would be a benefit to the farmer and the country ai 
 
THE HOESE. 67 
 
 large if the huge cart-horse were banished from the land. 
 The vast improvements which are annually introduced by 
 the invention of machinery will, there is every reason to 
 hope, enable the agriculturist to dispense with the use of 
 horses on his farm to a very considerable extent ; indeed, a 
 reduction of their services is already accomplished. The 
 heavy, lumbering cart-horses will eventually be universally 
 condemned as useless, and the breeding of them must receive 
 a salutary discouragement. 
 
 THE CLYDESDALE HOESE 
 
 Is met with in most counties north of the Tay, and is a 
 favourite horse in England. These horses are strong, hardy, 
 and steady, yet active. Their stature is from fifteen hands 
 to sixteen hands and a half. As husbandry horses, they are 
 superior to most others. The breed is originally from Flanders 
 stallions and Lanark mares, and was formed from the experi- 
 ments of the Duke of Hamilton. 
 
 The Clydesdalp horse is lighter than was the old Sufiblk 
 punch, and with as much bone as the latter, is more shape- 
 able; his neck is longer, his limbs clean, straight, and sinewy, 
 and his step firm and active. He is capable of great mus- 
 cular exertion, is good-tempered, and not being unwieldy, is 
 no burden to the soil, and therefore well adapted to the 
 plough. 
 
 THE DEAT-HOESE 
 
 Is the largest of the species, standing frequently upwards 
 of seventeen hands. He is unquestionably a gigantic animal, 
 !but by no means an useful one. They form the principal 
 obstruction in the streets of London ; their slow movements, 
 and the ponderous vehicles to which they are attached, com- 
 pelling all carriages in their rear to adopt their own pace, to 
 f2 
 
68 THE HOESE. 
 
 the great inconvenience of the public. Notwithstanding that 
 in our day it is common to see waggons containing double a 
 dray load drawn by a couple of lighter horses at the pace of an 
 omnibus, the waggon being placed on omnibus springs, the 
 London brewers persist in the use of these unwieldy animals, 
 further loaded with fat by the sloppy food given them to 
 increase their sleekness, and decorated with fine harness. 
 The cost of such a stud must be altogether disproportionate 
 to the labour performed, which all must admit who have seen 
 the insignificance of the load, as compared with the elephan- 
 tine proportions of the team which draws it. 
 
 The chief points of these horses are as follows : — broad 
 chest, low forehand, round barrel, broad and high loins, 
 ample quarters, shoulders thick and upright, forearms and 
 thighs thick, legs short, hoofs round, heels broad, and soles 
 not too flat ; in short, as nearly as possible, the proportions | 
 of an elephant. Tlie physical power of such horses is in an | 
 inverse ratio to their unwieldiuess, and the more bloated thej 
 can be bred, the higher the price which the vanity of then 
 employers is willing to pay for them. 
 
 THE FiEMER's HOESE, 
 
 Half cart-horse, half hackney, is seldom perfect in botl 
 capacities ; his paces are slow and stiff, whilst, from depend- 
 ing on the collar to keep him up, he is apt to come down { 
 when ridden. The rider, however, being aware of this pecu- 
 liarity, and not requiring speed, generally contrives to keep 
 him on his legs. 
 
 When used for drawing and riding, the farmer's horse should 
 be upwards of fifteen hands high, with a shoulder thickerj 
 lower, and less slanting than the hackney. He should be 
 stout and compact, and if with a little blood, so much the 
 better. He should not be put to the heaviest kind of draw- 
 
THE HOESE. 69 
 
 in^, so tliat his vr eight should not be more than will allow of 
 tolerable speed. 
 
 The farmer's horse, ridden occasionally to market, but more 
 employed for draught, should not be the slow, bulky animal 
 of former times, but a slight degree taller than the road- 
 horse, with his shoulder thicker and less slanting, stout and 
 compact, and having a little, and but a little, of the blood- 
 horse in him. A good judge of the horse has said, and it 
 sums up the character of the animal, that " he should have 
 weight enough to throw into the collar, and sufficient acti- 
 vity to go over the ground." The farmer's horse may not be 
 often over-fed, but he is seldom overworked, and, except in 
 the hay and corn harvest, his employment is easy ; but when 
 his powers begin to be impaired — when the pleasure or the 
 profit of the master is interfered with — when, from accident 
 occurring in his master's service and even attributable to the 
 master, he becomes weakened or lame — what then is his 
 destiny? He is sold to the first purchaser— he goes to a 
 place of far harder work and less comfort — and he has to 
 wear out the rest of his life, his food curtailed and his 
 work cruelly increased. This is one of the greatest blots on 
 the character of the farmer. 
 
 The colours of the horse are very variable, the principal 
 being as follows : — Bay, of many shades, but always dis- 
 tinguished by black manes and tails. Gray, of seven or 
 eight varieties. Dun, of several shades, having for the most 
 part a black list along the spine. Roan, is bay, black, or 
 sorrel, intermixed with white hair. Chestnut, light or dark. 
 Piebald, of two colours, one being white. Besides the colours 
 enumerated, there are many others, as grissel, sorrel, cream- 
 colour, hlac'k,ivhite,Jleahitten, &c. &c. 
 
 "White and cream-coloured horses were formerly as much 
 esteemed by persons of high rank as the white elephant is in 
 
70 THE HOESE. 9 
 
 some portions of the East. George the Third had a great 
 mania for white and cream-coloured horses, and always used 
 a set of them for state occasions. The temper of the horse 
 and his moral qualities vary as much as does his colour, but 
 no doubt these qualities are much influenced by his early 
 treatment ; yet are good and bad qualities sufficiently here- 
 ditary to be guarded against in breeding, and some men 
 even go so far as to state that they are the characteristics 
 of distinct breeds ; but for this there is, perhaps, no valid 
 foundation. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 STATISTICS AND PEEFOEAMANCES. 
 
 The very great increase which has taken place in the pur- 
 suit of racing, and in companionship the breeding of horses 
 for that purpose, will be readily perceived by reference to 
 the following table. It must be observed that the number of 
 colts and fillies bred in the years 1800 and 1825 has been 
 computed with considerable attention from the Stud-Book* 
 and is, I believe, correct ; but as errors will sometimes creep 
 into such calculations, I must reserve for myself the apology 
 of the conveyancer, " be the same more or less." The number 
 of foals brought forth in 1850, 1853, and 1854, was obtained 
 from the return made to Messrs. Weatherby. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mares in the 
 
 Subscribers to the 
 
 A.D. 
 
 Colts. 
 
 Fillies. 
 
 Total. 
 
 United Kingdom 
 
 . Derby. Oaks. St- Leger. 
 
 1800 . 
 
 . 135 . 
 
 . 130 . 
 
 . 265 
 
 605 .. 
 
 33 .. 24 .. 17 
 
 1825 . 
 
 . 312 . 
 
 . 300 . 
 
 . 612 
 
 .. 1,090 .. 
 
 58 .. 50 .. 88 
 
 1850 . 
 
 . 386 . 
 
 . 387 . 
 
 . 773 
 
 .. 1,335 .. 
 
 205 .. 128 .. 95 
 
 1853 . 
 
 . 483 . 
 
 . 458 . 
 
 . 941 
 
 .. 1,471 .. 
 
 195 .. 141 .. 99 
 
 1854 . 
 
 . 511 . 
 
 . 482 . 
 
 . 993 
 
 .. 1,601 .. 
 
 217 .. 156 ..159 
 
THE HORSE. 71 
 
 The subscription to the Derby for 1856 closed with 217 
 nominations, and the Oaks with 137. 
 
 The proportionate increase in the number of foals, it will 
 be seen, was great from the years 1800 to 1825, although the 
 latter year was remarkable for the number of dead ones. 
 This is observable in going over the pages of the Stud-Book, 
 and was not confined to any particular studs or localities. 
 There is a notice in the third volume of the circumstance in 
 connection with the Earl of Egremont's mares, at Petworth ; 
 it relates that " some of the foals were opened, and it was 
 supposed that their livers were diseased. Fourteen mares 
 produced dead foals, and three produced unhealthy ones, 
 which lived but a short time ; and all the asses produced 
 dead foals. The mares were in different situations, and with 
 different keeping ; but in general they were depastured upon 
 a very high dry land, with a light soil of little depth, upon 
 a bed of stone. They^ent their full time, or very near it, 
 and the foals were known to be alive within three or four 
 days of foaling, and were fine and of full size." The foals 
 bred in 1850 do' not show so great an increase above those of 
 1825, as appears between the latter year and 1800, while th^ 
 number foaled in 1853 exceeds the proportion. Thus it is 
 very evident that the speculation of breeding race-horses, 
 and racing, are making uniform progress. There are two 
 circumstances in connection with the year 1825, which are 
 worthy of notice. Although it was remarkable for the pro- 
 duction of dead foals, it was also remarkable for the produc- 
 tion of many horses of superior character ; for example : — 
 Thp Colonel, Zinganee, Vanish, Ballad-singer, Bessy Bedlam, 
 Halston, Oppidan, and Little Boy Blue. 
 
 The average produce of mares may be estimated nearly 
 in the proportion of eleven to eight ; that is to say, eleven 
 mares will bring forth eight foals. There are, as nearly as 
 
72 THE HOESE. 
 
 can be computed, in round numbers, besides tliorough-bred 
 mares, wbose produce are not reported to the publisliers of 
 tlae Stud-Book, about fifteen hundred mares kept for the 
 purpose of breeding race-horses. This appears to be rather a 
 small proportion in comparison with the number kept for 
 raciog ; and this circumstance leads to the conviction that 
 very considerable discretion is exercised in selecting those 
 only which have some claim to distinction. 
 
 According to the Eacing Calendar, and other periodicals, 
 there are one hundred and seventy-seven stallions. Some of 
 these ought not to be used in the stud, because they are 
 possessed of infirmities likely to be inherited by their pro- 
 geny ; but their number is not so great as might be imagined ; 
 and to individualize them would be impolitic. It must be 
 understood there are many otlier stallions, in all probability 
 more than a similar number, of inferior character, whose ser- 
 vices are confined to rural districts, where they are patronized 
 by the farmers, which are not included in this estimate, num- 
 bers of which would not pass muster with breeders of race- 
 horses, and ought not to be allowed to perpetuate their 
 species among any classes ; but they are very seldom adver- 
 tised beyond their respective localities, and are still more 
 rarely the progenitors of thorough-bred stock. From the 
 number of stallions already enumerated, about half the 
 foals of the year are the offspring of thirty sires-favourites, 
 m consequence of their superior lineage, their successful per- 
 formances on the turf, or honourable distinction in the stud. 
 The following table supports proof of the progress made in 
 the speculation of breeding, by giving the number of races 
 won by the stock of fourteen horses of celebrity, in the 
 years 
 

 
 THE 
 
 HOUSE. 
 
 
 1825 
 
 1852 
 
 
 Conius 
 
 . 21 
 
 • Lanercost 
 
 . 35 
 
 Filho da Puta 
 
 . 17 
 
 Birdcatcher . . 
 
 . 29 
 
 Phantom 
 
 
 . 17 
 
 Touchstone . . 
 
 . 26 
 
 Ardrossan 
 
 
 . 13 
 
 Venison 
 
 . 20 
 
 Catton 
 
 
 . 12 
 
 Cotherstone . . 
 
 . 17 
 
 Eubens 
 
 
 . 12 
 
 Faugh a Ballagh 
 
 . 15 
 
 Whalebone . 
 
 
 . 12 
 
 Orlando 
 
 . 13 
 
 Whisker 
 
 
 . 10 
 
 Slane 
 
 . 13 
 
 Blacklock . 
 
 
 . 9 
 
 Don John 
 
 . 12 
 
 Bourbon 
 
 
 . 9 
 
 Bay Middleton 
 
 . 12 
 
 Partisan 
 
 
 9 
 
 Epirus 
 
 . 11 
 
 Soothsayer . 
 
 
 . 9 
 
 Pantaloon 
 
 . 10 
 
 Walton 
 
 
 . 9 
 
 Melbourne . . 
 
 . 10 
 
 Octavian 
 
 
 . 9 
 
 Alarm 
 
 . 9 
 
 73 
 
 168 
 
 232 
 
 riius we find, that in tlie former year tliere were 168 winners, 
 and in the latter 232, the progeny of an equal number of 
 horses. Surely this affords an argument in favour of the 
 stoutness and constitution of the horses of modern days. 
 
 The subjoined list shows the number of foals from twelve 
 celebrated stallions in 1853 : — 
 
 riatcatcher 24 . 
 
 20 
 
 Flying Dutchman 12 . 
 
 . 10 
 
 Pyrrhus the First 21 . 
 
 22 
 
 Gameboy 
 
 11 . 
 
 . 10 
 
 Birdcatcher 21 . 
 
 . 16 
 
 Epirus 
 
 11 . 
 
 . 6 
 
 Faugh a Ballagh 16 . 
 
 . 14 
 
 Annandale 
 
 10 . 
 
 . 7 
 
 Melbourne 15 . 
 
 8 
 
 Surplice 
 
 9 . 
 
 . 15 
 
 lago 13 . 
 
 . 20 
 
 Alann 
 
 9 . 
 
 . 3 
 
 In the first portion of these remarks, it was mentioned that 
 an opinion has been promulgated with much industry, and 
 supported with equivalent zeal, that our horses have degene- 
 
74 THE HOESE. 
 
 rated, compared witli those of our ancestors, in stoutness 
 or endurance in running a distance ; that they are incapable 
 of bearing fatigue ; that they are deficient in constitutional 
 stamina — the ability to carry weight; and that they are 
 subject to hereditary diseases, especially roaring. In evi- 
 dence of these arguments, the performances of two horses, 
 worthies of ancient date, the one called Black Chance, the 
 other the Carlisle Gelding, have been extolled in the warmest 
 terms. To arrive at correct conclusions, the most satisfactory 
 course will be, that of making comparisons from indisputable 
 data between the performances of the horses said to have 
 possessed superiority over their descendants. The mere 
 declaration of opinion, unaccompanied with proof, is not 
 sufficient on this occasion. For the sake of brevity, and tc 
 render each item capable of ready comparison, a tabular form 
 is chosen, in which the performances of the most celebrated 
 horses of the early part of the eighteenth.. century are placed 
 in juxta-position with an equal number of more recent date. 
 The selection of the Carlisle Gelding and Black Chance is 
 suggested, in consequence of their having been brought for 
 ward as specimens of superiority over any horses of thf 
 modern days. 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 75 
 
 II 
 
 :s § § ? § 
 
 i>l t^ !>. !>. t>. 
 
 r— 1 r— 1 1— 1 I— 1 t— 1 
 
 GO 
 
 00 
 
 00 CO 
 GO 00 
 I— 1 I— 1 
 
 r—l 
 
 00 
 I— ( 
 
 
 111 
 
 ^ 4- O I— ( O 00 O 
 rotoO"^"^ I— It— li— 1 r— 1 
 r-l T—t 
 
 Total. 
 
 (MOii— lOOt^ OCOOOCOQO 
 0^ r-\ (H r-^ .0:)(M.-l O 
 
 Iff 
 
 ^1i 
 
 Hl-^ ftlrM HlOl -HlfN 
 
 lili 
 
 S 
 
 COM ^l'** 
 
 0(X)fM<M<:o coo<:d^O 
 
 OOt^'— ICO lO-^O^O 
 rH I— 1 !-H t-l I— 1 CO 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 ^(TCJ CO (TarH C500CO(Mi-- 
 
 Eaecs lost. 
 
 C5-Oi XCOCO t-.iO-;?iO. 00 
 I— 1 . 1.0 CO t:^ 05 
 
 i 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 -O 00 .O lO ^ 2 3 9 2 "^ 
 
 IP 
 
 "a 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 be : : ;:^ 
 •^ ^' ^ 1 
 
 ^ £ ^ ^ ^ 
 
 ^ ^ -^ 2 £ 
 
 ^ .S i2 ie -^ 
 O Q pq <i^ Fc 
 
 1 
 
 P 
 
 d 
 
 . ^ 
 
 M 
 
 s 
 
 i 
 
 a 
 a o 
 
 ^ '5 
 
 03 
 
 
 
 !- -^ 
 
 o o 
 
 fifi 
 
76 THE HOESE. 
 
 Persons who are conversant witli racing are well aware tliat j 
 it is impossible to form decided opinions concerning the su- I 
 periority of horses without running them in public, or trying . 
 them in private with the most scrupulous exactness. As it is 
 impossible to form positive opinions of the capabilities of con- 
 temporary horses till they have been tried, it would be ridi- 
 culous to hazard an opinion on the merits of horses in a race of 
 any given distance of the early part of the last century com- 
 pared with those of modern days, unless there appeared to be 
 a vast disparity between them. Considering the points at ! 
 issue, there is no difficulty in deciding on the majority of | 
 those faculties which give evidence of stoutness, enduranee^ j 
 constitutional stamina, and capability of bearing fatigue. As • 
 to hereditary diseases, we have no data whatever upon which 
 any opinion can be formed. The arguments which have been 
 brought forward in favour of the horses of olden times, with i 
 the Carlisle Gelding and Black Chance as examples, require 
 some little detail to confute. It has been asserted that " the i 
 former had no rival in carrying all degrees of weights, in j 
 supporting heats, travelling, and constant running, and this j 
 maintained to an age seldom heard of." In searching the 
 calendars for the purpose of forming the tables of perform- 
 ances, it was found that this horse ran on several occasions 
 for selling stakes, at prices varying from eighty to twenty 
 sovereigns — his value therefore was not highly estimated. 
 Many persons imagine selling stakes are modern inven- 
 tions, but they were in effect in the early part of the last cen- 
 tury. On four occasions only this horse carried twelve stone. 
 In a general way he carried light weights, varying from 
 eight stone five to nine stone. Thirteen of his engagements 
 were matches, and all racing men know full well that 
 winning matches depends more on the judgment of the 
 match-maker, than the intrinsic goodness of the horse. An 
 
THE HOESE. 77 
 
 minial that has been often beaten cannot with propriety be 
 luurandized by the title of "unrivalled." 
 
 The eulogist of the Carlisle Gelding has been equally 
 irdei^t in admiration of Black Chance, concerning whom he 
 alls into great discrepancies, which, however, it is not worth 
 vliile to enumerate, with the exception of one mistake. 
 V^mong other races won in 1740, is included one at Oswestry, 
 \ here he is stated to have carried thirteen stone. There is 
 10 record in the Racing Calendar of his ever carrying more 
 hau twelve stone ; he more frequently ran with ten stone, 
 iiid sometimes with only nine. 
 
 ''Arthur O'Bradley," says Mr. N. H. Smith, in his well 
 mown work " Observations on Breeding for the Turf," 
 *won as many plates as almost any horse ever did, at both 
 ligh and low weights, and may be justly said to be the first 
 lorse of his time." He is, therefore, a fit subject for com- 
 )arison. When his performances are placed against those 
 )f Euphrates, Liston, and Independence, they faU into the 
 shade. Babraham is introduced more in consequence of his 
 subsequent worth in the stud, than for his performances 
 )n the turf; in the former capacity he was distinguished far 
 above the average of contemporaries. This also serves as an 
 sxample, of which there are many modern instances, that 
 1 horse having won a great number of races is not invariably 
 the most successful in his progeny : a horse that has won a 
 moderate number of races, beating known good ones, is 
 generally the most eligible to breed from. It is very gene- 
 rally considered that training horses to run at so early an 
 age as two or even three years old must be injurious to 
 them ; that their joints and sinews, wanting maturity, must 
 suffer and give way, consequently their racing career must 
 be abbreviated. The means now-a-days adopted with foals 
 from^their infancy are calculated very essentially to obviate 
 
78 THE HOESE. 
 
 the eflfects of early training ; tlie kind of food witli whicl] 
 they and also their dams are supplied has the effect oi 
 producing early development, added to the almost imper 
 ceptible gradation of exercise which they are required t( 
 perform: these are subjects which were unknown to ouj 
 forefathers, but they will be more fully discussed hereafter 
 The impression that this custom shortens the term of i 
 horse's racing career will lose ground on reference to th( 
 table already given, which shows that out of five horses o 
 modern times, three of them commenced running at tw( 
 years old, and the others at three. Their continuation oi 
 the turf fully equals that of their ancestors, with the ex 
 ception of Yenison, whose three-years-old performances were i 
 so superlatively excellent as to render him worthy o 
 especial notice. At that age he won twelve races, many o 
 them at long distances, including five king's plates. Van; 
 and railways not being in vogue, he travelled on foot 90( I 
 miles in the course of the year to perform his engagements i 
 He ran third to Bay Middleton and Gladiator for the Derby 
 and I perfectly remember the remark made by his trainer 
 Mr. John Day, on the morning previous to that race. " . 
 have a good horse," said he, " and he must be a very goo( 
 one to beat him." Although Bay Middleton proved himsel 
 a better horse on that occasion, the subsequent running o 
 Yenison thoroughly justified the estimate his trainer hac 
 formed of him. In the stud he attained still greater eminence 
 being the sire of Alarm, Cariboo, the l^gly Buck, Yatican 
 Buckthorn, Kingston, Joe Miller, and Ticton, besides manj 
 others of good repute. In his running he evinced the most 
 indomitable stoutness and soundness of constitution ; inesti- 
 mable qualities which he transmitted to his stock. He died 
 when rising twenty years old, in December, 1852. 
 Eegulus is worthy to be mentioned as a horse of great 
 
THE HOKSE. rJ 
 
 •epute in liis time. At six years old, he commenced his racing 
 iareer by winning a plate of 50/. ; in the same year he won 
 ix king's plates, and walked over for another ; when seven 
 rears old he again won a king's plate, which concluded his 
 )erformances on the turf. But the career of Venison must 
 )e acknowledged as more brilliant, especially if his age be 
 aken into consideration. Like Babraham, Regulus was the 
 )rogemtor of many valuable horses, and his blood is to be 
 bund in many studs of the present day. This affords another 
 llustration to the remark recently made, " that ahorse having 
 iron a great number of races is not invariably the most suc- 
 sessful in his progeny." 
 
 The running of Euphrates must be familiar to many racing 
 aen. He rejoiced in long distances ; and he possessed some 
 iccentricities of temper, but for which he would have been 
 illowed to perpetuate his species. When preparing him for 
 lis races, the usual apparatus, the sitting-muzzle, was dis- 
 )ensed with, because, from the frequent use of it in his early 
 lays, instinct warned him that a race was in contemplation, 
 ind he would become nervous; his capability of running 
 ong distances was, therefore, more remarkable. Every note 
 )f preparation on the eve of a race was carefully avoided, 
 est his susceptible and sagacious disposition should take 
 imbrage. 3e had a peculiar habit, when in good humour to 
 •un, of hanging his tongue out of his mouth, by which indi- 
 iation many persons who were aware of his propensity were 
 piided in their betting. He had thin and rather weak feet, 
 ^et he could run best when the course was in the hardest 
 ;ondition. 
 
 Liston and Independence were nearly related in the ma- 
 jernal line ; and as they were both celebrated horses, their 
 relationship affords a good opportunity for introducing a 
 Jecuhar circumstance connected with breeding horses, where 
 
80 THE HORSE. M 
 
 superior qualities have been almost exclusively inherited 
 from the female line, as the male stock by the same sires has 
 been, for racing purposes or breeding, of very little value. 
 This subject is worthy of so much consideration, that it must 
 be referred to on a subsequent occasion. I will here confine 
 it to the dams of Liston and Independence, both of them 
 daughters of Sir Oliver. The dam of the former was called 
 Olivia Jordan ; of the latter, Stella. Olivia Jordan did nol 
 distinguish herself on the turf; five only of her produce, bj 
 thorough-bred horses, came to maturity, exclusive of Liston : 
 and they evinced no pretensions to racing. This mare's pro. 
 duce were all bred by Mr. Tench, an eminent agriculturist 
 near Ludlow. Ambo, the sire of Liston, although a well 
 bred horse, never possessed any pretensions, either on th( 
 turf or in the stud. His services were principally confinec 
 to country mares, at a low price ; and for that purpose h( 
 was not calculated, having wretchedly infirm bad fore-legs \ 
 which most of his stock inherited. Liston, however, was ii 
 that respect an exception ; his legs were excellent — a perfec 
 tion which he no doubt derived, through his dam, from Si: 
 Oliver, who was celebrated for his great power and bone 
 with unequivocal soundness of limb and constitution. Th 
 excellences with which Liston was gifted may therefore bi 
 acknowledged to have descended from his dam. 
 
 Stella was bred by the late Earl of Stamford and Warring I 
 ton, at Enville, in whose possession she produced Magician ; 
 by Soothsayer ; Peter Lely, by Eubens ; Fury, by Sooth , 
 sayer ; and Linnet, by Bustard. Sold to Sir John Egerton j 
 Stella was then sold to Mr. Lacey, who bred Lark, bj 
 Eubens ; Independence, by Eilho da Puta or Sherwood 
 Colwick, by Eilho da Puta ; Caroline, by Chateaux Mar- 
 gaux ; Midsummer, by Eilho da Puta ; and a colt, by Eilh( 
 da Puta, or Vanish. Magician was an indifferent race-horsq , 
 
THE HOESE. 81 
 
 3ut Peter Lely did credit to his ancestors by winning five 
 •aces at three years old, beating several good horses, and at 
 bur years old gave proofs of much stoutness, in beating, on 
 ;wo occasions, the celebrity of the day, Master Henry ; one 
 ras a race of two, the other of four miles. He likewise 
 lefeated Banker, and that very stout, honest mare, Luss, in 
 contest of four miles. Unfortunately for the turf, soon 
 fter this, Lord Stamford withdrew his patronage, and Peter 
 -lely being sold, his services in the stud were principally con- 
 ined to common mares, and very few of his progeny are 
 nrolled in the pages of the Stud-Book. Fury, like her 
 )rother, Magician, not being able to race, only started 
 wice; it would appear that the Soothsayer blood, in the 
 anguage of breeders, did not "nick." Linnet won some 
 jood stakes, after which she was put to the stud, but died 
 fter producing one filly. Lark won only one race, when 
 he was sold as a brood mare ; but she bred nothing of any 
 rorth. Most of her produce were by Belzoni — a horse who 
 ras singularly unsuccessful as the progenitor of racers, 
 -Ithough the sire of many very superior hunters. The 
 uperiority of Independence has already been noticed ; but it 
 day be necessary to remark, that although both Filho da 
 i*uta and Sherwood may lay claim to the honour of being his 
 ather, there is very little doubt that he was the offspring of 
 he latter — a very moderate horse. The Sir Oliver blood 
 lust, in this instance, have the credit for perpetuating the 
 cknowledged excellence for which Independence was distin- 
 uished. To enumerate all his conquests would entail 
 nnecessary and irksome minutiae ; but he inherited, in some 
 egree, the only failing of his grandsire, whose temper was 
 ot the most amiable. When three years old, Independence 
 requently indulged the book-makers with bolting ; at other 
 imes, when not " i' the vein," would not try to run — in 
 
 G 
 
82 THE HOESE. 
 
 TSicmor parlance, would " shut up." This induced his owner 
 to adopt a remedy, and thus his services were lost as a 
 progenitor. 
 
 Had Colwick been so fortunate as to have fallen into good 
 hands, when he first made his appearance on the turf, there 
 is no doubt he would have proved himself even a bettei 
 horse than his public performances made him appear to be, 
 It is not necessary to recapitulate the treatment he received 
 Naturally of a nervous and excitable temper, like his brother 
 Independence, it was rendered worse than in all probabiUt} 
 it would have been under more fortuitous circumstances 
 When five years old, he was purchased by the Earl of Ches 
 terfield ; but his good qualities had been materially reduced i 
 consequently he only won two races for his lordship. Ii 
 1837, he was consigned to the stud ; and his progeny hav< 
 been fairly successful. The other two fiUies, the produce o 
 Stella— Caroline and Midsummer — did- not maintain th 
 honours of their family ; and the latter was sent to France. 
 Although the last on the list, Catherina stands prominent! 
 conspicuous for her performances. When the ability t 
 carry weight is brought forward, this good, honest creaturf 
 must be introduced as a worthy example. She ran and wo: 
 on many occasions with twelve stone on her back, and de 
 feated Confederate at York, each carrying fourteen stone 
 and Confederate having previously gained distinction at hig I 
 weights, Catherina's victory was not a vague honour c j 
 beating a competitor of unknown merit. 
 
 It seldom happens that a mare which has been kept i 
 training many years, however superior her performances 
 has conferred the same high character on her produce, an 
 as yet Catherina is not an exception. Alecto, her dam, wa 
 a tolerably good mare, but by no means first-rate : she wa 
 sold at four years old by Mr. Houldsworth, who bred he] 
 
THE HonsE. 83 
 
 nd her subsequent owner confined her engagements prlnci- 
 >ally to running for country plates, very much in fashion 
 t tlie time ; she won several of them, but never beat horses 
 tf high repute. She ran frequently in 1827, when in foal, 
 ,nd the result was a colt by Banker, which was never trained, 
 n 1829 she missed to Whisker, and the following year 
 ave birth to Catherina. This circumstance is somewhat 
 emarkable, for it very rarely occurs that mares having been 
 rained and raced so severely ever produce foals of much 
 alue, until they have enjoyed at least five or six years 
 epose : it confirms the assertion, that there are no positive 
 ules for the guidance of breeders. The list of horses which 
 ave gained celebrity by very frequent running may be 
 rought forward to the present day with good effect ; and, 
 rith the exception of Catherina, their performances are equal 
 those already noticed. Clothworker, Eataplan, Virago, 
 um multis aliis, claim distinguished position on the scroll of 
 ime. When comparing the performances of race-horses, 
 ; is not customary to compute the aggregate distances which 
 bey may run in their various races, and with contemporaries 
 ontending in races, for which the distances are nearly equal ; 
 
 would afford no criterion ; but in this case it is a different 
 ffair. The object is to determine whether the allegation 
 
 well founded— that the horses of the olden times were 
 uperior to those of the present day in point of stoutness, 
 oundness, constitutional stamina, and the ability to endure 
 requent running. A reference to the table of performances 
 Iready given sets that question at rest. The total number 
 f races won by horses of modern times is also greatly in 
 xcess, and taking these two circumstances into considera- 
 ion, the palm of merit for soundness, capability of frequent 
 anning, and stoutness must be awarded to them. Every 
 wner of race-horses and every trainer knows full well that 
 g2 
 
84 THE HOESE. 
 
 frequently running moderate distances tries the legs, and 
 detects infirmities more unequivocally tliau occasionally run- 
 ning long distances. It is a very general remark that the 
 old-fashioned distances of four miles have been reduced. 
 That is true; but they have not all been so materially 
 shortened, as not to afford good horses opportunities foi 
 distinction : it cannot be denied but there are a vast numbei 
 of races at short distances, yet there are also many tw( 
 miles and upwards, and many three miles. Then, again, lool 
 at the immense increase in the number of races. There are 
 indeed, races to suit all sorts of horses, which are powerfu 
 instigations to the pursuit of breeding. The victories o 
 the best horses of the present day are most decisive a 
 long distances, and they in their turn passing from tht 
 course to the stud, still maintain their position as favourites i 
 Two miles will determine the lasting powers of a horse if th 
 pace be true from end to end. It has been clearly prove( 
 that the horses of modern times are superior to those o 
 our forefathers on the points already named, but whethe 
 our best racers could beat Flying Childers, Eegulus, Echpse 
 Highflyer, and other worthies of their times, in contests o 
 two, three, four, or six miles is a question that cannot b 
 decided ; neither does it appear for practical purposes ver; 
 important. On the capability of horses running distances 
 there are some mistaken notions touching the customs o 
 our forefathers, and, from the fact of their races in genera 
 being four miles, it is conceived that their horses were mor 
 capable of running those distances than those we no\ 
 possess : it is an inference, but nothing more. When thei 
 horses ran their four-mile heats they did not on all occasion 
 go their best pace throughout, and it may be doubte( 
 whether the majority of the races which were run in 175 
 were so well calculated to try the lasting powers of horses 
 
THE HORSE. 85 
 
 IS many of the races were which took place in 1854. In 
 the preface to the first volume of the " Eacing Calendar," 
 there is a description of racing at Newmarket in the time of 
 harles II. ; it gives some confirmation to the opinion just ex- 
 Dressed, and furnishes an entertaining description of that grand 
 jmporium of racing, and the rural amusements of the Merry 
 Monarch. It is taken from the Duke of Tuscany's " Travels 
 n England," which proceeds to state : "On the following 
 lay. May 9, 1669, the sky appeared lowering and cloudy, 
 md threatened rain, which would prevent the horse-races 
 :hat were to take place on that day ; but at sunrise the clouds 
 partly dispersed, and the king went into the country, and 
 lis highness along with him, to renew the diversion of 
 lare-hunting ; the great pleasure of which in this plain 
 30untry is, that being entirely free from trees, it leaves 
 :o the huntsman the full enjoyment of seeing the animal 
 n^ithout interruption, and observing their subtle flight, and 
 irequent deceptions in turning and doubling round and 
 round, frequently by the same place and retracing their 
 steps. At three o'clock, according to the English mode 
 Df reckoning, the king and the duke of York went from 
 Newmarket to see the race-horses, and repaired to the place 
 ippropriated to this sport, going to a spot which is nearly 
 in the middle of the course, and there his majesty stopped 
 and amused himself with seeing my Lord Blandford and my 
 Lord Germain play at bowls. 
 
 ' The race-course is a tract of ground in the neighbourhood 
 of Newmarket, which extending to the distance of four miles 
 over a spacious and level meadow, covered with very short 
 grass, is marked out by tall wooden posts, painted white. 
 These pointed out the road that leads directly to the goal, 
 to which they are continued tlie whole way, placed at 
 regular distances from one another ; the last is distinguished 
 
86 THE HORSE. 
 
 by a flag mounted upon it, to designate tlie termination 
 of the course. The horses intended for this exercise, in 
 order to render them more swift, are kept always girt 
 that their bellies may not drop, and thereby interfere 
 with the agility of their movements ; and when the time oi 
 the races draws near they feed them with the greatest care, 
 and very sparingly, giving them, for the most part, in ordei 
 to keep them in full vigour, beverages composed of soaked 
 bread and fresh eggs. Two horses only started on this occa- I 
 sion, one belonging to Bernard Howard of Norfolk, and thf j 
 
 other to Sir Elliot. They left Newmarket saddled in s i 
 
 very simple and light manner, after the English fashion, lee i 
 by the hand, and at a slow pace, by the men who were t( 
 ride them, dressed in taffeta of different colours, that o: 
 Howard being white, and that of Elliot green. When thej 
 reached the place where they were to start, they mounted. 
 and loosening the reins, let the horses go, keeping them ir j 
 at the beginning, that they might not be too eager at firs 
 setting off, and their strength fail them in consequence at th< 
 more important part of the race ; and the further they ad 
 vanced in the course the more they urged them, forcing then t 
 to continue it at full speed. When they came to the statior ! 
 where the king and the duke of York, with some lords anc 
 gentlemen, of his majesty's court, were waiting on horsebacl , 
 till they should pass, the latter set off after them at theii I 
 utmost speed, which was scarcely inferior to that of the race- 
 horses ; for the English horses, being accustomed to run, car ■ 
 keep up with the racers without difiiculty ; and they are fre-j 
 quently trained for this purpose in another race-ground, out ' 
 of London, situated on a hill which swells from the plain, 
 with so gradual a rise that at a distance it cannot be dis- j 
 tinguished from a plain ; and there is always a numerous 
 concourse of carriages there to see the races, upon which 
 
THE HOESE. 87 
 
 considerable bets are made. Meanwhile his highness, with 
 his attendants and others of his court, stopping on horseback 
 at a little distance from the goal, rode along the meadows, 
 waiting the arrival of the horses and of his majesty, who came 
 up close after them with a numerous train of gentlemen and 
 ladies, who stood so thick on horseback, and galloped so 
 freely, that they were no way inferior to those who had been 
 for years accustomed to the manege. As the king passed his 
 highness bowed, and immediately turned and followed his 
 majesty to the goal, where trumpets and drums, which were 
 in readiness for that purpose, souuded in applause of the 
 
 conqueror, which was the horse of Sir • Elliot. From the 
 
 race-course his majesty, being very much heated, adjourned 
 to his house accompanied by his highness, and by the greater 
 part of the gentlemen who had come to see the race." 
 
 Here we have a quaint, and no doubt a faithful description 
 of the events as they transpired, with a brief insight into the 
 mysteries of the training stable, but as there is no mention, 
 made of weights, in all probability they were not regarded. 
 If the horses in a race of four miles canter over the first 
 moiety of the ground, the result furnishes no further proof of 
 endurance than a race of two miles and a half when the pace 
 is made good from end to end. The owner of a first-rate horse, 
 having him fit to run, is always desirous that the pace may 
 be good throughout. Pace always serves a superior horse, 
 let the distance be what it may. Without attempting to in- 
 vest the practice of timing races with more importance than 
 it deserves, it serves as a criterion whether or not the pace is 
 good ; we have no information on this subject from the early 
 records of racing. In fact, it has only been adopted with 
 accuracy, and as a general custom, at the most important 
 races during the last six or eight years. Future generations 
 will be greatly indebted to the talented gentlemen connected 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 ■vvitli the Press, for this and numerous other valuable details 
 connected with racing, which they collect. The part which 
 the spectators took in the proceedings, riding in with the 
 race-horses in the time of Charles II., and being able to keep 
 up with them without difficulty, as related by the Duke of 
 Tuscany, does not inculcate the idea that the celebrities of 
 that period were endowed with great speed. It is somewhat 
 singular that this custom, which we may presume originated 
 from royal example, was continued till a very recent date ; 
 and occasioning inconvenience, induced the stewards of the 
 Jockey Club in 1838, to direct that at Newmarket any member 
 of a racing club riding in with the leading horses in a race 
 shall be fined to the amount of twenty-five sovereigns, and 
 all other persons to the amount of five sovereigns. 
 
 EAELY TEATNING. 
 
 Opinions are divided, whether it is conducive to imper- 
 fection in the race-horse to persevere with the prevail- 
 ing fashion of running them at two years old, and many 
 arguments may be adduced on both sides. Those who are 
 opposed to the practice contend that the limbs of young 
 animals are not sufficiently matured to sustain the ordeal of 
 training, and that running them at so early an age shortens 
 the period of their services on the turf; moreover, that it is 
 calculated to establish constitutional defects, which they 
 transmit to their progeny. The treatment adopted with 
 young racing stock is such as to create an early maturity of 
 the system, and there can be no doubt that in this important 
 respect vast improvements have been made on the practice of 
 our forefathers. 
 
 The supposition that early racing reduces the period of a 
 horse's career on the turf is not established by fact ; indeed, 
 there is very conclusive evidence to the contrary, which will 
 
THE HOESE. 89 
 
 )e seen on reference to the table of tlie comparative perforra- 
 .nces of ancient and modern horses. Many other examples 
 nay be added, but it would be tedious to enumerate them. 
 The " Racing Calendar," and " Eufa Guide," will support 
 his assertion, convince those who are sceptical, and amuse 
 hose who delight in researches of that nature. In favour of 
 he practice it may be observed that the lifetime of a horse is 
 imited, and there is no reason to imagine that the period of 
 is existence is affected by the age at which his services com- 
 aence. If, therefore, a colt or filly be used for racing at two 
 '•ears old, and continues to run four or five years only, there is 
 he more time to calculate upon the valuable services of either 
 a the stud, than if they were not trained till they had attained 
 he age of five or six years. 
 
 We are very prone to judge of events at a mere glance, and 
 rhen figures present themselves often give them a definition 
 without ascertaining their relative implications. 
 
 In the year 1825, 612 foals were produced, and in 1827, 
 ut of that number, only 144 two-year-olds came to the post. 
 n 1850 the list supplies 773 foals, 369 of which presented 
 ;heir cards to the various stewards of the races in 1852, nearly 
 I moiety of the generation. The proportion was similar in 
 L854. This affords evidence of the increase of two-year-old 
 takes during the last five-and-twenty years, and, compared 
 vith the number of foals of the^ respective years, proves 
 hat the prevailing taste with breeders and owners of race- 
 lorses is to commence running them at that age. Although 
 here are some noblemen and gentlemen who breed and keep 
 ace-horses purely for amusement, there are many persons 
 rho keep them with no other view than that of profit, and 
 hey compose by far the greater majority ; they are essen- 
 ially a shrewd, calculating class of men, and would not enter 
 ttto transactions which they did not know to be advantageous 
 
90 THE HOESE. 
 
 to them. It is tlie breeders and owners of race-horses wh( 
 encourage the races for young horses, not the public, for th( 
 money which is added to those stakes is not proportionate t( 
 that which is given for horses of more mature age. Tb 
 amount which may be gained, irrespective of betting, by win 
 ning a two-year-old stake does not generally equal the sun 
 which may be won by a handicap for horses more advancei 
 in years ; most men are anxious to know the capabilities o 
 their young horses before they incur great expenses. What 
 ever patriotic impulses might have instigated breeders o 
 race-horses in the early days of the turf, those motives eei 
 tainly do not predominate with the present generation ; but i 
 the same good object be obtained, the stimulus to bree 
 horses, and that in connection with individual profits, sural 
 no argument can be held in opposition to the conjoined ac 
 vantages. As it is evidently the interest of breeders to ru 
 their horses at an early age, any measures which would dif 
 courage the practice would be objectionable and futile ; obje( 
 tionable, because it would operate as a discouragement 1 
 breeding horses. If the argument could be established thj 
 it predisposes them to disorders, which they entail upo 
 their progeny, that would be a good reason to advanci 
 but such a position cannot be m.aintained. Take the leg i 
 an example, and that limb is more subservient to the efieci 
 of work than any other. Some of the most celebrated horsf 
 have naturally a conformation of their fore-legs, which ; 
 objectionable in appearance, and many of their produc 
 inherit that conformation ; but it cannot be traced to th 
 effect of early training, or severe work at any age. Partisa 
 was by no means celebrated for the appearance of his fore 
 legs, which he doubtless inherited from his grandam Prunelh 
 as most of her descendants possess a similar imperfectioi 
 The same might have been traced to Yenison, nevertheles 
 
THE HORSE. 91 
 
 bis legs were ud equivocally sound, otherwise lie could not 
 liave undergone the very severe racing and constant travel- 
 ling, which he did at three years old. There are likewise 
 Dther failings, spavins and curbs, for example, which result 
 from an imperfection in the form of the hocks : these are here- 
 iitary imperfections, in which case they will sometimes de- 
 velop themselves without any exercise; they occasionally 
 proceed from work, and make their appearance on hocks of 
 the most perfect form : but curbs and spavins are by no 
 means so prevalent as they were some five-and-twenty years 
 igo, at which period it was quite the fashion to fire the 
 locks of young horses, especially those which were intended 
 for hunters, not because they evinced any weakness or ap- 
 parent defects, but the poor animals were unnecessarily 
 tortured and disfigured for no good purpose. Such absur- 
 dities are happily not practised in these days of enlighten- 
 Qient. Roaring is a disorder which appears to prevail to a 
 considerable extent, and great attention has been devoted to 
 the subject, yet no one has traced its origin to the efiects of 
 2arly training. 
 
 Early training does not appear to have produced ill effects 
 on several of our best horses, by incapacitating them from 
 accomplishing their most brilliant performances when they 
 arrived at maturity, indeed most horses of celebrity, although 
 trained at two, have continued on the turf till they were six 
 years old. Beeswing won theDoncaster cup when she was seven 
 years old. Both Touchstone and Lanercost won the cups at 
 Ascot when they were six years old. Charles XII. won the 
 Goodwood cups two years in succession, on the latter occa- 
 sion when he was six years old. St. Francis, when five years 
 old, won the Ascot cup, and Epirus, at the same age, the 
 steward's cup at Goodwood. 
 
92 THE HOESE. 
 
 CHAPTEE V 
 
 eONFOEMATIOIf OF THE HOESE, 
 
 A ti:ry general account oiily can be given of tliia, for il 
 varies essentially with the breed and destination of the animal 
 It is not within the scope of this little treatise, to entei 
 minutely into the anatomical structure of this noble animal 
 We will, however, take such a general view of it a& will b( 
 interesting and instructive to the unscientific reader. 
 
 In a physical sense, the horse exhibits as high a degree o 
 organization as does a human being. There is the sam< 
 variety of complex structure, and the same adaptation o 
 means to an end. Without some knowledge of these, ai 
 accurate judgment of the capabilities of the animal cannot b< 
 arrived at ; nor can it be readily understood as to the kind o 
 labour- he can perform without injury, and the way in whicl 
 he should be set to perform that labour. The general struc 
 ture of the horse consists of a complicated set of levers, i. e 
 bones, all acting in combination with each other, by mean 
 of the ropes, i. e. muscles and tendons ; and it is of tki 
 greatest possible use to know how these act on each other, si 
 that they may never be made to act in any other directioi 
 than tliat intended by nature ; any violation of this rule is 
 as a matter of course, attended with corresponding injury t( 
 the animal. 
 
 To illustrate this in the familiar instance of draught, thi. 
 being one of the chief purposes for which the animal wai 
 intendled. The way in which this is effected is, by the horst 
 throwing his body forward, so as to cause his weight to ac 
 upon the load. This act would naturally cause him to fall 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 93 
 
 )ut from his advancinj^ the legs in such a manner as to raise 
 he body, and not only to support himself during the effort, 
 )ut in such a way as will enable him constantly to renew the 
 •ffort. It is evident that in this motion of the body, there 
 nust be a point in which both the weight of the body and the 
 )ower of the animal's muscles and limbs are concentrated. 
 This point is called the centre of gravity ; and if the horse 
 )e not harnessed so as to cause this point to act in the most 
 avourable manner on the load, of course, so much of the 
 mimal's power is lost as is wasted by pulling in a wrong 
 iirection ; or what is still worse, in order to accomplish the 
 )bject, he is compelled to exert himself injuriously in per- 
 brming that which a little consideration on the part of his 
 naster would otherwise render easy to him. In the same 
 vay, if he be harnessed too far from his neck, the centre of 
 gravity will be thrown into a contrary direction to that in 
 vhich it could most efficiently act ; and thus loss of power, 
 md consequently injury from greater exertion, must be the 
 •esult. In other words, if the direction of the power employed 
 be different to that of the weight to be moved, the power 
 s not used to the best advantage, and the strength of the 
 inimal is wasted to no purpose. It is only by an acquaint- 
 mce with, and a study of the structure of the horse, that we 
 c^an put him to the best uses ; not necessarily a scientific 
 knowledge of his structure, but so far, at least, as to com- 
 prehend the nature of the machine— for such the horse is— 
 which we are employing. 
 
 There are some points, however, which are valuable in 
 horses of every description. The head should not be dis- 
 proportionally large, and should be well set on, i. e. the lower 
 jaw-bones should be sufficiently far apart to enable the head 
 to form that angle with the neck which gives to it free 
 motion and a graceful carriage, and prevents its bearing too 
 
94 THE HORSE. 
 
 heavy on the hand. The eye should be large and a little 
 prominent, and the eyelid fine and thin. The ear should be 
 small and erect, and quick in motion. The lop-ear indicates 
 dulness or stubbornness ; and when it is habitually laid too 
 far back upon the neck, there is very frequently a disposition 
 to mischief The nostril in every breed should be somewhat 
 expanded : it can hardly be too much so in the racer, the 
 hunter, the roadster, and the coach-horse, for the horse 
 breathes only through the nostril, and would be dangerously 
 distressed when much speed is required of him, if the nostril 
 could not dilate to admit and to return the air. The neck 
 should be of moderate length. It should be muscular at the 
 base, and gradually become fine as it approaches the head. 
 The withers should be somewhat high in every horse, except 
 perhaps that of heavy draught, and it does not harm him, 
 for there is a larger surface for the attachment of the muscles 
 of the back, and they act with greater me-chanical advantage. 
 
 The chest is the first point to be looked at, both in point 
 of capacity and form. Without capacity, the lungs of the 
 animal cannot be properly adapted to the exertion which he 
 has to undergo :— the form is essential to be adapted for the 
 purpose for which he is intended, whether for riding or 
 draught. In the latter case, especially for heavy work, the 
 broad chest is eligible, as acting more effectively on the 
 collar, both from size and weight. If light draught be re- 
 quired, a moderate size, with depth of girth, is preferable, 
 whilst for riding, the chest should be so formed as not to 
 throw the weight too forward, the result of which would be 
 undue and injurious pressure on the legs. 
 
 The back is the next point. If the horse be intended for 
 riding, and speed be required, the back may be longer than 
 for other purposes, as the paces of the horse will be easier. 
 If for general purposes, a moderately short carcass is to be 
 
THE HOESE. 95 
 
 referred ; it will be more compact, stronger, and yet suffi- 
 ently easy in pace. The back should be straight to the 
 ins, and these should be broad, muscular, and well joined 
 >gether, no depression being observed between them, this 
 sing a sure indication of weakness. There should, how- 
 rer, be a depression behind the withers, and these should be 
 gh ; for independent of the additional power gained, the 
 ore the fore quarters are raised, the longer will be the 
 ,ride, and the safer will be the action. The muscles about the 
 ithers should also be well developed, as should also those 
 ■ the chest, which should be well expanded. 
 The shoulder is another important point : the greater the 
 igle between the shoulder-blade and the lower bone, the 
 reater will be the ease in motion, and the more extended 
 le stride ; an upright shoulder being inimical to both. An 
 blique shoulder also gives greater safety, from the centre of 
 ravity being kept well behind the points which support the 
 aimal. It is not difficult to form a correct judgment of the 
 roper obliquity of the shoulder, for where it is too upright, 
 has of necessity more muscle, which from undue exercise 
 ecomes thick and clumsy. These points should be well 
 ttended to in a riding-horse, but for purposes of draught, in 
 hicli great power is essential, and the pace of less import- 
 nce, the upright shoulder is not so^disadvantageous, as giving 
 le horse additional weight to throw into the collar, as well 
 s enabling him to press steadily on every part of it, his 
 ind quarters giving the requisite impulse. 
 The arm, or the part extending from the elbow to the 
 nee, must next be regarded ; and the muscles proceeding 
 rom the shoulder-blade and the lower bone of the shoulder, 
 their junction with the elbow, should be well considered ; 
 or upon these depend the free extension of the arm, and 
 he quickness and length of stride. Here we have an illus- 
 
96 THE HOESE. 
 
 tration of the lever: tlie elbow-joint is the centre of motion, 
 the shoulder is the weight to be raised, and the leg is the 
 lever, and the muscles form the power by which the limb 
 is raised. Hence the elbow itself should be deep, as giving 
 increased power of action. 
 
 The knee is next to be considered. It should be very 
 broad in comparison with the arm and the shank, for as 
 this is the fulcrum of the whole machine, the muscles and 
 ligaments which envelope it should be of the greatest pos- 
 sible strength, and should be thoroughly developed. The 
 broader the knee is, the greater will be the strength of the 
 part. The leg itself is of great importance : it is formed ol 
 three bones, giving great strength, from the whole weight oi 
 the horse being thrown upon it. The sinews should be firm, 
 prominent, and clearly defined. The foot is described iDj 
 another page. 
 
 Other points of the horse have been so repeatedly noticed., 
 when speaking of distinct breeds, that it is unnecessary to l 
 recapitulate them here. 
 
 The horse is naturally an herbivorous animal. His thin 
 and muscular lips, his firm and compressed mouth, and his 
 sharp incisor teeth, are admirably adapted to seize and to 
 crop the herbage. In his domesticated state, however, he is 
 destined to live partially or chiefly on other aliment, and that 
 of a much harder kind — the various species of corn ; there- 
 fore, while man and the carnivorous animals can only champ 
 and crush their food, a provision is given to the horse, in the 
 structure of some of the bones of the head, by means of 
 which he can comminute and grind down his food as perfectly 
 as in the best- contrived mill. 
 
 The teeth of the horse require some lengthened considera- 
 tion, not only from their admirable adaptation to this pur- 
 pose, but as indicating, by the various changes which they 
 
THE HORSE. 97 
 
 undergo, and almost beyond tiie possibility of error, tbe age 
 of the animal. He may, when young in years, be reduced 
 nearly to the decrepitude of age by the barbarous usage of 
 those who ought to have been his most zealous protectors ; 
 the cavity above the eye may be deepened, the under-lip may 
 [fall, the limbs may be bowed, and the feet may be battered 
 and distorted — but it is not easy to alter the character of the 
 teeth. 
 
 The colt is generally dropped with the first and second 
 molar and grinding-teeth having forced their way through 
 the gum. When he is about seven or eight days old, the 
 two central front or incisor teeth, above and below, appear. 
 At the expiration of five or six weeks, the two next incisors 
 may be seen. At three months they will have overtaken the 
 central ones, and both pairs will have nearly attained their 
 natural level. A third grinder will then have appeared ; and 
 a little before or after the eighth month the third nipper, 
 above and below and on each side, will have protruded. The 
 colt will now have his full complement of front or cutting 
 teeth. 
 
 These teeth are beautifully adapted to their purpose. 
 They have in front an elevated cutting edge of considerable 
 sharpness. It is formed of enamel, a polished substance 
 which covers the tooth, and is almost too hard to be acted 
 upon by a file. This elevated edge is bent somewhat in- 
 wards and over the tooth, so that there is a depression 
 behind it which gradually becomes stained by the food, and 
 constitutes what is called " the mark " in the mouth of the 
 colt or horse. 
 
 This elevated edge of enamel, hard as it is, is gradually 
 worn down in the act of nipping and cutting the food ; and 
 as it wears away, the hollow behind becomes diminished, 
 and is at length totally obliterated. By the degree in which 
 
 H 
 
98 THE HOESE. 
 
 this marlc is effaced, the horseman, not only with regard to 
 the first, but the permanent teeth, judges of the age of the 
 animaL This obliteration begins to be manifest at a very 
 early age. At six months it is sufficiently evident* in the 
 four central nippers. At a year and a half the mark will be 
 very faint in the central nippers, diminished in the other two, 
 and the surface of all of them will be flattened. 
 
 At twelve months a fourth grinder protrudes, and a fifth at 
 the expiration of two years. 
 
 These are all temporary teeth. They were only designed 
 to last during an early period of the life of the animal : and 
 when his jaws become considerably expanded, they give way 
 to another set, larger, firmer, and that will probably lasi; 
 during life. The permanent teeth had been long growing 
 in the socket beneath the temporary ones, and had been 
 pressing upon their roots, and that pressure had caused an 
 absorption of these roots, until at length they lost all hold 
 and were displaced. 
 
 When the animal is about three years old, the central pair 
 of nippers, above and below, are thus removed, and two fresh 
 teeth, easily distinguishable from the first by their increased 
 size, make their appearance, so that a three-year old colt is 
 easily recognized by these two new and enlarged central 
 nippers. 
 
 A three-year-old colt has his form and energies much more 
 developed than a two-year-old one, and is considerably more 
 valuable ; therefore some dislionest breeders endeavour to 
 pass him upon the unwary as being a year older than he really 
 is, and they accomplish this, in an ingenious but cruel man- 
 ner, by punching or drawing out these teeth. This cannot, 
 however, be effected until a portion of the second year is past, 
 when the permanent teeth below are beginning to press upon 
 the roots of their predecessors, and then the breeder extracts 
 
THE HOESE. 99 
 
 tlie central milk-teeth. Those belovr, having no longer any- 
 thing to resist their progress, grow far more rapidly than they 
 otherwise would do, and the scoundrel gains four or five 
 months in the apparent age of his colt. 
 
 Can this trickery be detected ? Not always, except by one 
 who is well accustomed to horses. The comparatively slow 
 wasting of the other nippers, the difference of the develop- 
 ment of these nippers in the upper and under jaw, — for the 
 breeder usually confines his roguery to the lower jaw, the 
 upper one being comparatively seldom examined — these cir- 
 cumstances, together with a deficiency of general develop- 
 ment in the colt, will sufficiently enable the purchaser to 
 detect the attempted cheat. 
 
 The honest mouth of a three-year-old horse should be thus 
 formed : — the central teeth are palpably larger than the 
 others, and have the mark on their upper surface evident 
 and well defined. They will, however, be lower than the 
 other teeth. The mark in the next pair of nippers will be 
 nearly worn away, and that in the corner nippers will have 
 begun to wear. 
 
 At three years and a-half the second nippers will be pushed 
 from their sockets, and their place gradually supplied by a 
 new pair ; and at four and a-half the corner nippers will be 
 undergoing the same process. Thus at four years old the 
 central nippers will be fully grown: the next pair will be 
 up, but will not have attained their full height ; and the 
 corner nippers will be small, with their mark nearly effaced. 
 At five years old the mark will begin to be effaced from the 
 central teeth ; the next pair will be fully grown, and the 
 blackness of the mark a little taken off ; and the corner pair 
 will be protruding or partly grown. 
 
 At this period, or between the fourth and fifth year, another 
 change will take place in the mouth of the horse j the tushes 
 
 h2 
 
100 THE HOESE. 
 
 will liave Begun to appear. There will be two of tliem in 
 each jaw, between the nippers and the grinders, considerably 
 nearer to the former than the latter, and particularly so in 
 the lower jaw. The use of these tushes in the domesticated 
 state of the horse is not evident ; but they were probably 
 designed as weapons, of offence in the wild state of the 
 animals. Attempts are too frequently made to hasten the 
 appearance of the second and the corner teeth, in the 
 same manner as described with regard to the first, and the 
 gum is often deeply lanced in order to hasten the appearance 
 of the tush. 
 
 At six years old the mark on the central nippers will be 
 diminished, if not obliterated. A depression and a mark of 
 rather brown hue may remain, but the deep blacked hole in 
 the centre will no longer be found. The other incisors will 
 also be somewhat worn, and the tush fully .developed. 
 
 At seven the mark on the next pair of incisors will have 
 nearly disappeared, and the tush will be rounder at the point 
 and the edges. 
 
 At eight the mark will be gone from all the incisor teeth, 
 and the tush will be evidently rounder and blunter. 
 
 At this period another piece of trickery is occasionally 
 practised. The breeder had, until the animal was five years 
 old, been endeavouring to give him an older appearance than 
 his years entitled him to, because, in proportion as he ap^ 
 proached the period when his powers were most perfectly 
 developed, his value increased ; but now he endeavours to 
 conceal the ravages of age. The horse is cast, and with 
 a sharp-pointed steel instrument a little hole is dug on the 
 surface of the corner incisor, to which a red-hot iron is after- 
 wards applied. An indeUble black mark is thus left on the 
 tooth. Sometimes the roguery is carried further ; the next 
 tooth is sHghtly touched with the engraver and the cautery j 
 
THE HORSE. 101 
 
 but liere the dislionest dealer generally overreaclies himself, 
 /or the form and general appearance of a six-year old horse 
 can rarely be given to one which has passed his eighth year. 
 The eighth year having passed, it is difficult to decide on the 
 exact age of the horse. The incisors of the upper jaw are 
 then the best guides. At nine years the mark will be worn 
 away from the central teeth ; at eleven, from the next pair ; 
 and at twelve from the corner ones. The tush likewise 
 becomes shorter and blunter. 
 
 There are many circumstances which render a decision as 
 to the age of the horse very difficult after the marks are 
 effaced from the lower incisors, and even before that period. 
 Horses always kept in the stable have the mark much sooner 
 worn out than those that are at grass ; and it is impossible 
 to form any certain calculation as to crib-biters. 
 
 Of the age to which the horse would naturally arrive it is 
 also impossible to say anything satisfactory. Many have ex- 
 ceeded thirty, and some even forty years ; but, from ill usage 
 and over-exertion, many come to their end before they have 
 seen nine or ten years. 
 
 Another part of the horse must not be passed over without 
 especial notice, namely his foot. This is a truly admirable 
 piece of mechanism, and deserves to be well understood. It 
 simply consists of a horny case or covering for the protection 
 of the sensitive parts within, and extends from the termina- 
 tion of the hair to the ground. It is deepest in front, where 
 it is called the toe, lower at the sides, or quarters, and of least 
 extent behind at tlie heel. It is placed in a sloping or slant- 
 ing position, forming an angle, which, in the healthy foot, is 
 about 45 degrees. Any deviation from this is considered a 
 defect. If it is more oblique than this, it indicates a flatness 
 of the sole, or even a protrusion of it downwards, constituting 
 a pumiced or convex foot — a very great evil, as it exposes the 
 
102 THE HOESE. 
 
 sole to bruises or undue pressure. If tlie crust or box is too 
 upright, it indicates a tendency to contraction, thrush, and 
 inflammation, an upright pastern, and jolting unpleasant pace. 
 These are serious deviations from a natural state of the foot, 
 and should be immediately recognized by the observer. The 
 crust is thickest m front, and becomes gradually thinner 
 towards the quarters and heels. This thinness is greatest on 
 the inner quarter, or inner portion of the crust, and more 
 ■weight is thrown upon it than upon the outer quarter. This 
 may seem at first view to be rather singular, but it is a wise 
 provision of Nature, in order that the elasticity of that part 
 may be brought more into play, and dangerous concussion 
 lessened or avoided. The nails are often driven too close on 
 the inner quarter, the consequence of which are corns, con- 
 traction, and sand-crack. 
 
 The foot often varies greatly in magnitude in proportion 
 to the general bulk of the horse. This is a considerable 
 evil. A large foot not unfrequently becomes objectionable 
 from its striking the opposite leg ; on the other hand, the 
 large foot will not sink so readily into soft ground, and con- 
 sequently not demand so great an effort of strength to extri- 
 cate it. In general broad or flat-footed horses possess the 
 greatest strength ; small and narrow-footed ones have supe- 
 rior speed. Both, within certain limits, possess their respective 
 advantages and disadvantages. Large bulky hoofs are weaker 
 than others, in consequence of being composed of a thin, soft, 
 porous horn. Small feet generally possess a close-woven 
 horn, but are deficient in circularity of figure, with great 
 depth of substance, and are of a more durable nature. 
 
 On account of the superior weight which it bears, the inner 
 heel wears away more quickly than the outer one. It will 
 often be scarcely necessary to remove any horn from the 
 inner heel, for that is already efl'ected by the wear of the foot. 
 
THE HOESE. 103 
 
 The smitli frequently forgets 'this, and pares away all round 
 with his butteris or his knife, and thus, leaving the inner 
 quarter lower than the outer, thows an uneven bearing upon 
 it, and produces corns, sand-cracks, splints, and various 
 other evils. The depth of the horn in the front of the toe, 
 measuring from the termination of the skin, is on an average 
 about three inches or three inches and a half, and its thick- 
 ness varies from three-eighths of an inch to half an inch ; 
 but near the top, and at the inside, it is found to be scooped 
 or hollowed out, and contains or covers a thickened prolonga- 
 tion, falsely called the coronary ligament, for it has no liga- 
 mentous substance belonging to it. It is a collection of 
 blood-vessels bound together by a fibrous texture, and its 
 office is to supply any loss of substance in the hoof that may 
 be occasioned by accident or disease, and also to secrete the 
 substance of the wall or crust of the feet. 
 
 The crust or hoof is composed of fibres running perpen- 
 dicular from the coronet to the ground in front, and at the 
 quarters, taking an oblique direction forwards. This con- 
 struction enables the heels to expand when they come in 
 contact with the ground, and this expansion permits the gra- 
 dual descent of the bones of the feet, and obviates much con- 
 cussion, it is in order that this expansion may readily take 
 place, that the crust, as has been already stated, is thinnest at 
 the quarters and towards the heels. 
 
 On the inside of the crust are numerous narrow, thin plates 
 or processes, called the lamina?, arranged in the nicest order, 
 and with almost mathematical precision. They extend pa- 
 rallel to each other in a perpendicular direction from imme- 
 diately beneath the coronary ligament to the junction of the 
 wall with the sole, and are so thickly set that every part of 
 the crust is occupied by them. They are likewise continued 
 over the surface of the bars, of which mention will presently 
 
104 THE HOESE. 
 
 be made. They are about 500 in number, broadest at tlieir 
 base, and terminating in tbe most delicate expansion of born. 
 They correspond with similar leaves projecting from the 
 coffin-bone, or internal bone of the hoof, and thus present a 
 most extraordinary superficies for the attachment of the 
 coffin-bone. The laminse from the coffin-bone and those from 
 the hoof form a complete union, which, for strength and elas- 
 ticity combined, may vie with any piece of animal mechanism 
 that is known. It has been calculated that the united super- 
 ficies, in a foot of tolerable size, will yield a surface of attach- 
 ment equal to 212 square inches, or nearly one square foot 
 and a half. This is a contrivance to prevent concussion which 
 may well excite our admiration. 
 
 The bars are processes of the wall of the foot, inflected 
 obhquely across the bottom of the foot, along and outside of 
 the frog. The slightest consideration will show that their 
 office is both to admit of and to limit to its proper extent the 
 expansion of the foot. When the weight of the animal is 
 thrown on the laminse, these arches will shorten and widen in 
 order to admit of the expansion of the quarters, and, when 
 that expansive power ceases to act, the bar will return to its 
 usual curve, and the foot will regain its usual form. It is 
 strange that, even at the present day, the farriers should 
 maintain their combination to get rid of this beautiful and 
 useful contrivance of nature. Although every foot from which 
 the bars are removed becomes more or less contracted at the 
 quarters, old prejudices prevent them from tracing the con- 
 nection of cause and effect. The owner of the horse should 
 lay it down as a principle, from which his farrier should never 
 be permitted to deviate, that the bars of the foot should 
 never be cut away. 
 
 The sole is the arched plate at the bottom of the hoof, and 
 it is one of the most important parts of the foot. Thousands 
 
THE HOUSE. 
 
 105 
 
 )f horses are ruined by the mass of horn -which is suffered to 
 u'cumulate on it, and, occasionally, the sole is materially 
 lijured and wounded by it. The natural thickness of the sole 
 s about one-sixth of an inch, but that which forms a union 
 ,vith the bars is nearly double the thickness of the other 
 nirts. In its natural state it is to a certain degree hollow, 
 md thus it has the capacity of descending with the weight 
 if the horse. A flat sole cannot descend lower. This also 
 s a circumstance that the smith should be compelled to 
 iltend to. 
 
 The frog is the prominent triangular body occupying the 
 chasm between the bars. It extends forwards towards the 
 toe about two-thirds of the distance between the toe and the 
 heel. It is of a cuneiform figure, not a little resembling a 
 plough-share. It consists of two rpunded or projecting sur- 
 faces, with a fissure or cleft between them, but uniting about 
 half-way down the foot, and forming a wedge with the sharp 
 point forwards, in order to give security to the tread of the 
 horse. It assists also in a material degree in the expansion 
 of the foot. Thus the diminution of the substance of the frog, 
 and its elevation above ground, must be injurious. The 
 rough and detached parts may be removed, but the substance 
 of the frog should always be Mt just above or within the level 
 of the shoe. 
 
 When well treated, the horse lives to a great age, though, 
 as treated in general, his best years are from five to fifteen ; — 
 ^instances, however, being numerous in which he is service- 
 able to twenty years of age, and even longer. An instance 
 is on record in which he reached the extraordinary age of 
 seventy. 
 
 The senses of the horse are acute and delicate, and his 
 
 intellectual character is marked by a quick perception, an 
 
 excellent memory, and benevolence of disposition. As in 
 
106 THE HOKSE. 
 
 man, some liorses are liigbly courageous, others timid- 
 some lively, playful, and generous, whilst others are as stupid, 
 obstinate, and vicious. He is rarely found to exert his vast 
 strength and activity to his master's prejudice ; on the con- 
 trary, he will endure fatigue, even to death, for his benefit. 
 One of his most eminent characteristics is that his efforts are 
 not made so much from fear of his master, as from a certain 
 consciousness of the necessity for doing his duty, for the sake 
 of the services which he receives at the hand of man. 
 
 The natural affection of the horse is not displayed towards 
 man only, but he extends his attachment to other animals 
 who are associated with him, and not to his own species 
 alone, but to animals of any other species. The fondness 
 of the horse for dogs is well known, and when a cat takes to 
 the stable, she is presently on the best of terms with the 
 inmates. Horses are much attached to a goat, and this 
 animal is hence frequently kept in a stable, more even on the 
 continent than in England, the result being much natural 
 regard between the goat and the horse. 
 
 The horse, too, has his tastes as well as his rider. The 
 fondness of horses for music has been an observation in all 
 ages, and the bands of a cavalry regiment have no little to do 
 with the proud military bearing of the regimental horses. 
 All soldiers know the delight with which a horse listens to a i 
 military band. 
 
 It was formerly customary, in order to improve the appear- 
 ance of the horse, to dock and nick his tail. The custom no 
 doubt- originated with the same blockheads who slit the 
 tongue of a magpie to make him talk ; a more barbarous or 
 a more unsightly practice was never adopted. The pain 
 which the animal suffers in having his vertebral column cut 
 through, and with it the medullary substance and the spinal 
 cord, is the most intense which one brute can inflict on 
 
1 THE HOESE. 107 
 
 , another, even tliougli tlie inflictor of the pain be the brutal 
 owner of a horse. The only defence which was ever put 
 ] forth in alleviation of so barbarous a cruelty, is, that the 
 i horse shall carry his tail like an Arabian, as though the 
 sightless and indelicate stump, sticking out of the hind- 
 j quarters of a docked horse, was anything but a ridiculous 
 ' caricature of the cordal appendage of the Asiatic horse. We 
 'should like to see the experiment tried upon the brutal 
 mutilator of the noble animal, of summoning him before a 
 I magistrate, under the act for cruelty to animals. The 
 j magistrate would have no alternative but to commit, and a 
 few such convictions might teach such men to refrain from 
 crueUy, though nothing would be likely to teach them the 
 practice of huijianity. 
 
 But the cruelty of docking a horse or nicking him does not 
 end with the infliction. Any man sunk less low in the 
 human scale than a horsedealer, will perceive that the tail is 
 given to the horse by the same Providence which made him, 
 for the twofold purpose of protecting a tender part against 
 cold in winter, and to lash off the flies and other insects 
 which torment him in summer. Both these ends, necessary 
 to the comfort and even health of the horse, are frustrated by 
 a half-witted ignoramus, who believes that he can mend the 
 works of the horse's Maker. To make the tail of the animal 
 more useful than it was intended by Providence to be, he 
 renders what his barbarity has left of it altogether without 
 1 motion of any kind. 
 
 I A very little observation on the habits of the horse would 
 have shown the folly as well as cruelty of such a practice, 
 i There are few portions of a horse's body which he cannot 
 ireach with his teeth or his tail, the latter being in this re- 
 spect a hand to him. But if a horse itch in any part which 
 he cannot reach, he will go to another horse, and bite him on 
 
108 THE HOESE. 
 
 tlie part wWcli lie himself wants bitten. His friend will take' 
 the hint and perform the kind office for him. This should 
 hence show the necessity of not depriving the animal oJ 
 those portions of his body by which he can free himself from 
 annoyance. 
 
 Before quitting this portion of our subject we will glance a1 
 a few of what are termed the " superstitious fables " of th( 
 ancients relative to the horse ; — fables quite as true as is th( 
 whole of ancient mythology — as many of the sober histories 
 of our days. 
 
 We are told, that "Neptune having struck a rock witl 
 his trident, forthwith sprung a horse, and this form h( 
 himself assumed to enjoy the society of Ceres, who was travel 
 ling over the world in quest of her daughter." In memor] 
 of this the ancients sacrificed to IN'eptune a horse and a bull 
 
 Now had a modern historian been writing this narrative 
 it must have stood thus : — *' Previous to ithe occupation o 
 Greece by Egyptian colonists, agriculture had made grea 
 strides in more civilized countries, and was rapidly spreading 
 over the eastern world. It so chanced that a cargo o 
 Egyptian horses struck upon the rocks of the Greek coast 
 and both horses and crew were saved. Both remained in thi 
 coimtry, and the shipwrecked seamen taught the uncivilizec 
 natives the use of the horse in agriculture." In other words 
 Neptune had brought the horses, and was enjoying th( 
 society of Ceres. The so-called fabulous account is so beauti 
 fully poetical that we prefer it before modern prose. 
 
 Again, it is said by the writers of ancient fable, thai 
 *' Pluto, who was both rich and ugly, had been refused by al 
 the goddesses, and that being determined to live single nc 
 longer, he saw Proserpine, the daughter of Ceres, gathering 
 flowers in Sicily, and carried her off in a chariot drawn by 
 four horses." 
 
THE HORSE. 109 
 
 There is nothing fabulous in this, for it occurs every 
 iveck in England in some shape or other. Had the cor- 
 •espondent in the Mor^iing Post been describing the event, 
 ic would have done so after this fashion : — " Great sensation 
 las been created in the little town of Oatlands by the elope- 
 ment'of the young and pretty Miss Lightfoot, the daughter of 
 1 respectable farmer here, with old Mr. Moneybags, the rick 
 ..surer. Mr. Moneybags had, as was well known, been 
 •e fused by all the heiresses about on account of his want of 
 lersonal attractions, which, however, in Miss Lightfoot's 
 'stimation, appear to have been more than compensated for 
 oy the splendid equipage drawn by four horses, which he 
 lad presented to her." Pluto eloping with Proserpine was 
 lotliing more than this, and the subsequent finding of 
 Proserpine by Ceres would be just the sequel of Miss Light- 
 bot's marriage with old Mr. Moneybags. 
 
 Again, the ancients fabled the sun to be drawn by five 
 [lorses, ^thon, Statio, Eous, Pyrois, and Phlegon. We 
 trill take the latter name only, signifying hurning. The 
 mcients began their day at noon, so that the burning horse 
 drove the last stage of the twenty-four hours, which is ap- 
 propriate enough. If we look back at the names of the other 
 horses we shall find them all indicative of their respective 
 stages, for they did not all draw together, as is commonly 
 apposed, and then this fable simply resolves itself into five 
 natural divisions of the twenty -four hours, viz., — evening, 
 aight, dawn, morning, and mid-day. 
 
 It would not be difficult to go through the whole horse 
 mythology of the ancients in a similar manner. 
 
110 THE HOESE. 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 ON BEEEDING STOCK. 
 
 Beeedees of all kinds of animals are unanimous in tlieii 
 opinions that it is necessary to have distinct varieties, usually 
 distinguished as thoroughbred, for the propagation of the 
 species, w-hether it be determined to carry on the unblemishec 
 pedigree, or to cross with other breeds. The high value se1 
 upon the short-horned cattle is estimated principally by thf 
 purity of the blood ; and the true Southdown or Leicestei 
 sheep by a similar criterion. 
 
 It is a general observation with those who have devotee 
 attention to the subject, that horses and mares require mucl 
 time after they have been trained, before they distinguisi 
 themselves as the progenitors of first-rate stock. This affords 
 another argument in favour of early training. Both witl 
 mares and stallions their best foals have often not come fortl 
 till they were advanced in years. According to the presumec 
 age of the Godolphin Arabian, he was thirteen years old wher 
 he became the sire of Eegulus. Paynator and Whalebone wen 
 each of them twenty years old when their sons, Doctor Syn 
 tax and Sir Hercules, were foaled. Potoooooooo, Sultan 
 Langar, and Yenison, were each of them sixteen years olc 
 when they became the sires respectively of Waxy, Bay Mid- 
 dleton, Epirus, and Kingston. Melbourne was fifteen wher 
 he begat West Australian ; Haphazard fourteen when he was 
 the sire of Eilho da Puta. Orville was the same age when 
 he was the sire of Ebor, and twenty when he begot the stili 
 more celebrated Emilius ; and an infinity of similar examples 
 may be added. This property applies more generally tcl 
 
THE HOESE. Ill 
 
 stallions than to mares : for it is sometimes apparent, that 
 their first foals are vastly superior to their subsequent pro- 
 duce. This was the case in -olden times with the dams of 
 Mark Antony, Conductor, Pyrrhus, and Pantaloon ; and 
 more recently with Sultan, Touchstone, Sir Hercules, and 
 Filho da Puta. Whether the subsequent change of partners 
 has any prejudicial effect on the future progeny is a subject 
 worthy the most scrupulous attention of breeders. The case 
 of Penelope, which has already been mentioned, is in favour 
 of the assumption ; for the superiority of her first seven 
 foals, by Waxy, over the others by different horses, is a fact 
 which cannot be disputed. It is curious to remark, that 
 when a thoroughbred mare has once had foals to common 
 horses, no subsequent foals which she may have had by 
 thoroughbred horses have ever evinced any pretensions to 
 racing qualities. There may be an exception ; but I believe 
 I am correct in stating that there is not. It is laid down as 
 a principle, " That when a pure animal, of any breed, has 
 once been pregnant to one of a different breed, she is herself 
 a cross ever after ; the purity of her blood having been lost 
 in consequence of tliis connection." This will no doubt be 
 received by many persons as an abstruse hypothesis, but 
 there are unequivocal incidents in favour of it ; and that 
 valuable monitor, past experience, must be received as a 
 more convincing argument than the opinion of individuals, 
 on subjects which are hidden from our understanding by the 
 impenetrable veil which, on many occasions, enshrouds the 
 secret mysteries of nature. There are events on record 
 which prove this faculty, although they do not enlighten us 
 as to the physical influences which control it. Sir Gore 
 Ousely, when in India, purchased an Arabian mare, which 
 during several seasons would not breed, and, in consequence, 
 an intercourse with a zebra was resorted to ; she produced 
 
112 THE HOESE. 
 
 an animal striped like its male parent. The first object being 
 accomplished, that of causing her to breed, a thoroughbred 
 horse was selected, but the produce was striped. The follow- 
 ing year another horse was chosen, yet the stripes, although 
 less distinct, appeared on the foaL Mr. Blaine relates, that 
 a chestnut mare also gave birth to a foal by a quagga, and 
 that the mare was afterwards bred from by an Arabian horse, 
 but that the progeny exhibited a very striking resemblance 
 to the quagga. The paintings of the animals bred by Sir 
 Gore Ousely, as also the skins, are to be seen at the museum 
 of the College of Surgeons, in Lincoln's-inn-fields. It was 
 also observed by a gentleman connected with the establish- 
 ment at Hampton-Court, in the reign of William IV., that 
 several of the foals got by Acteon had marks similar to the 
 Colonel, namely, a white hind fetlock, and a white stripe 
 down the face. Acteon had no white marks about him. The 
 mares had bred foals the previous year by the Colonel 
 Scientific men have endeavoured to explain the basis of these 
 phenomena on anatomical principles ; whether they have suc^ 
 ceeded in doing so very comprehensively is another question 
 but it would be inconsistent to attempt the discussion of argu 
 ments of that nature in these pages j it is sufficient that we 
 have examples. 
 
 The science of breeding horses is replete with interest tc 
 those who are immediately concerned in that pursuit, oi 
 racing in its various phases ; and to those who are not, consi- 
 dering its importance in a commercial and national point o: 
 view, it cannot fail to excite attention. The unanimity whici 
 has presided over the progress made -in racing and breeding 
 for that purpose is indubitable ; still there are persons disposec 
 to censure the exciting customs of the turf, as conducive tc 
 the defeat of that object for which they ought to be framec 
 with the most careful application. In addition to the subjects 
 
THE HORSE. 113 
 
 already noticed, it is frequently argued, that tlie prevailing 
 fashion of handicap races, and light weights in general, are 
 calculated to encourage the' breeding of a degenerate class 
 of horses. Here it must be observed, that it is not in the 
 po^-er of human ingenuity to introduce systems which are 
 quite free from objection. In whatever may be advanced in 
 tlio way of improvement, something occurs to prevent the 
 attainment of perfection. With respect to weights, it cannot 
 bo denied that the custom of carrying high weights prevailed 
 ^Yith our ancestors very materially over the usages of modern 
 times ; but without investigating the fact, many persons en- 
 tertain an opinion that it was an universal practice ; which, 
 Iiowever, is a mistake. Many of their matches were made at 
 weights varying from seven to nine stone ; and as early as 
 the year 1719, there is an account of a match made between 
 Lord Hillsborough's Fiddler, twelve stone, and the Duke of 
 ~\Miarton's galloway, four stone, for which the latter paid 
 forfeit. "WHiat pretensions Lord Hillsborough's horse could 
 possibly have had to justify his giving such an extraordinary 
 allowance of weight to the meanest galloway in the creation, 
 possessing any pretensions to racing, it is impossible to con- 
 ceive, when it is mentioned, that the following year he was 
 beaten in a match of four miles, by Mr. Fieldsley's gallo- 
 way, carrying eight stone eleven pounds six ounces, his lord- 
 ship's horse carrying only eight stone. They appear to have 
 been remarkably punctilious with respect to weights at that 
 period, as there is an account of a match, in which the Duke 
 of Wharton's Chance, eight stone ten pounds three ounces, 
 beat Lord Hillsborough's mare, seven stone three pounds, 
 f )ur miles, at ISTewmarket. This occurred in the year 1719. 
 Tiiere are several other instances of similar niceties. Another 
 match was won in 1720, by Mr. Panton's Dun, carrying a 
 feather, and beating Mr. Frampton's Potato, six stone twelve 
 
 I 
 
114 THE HOESE- 
 
 pounds, four miles. In the following year, Mr. Panton's 
 Spark, four stone eleven pounds, beat, at three four-mile 
 heats. Lord Drogheda's Pickle Herring, eight stone. Thus we 
 have precedents for light weights from a very early date. 
 
 It is not because these facts are mentioned, that the pre- 
 vailing custom of running at very hght weights can be de- 
 fended, for the racing community has fallen into a very great 
 extreme, more prejudicial on other accounts, than with 
 reference to its influence on any presumed degeneration of 
 the race-horse. Very light weights involve the necessity of 
 employing mere children to ride, against which there are 
 many objections. The art of race-riding was for a length of 
 time regarded as an accomplishment not very easy of attain- 
 ment, but when we see so many juveniles employed, weighing 
 not more than four stone seven pounds, and dignified with 
 the title of jockeys, the distinction of talent is dispelled; and 
 it is miraculous that serious accidents are not of frequent 
 occurrence. We were wont to admire the judgment displayed 
 by Buckle, the electrifying rush of Chifney, the grace, ele- 
 gance, and experience of Eobinson, the splendid horseman- 
 ship of Edwards, and the skilful handling of Scott. We 
 appreciate the talent of Flatman, Butler, Templeman, Day, 
 Marlow, and many others of their class, and it occasions a 
 sensation of regret when we see their superior efibrts and the 
 valuable horses which they ride, defeated, not by merit, but 
 the levelling principle in racing ; a great disparity of weight 
 in the person of a powerless, inexperienced boy, on a weedy, 
 vrorthless animal. These events place money to the credit 
 of persons who are owners of bad horses, without enhancing 
 the value of their steeds for the purposes of the stud ; for it 
 must be observed, that a bad horse carrying a very light 
 weight, and running a handicap, gains but an equivocal re- 
 putation. He must do something more to estabhsh his fame, 
 
THE HORSE. 115 
 
 befora he will be permitted to become the progenitor of liis 
 species, unless it be among tlie balf-bred classes. 
 
 That higher scales of weights than those which are gene- 
 rally adopted would be conducive to the interest of all 
 parties there cannot exist a doubt, and many of the best and 
 most enlightened patrons of the turf concur with the opinion ; 
 but it is a subject over which it is difficult to exercise any 
 control. The committees of management at provincial meet- 
 ings are obviously anxious to present a programme which 
 shall be attractive, and there are many owners of horses who 
 are readily captivated with hght weights irrespective of the 
 proportions. This fashion is more the effect of caprice than 
 of any well-founded principle. With exceptions, which are 
 not numerous till we get among the oi polloi of thorough- 
 bred stock, — it must not be dignified with the term racing- 
 stock, — the horse that can win with eight stone on his back will 
 win with ten, providing all the other horses carry propor- 
 tionate weights. Of course there are exceptions in the very 
 weedy wretches which scarcely ever win, and it would be con- 
 ferring a favour on their owners if some means could be 
 devised to prevent such animals from being trained. Very 
 powerful slow horses may also be found who rejoice under 
 heavy weights, so long as they are not required to contend 
 against competitors of the best classes. This is the point 
 upon which many persons who are not accustomed to the 
 management of trials, and practically initiated in the mys- 
 teries of racing, draw mistaken inferences. It is said, and 
 very truly, the latter are the kind of horses to encourage for 
 the purpose of breeding hunters, and other horses for the 
 ordinary affairs of the country. But how the production of 
 that specific kind of animal is to be encouraged exclusively 
 presents considerable difficulty. The only available means 
 appears to be that of promoting the breeding of race-horses 
 
 I 2 
 
116 THE HOESE. 
 
 iipontlie most liberal, expansive, and unrestrictive conditions, as 
 tlie most likely means of having horses calculated for different 
 occupations. The infatuation, for so it may be in reality desig- 
 nated, which extends to many owners of race-horses is such, that 
 if there be one handicap commencing at seven stone, and de- 
 scending to four stone seven pounds, and another commencing 
 at eight-stone, with precisely equivalent diminutions, the former 
 race will insure the greatest share of patronage, although the 
 services of incompetent boys must be called in requisition to 
 ride the light weights. At some of the race meetings a 
 proper view is taken on this subject, which may probably lead 
 to advantageous results. The ancient city of Bath affords a 
 good example, and the unequivocal success of the late meet- 
 ings is highly encouraging. The very light weights are 
 dispensed with in the handicaps, and the City Cup, a weight 
 for age race, distance two miles and a half, commences with 
 ten stone four pounds on six years old and aged horses, ranging 
 down to seven stone on three years old. The subject of 
 handicaps, as relates to the influence which they exercise over 
 the breed of horses, must not be passed over without mentioning 
 a custom somewhat similar which prevailed in the early days 
 of racing, commonly denominated weight for inches. This 
 was done to accommodate the numerous undersized animals 
 which abounded at that period. The patronage afforded by 
 these prizes was quite as much calculated to encourage an 
 insignificant breed as the handicap of the present age. To 
 obviate one of the most objectionable features in the handi- 
 caps, an improvement would be effected if the maximum and 
 minimum weights were confined between nine stone three, 
 pounds and five stone seven pounds. It would, to a certain 
 extent, operate to the exclusion of worthless animals. A; 
 further classification of horses might be adopted, by confining 
 the weights to be carried by six, five, and four years old 
 
THE HORSE. 117 
 
 horses, between nine stone seven pounds and eiglit stone, and 
 no three years old to be handicapped for that race under six 
 stone. It is certainly an objectionable principle that a person 
 having a superior horse shall experience any difficulty in 
 selecting engagements for that horse, for which he may com- 
 pete with others nearly on an equality with himself without 
 risking defeat by animals unworthy the name of race-horses, 
 through the levelling influence of weight. 
 
 The intention of a handicap is to afford every horse an 
 equal chance of winning ; that the worst horse shall be placed 
 in an equivalent position with the best, and logically this 
 appears to offer encouragement to breed bad horses ; but that 
 condition must not be taken in a literal sense ; there are so 
 many inducements to breed good horses that every breeder 
 exerts himself to do so, and the welcome handicaps come in 
 at last to the relief of those who are not fortunate enough 
 to hold court cards. 
 
 Many proposals have been made for the introduction of 
 measures which the suggesters, with the very best intentions 
 and most patriotic motives, have imagined would stimulate 
 persons to breed horses of superior character, suitable for 
 general employments, and especially for military service. 
 Now that we are unfortunately engaged in war, it is a most 
 important consideration ; but the plans proposed would not 
 be effective. One is an invitation to Government to offer 
 large prizes for horses by Arabian sires to carry high weights, 
 run a long distance, and not to commence running till they 
 are five years old. Without going into details, the time would 
 be a great impediment. Six years must elapse before a horse 
 bred after the prescribed fashion could be brought to the post, 
 three years probation on the turf, and five years more before 
 the produce woidd be available. We cannot, in these days of 
 advancement and rapid improvements, wait so long a period. 
 
118 THE HOESE. 
 
 If the test of constitution, and all the attributes whicli con- 
 tribute to perfection, were decided by running four-mile races, 
 we have steeple-chases innumerable, for the purpose of trying 
 all the powers of endurance, soundness, and constitutional 
 stamina. Without invoking any assistance from Government, 
 the public have subscribed ample funds to induce persons to 
 breed horses capable of running long distances under the 
 most trying and distressing circumstances. Steeple-chasing 
 has been in vogue more than twenty years, therefore if any 
 stimulus of the kind could be the means of improving the 
 breed of horses it has for a long period been in effect. With 
 racing and steeple-chasing combined we have ample means 
 of deciding the qualifications of horses at all distances, from 
 half a mile to three miles on the race-course, and four miles 
 over a coun+ry, with the additional tax upon the powers of the 
 horse occasioned by leaping fences. Callous indeed must be 
 the human heart that would desire to impose on the noble 
 horse tasks of greater severity. 
 
 The diminutive stature of the horses of olden times — the 
 immediate descendants of the Arabians — affords a strong 
 argument that our present breed of horses is superior to 
 them for racing purposes. Cartouch, Young Cartouch, 
 Silverleg, Champion, and Teazer, the two last named con- 
 temporaries and antagonists of Regulus, were only between 
 thirteen and fourteen hands high ; Marske, the sire of 
 Eclipse, did not exceed fifteen hands : without attempting 
 to establish a theory that the goodness of a race-horse is 
 determined by his height, yet, unless he comes up to a 
 certain standard with concomitant proportions, he is unable 
 . to measure distances with the celebrities of his day. For all 
 purposes, except that of draught, fifteen hands two inches is 
 the most desirable, an inch over or under included. There is 
 a standard of excellence which regulates the stature of all 
 
THE HOBSE. 119 
 
 animals ; that exceeded or not attained, the acme of per- 
 fection is wanting. It is unnecessary to remind those who 
 are intimately acquainted with racing that no undersized 
 horse, that is, one not exceeding fourteen hands, however 
 well bred he may be, has the slightest chance in a race with 
 a horse of fair pretensions, a hand and s half higher, with pro- 
 portionate power and muscular symmetry. We have well- 
 bred galloways at the present day, but their performances 
 are exclusively devoted to races held at country places, com- 
 monly styled " Diversions," where they compete only with 
 animals of their own size. The reasonable conclusion is 
 that they are equal to the horses of the olden times ; but the 
 average race-horses of the present day are far superior, in 
 consequence of the improvements made in their size and 
 power. This has been accomplished by selecting those to 
 breed from which have established a fame on the turf, or 
 near relatives to them ; and those which, being well bred, 
 from their power and symmetry present reasonable expecta- 
 tions of producing foals of value. To this may be added 
 good and suitable nourishment, and a climate highly con- 
 genial to the constitution of the equine tribe. The partisans 
 of the ancient worthies contend, that although low in stature, 
 they were superior in those proportions which gave them 
 power — an inference which cannot be established. Length 
 is an essential auxiliary to racing properties, and an animal only 
 fourteen hands high, with the length and substance of one 
 fifteen hands two inches, would be out of all proportion. 
 
 On the subject of galloways the history of an extraordinary 
 mare of that class will afford an interesting and appropriate 
 example. It is that of a bay mare, called Bis tarda ; she was 
 by Bustard, dam by Sir Ulick McKilligut, grandam by 
 Young Benin gborough : she was foaled in 1826. The dam 
 of Bistarda was a short-legged mare, not exceeding fourteen 
 
1250 THE HORSE. 
 
 hands two inclies in height, an excellent hunter for the 
 weight she had to carry, between nine and ten stone, but her 
 racing qualifications were never put to the test. Bistarda's 
 first race was for a sweepstakes, at Burton, when three 
 years old, which she won, beating a horse of no pretensions, 
 though greatly her superior in size : her second race was 
 at E-ugeley, when she carried nine stone ten pounds, and 
 was beaten by a horse called Tom Moody, five years old, 
 carrying eleven stone twelve pounds. Being undersized, not 
 exceeding fourteen hands, she was then sold to a man who 
 devoted his attention to running for galloway stakes, and in 
 his possession she won more races during the succeeding five 
 years than even Catherina ; but as she did not run at meet- 
 ings within the surveillance of the " Racing Calendar," the 
 records of her performances are lost. She was never beaten 
 when running against animals of her own standard, but 
 occasionally her owner was tempted to enter her against 
 horses of full size, when their superior powers occasioned her 
 defeat. Had she been in existence a century earlier, there is 
 no doubt she would have been the phenomenon of that day, 
 as she was amongst her own class at a subsequent period. 
 Our present breed of race-horses has been stigmatized by 
 the assertion that they are bred in and in, and that they 
 have degenerated in consequence, compared with those of 
 our ancestors. A comparison has been made with reference 
 to breeders of cattle and sheep, *' that they well understand 
 the necessity of carefully avoiding incestuous breeding." 
 To those who make researches into the dry pages of the 
 *' Stud Book" and "Herd Book " it is unnecessary to offer 
 a remark, but as there are so many who do not, and who 
 take as facts the assertions of others, it becomes necessary 
 to rebut the statement, and introduce a few examples to 
 convince those who may be sceptical. The subject of 
 
THE HOESE. 121 
 
 incestuous breeding in cattle will be dismissed with very- 
 few words. At the late Earl Ducies' sale, in 1853, a white 
 heifer, only five months old, produced the enormous price of 
 400 guineas ; she was a daughter of the bull called the 
 fourth Duke of York, her dam Duchess 59, by the second 
 Duke of York. The fourth Duke of York was a son of the 
 second Duke of York, consequently the sire and dam of the 
 heifer were half-brother and sister. The " Herd Book " 
 affords many other examples of incestuous breeding among 
 short-horns, and many of those which realise extravagant 
 prices are bred after this fashion. 
 
 The most talented and successful breeders of horses during 
 the present century, thoroughly convinced of the impro- 
 priety of breeding from families nearly related, have scrupu- 
 lously avoided it. Examples have been given in the first 
 portion of these remarks, showing to what an extent it was 
 practised when breeding for the turf was in its infancy ; 
 it is therefore unnecessary to repeat them, and the pedigrees 
 of the horses of the present generation are so well known 
 that it is useless to give them in detail. There is no 
 proximity of relationship in the genealogy of the Plying 
 Dutchman, Touchstone, Melbourne, Epirus, Alarm, Bay 
 Middleton, Hero, Orlando, Irish Birdcatcher, Cossack, Hark- 
 away, Tearaway, Lothario, or others of celebrity. There 
 may be a few instances of other horses in which some consan- 
 guinity can be traced, but they are not numerous, neither 
 are the degrees of relationship nearly connected. 
 
 There is a subject which may now be opportunely intro- 
 duced, which breeders and others do not generally take into 
 consideration — the wonderful working of arithmetical pro- 
 gression, which shows that the amount of any particular 
 blood diminishes in such a ratio, that actual proof only can 
 make it apparent. The pedigrees of many horses of celebrity 
 
122 THE HOESE. 
 
 may be traced back to Childers, the Darley Arabian, and 
 other worthies of ancient date ; but where there is only one 
 direct line of descent, the following calculation will show 
 how little of the blood flows in the veins of the present 
 generation. It maybe considered that these horses flourished 
 about a century ago, and taking ten years as a generation, 
 a lineal descendant of a horse of that period only possesses 
 portion of the blood. 
 
 The 1st Cross had 
 
 k 
 
 The 6th Cross had 
 
 ^ 
 
 2nd 
 
 )> 
 
 i 
 
 7th 
 
 >» 
 
 T^ 
 
 3rd 
 
 }> 
 
 h 
 
 8th 
 
 >» 
 
 256 
 
 4th 
 
 » 
 
 tV 
 
 9th 
 
 >> 
 
 ^ 
 
 5th 
 
 )) 
 
 ^ 
 
 10th 
 
 >) 
 
 T054: 
 
 Further crosses diminish it to a still more striking extent. 
 
 On a previous occasion, when describing the performances 
 ofXiston and Independence, it was mentioned that certair 
 horses had invariably failed as the progenitors of good stocL' 
 on the turf, and that their male progeny were equally 
 unsuccessful in the stud, yet they have transmitted greal 
 excellences through the female branches when employed as 
 brood-mares. It is now desirable to revive these observations 
 in order to trace them more perspicuously. The horses 
 to which this extraordinary faculty apply are Sir Oliver and 
 Master Henry : the former was the sire of only one hors€ 
 of fair repute on the turf, the Doge of Venice, but there 
 is not any of his stock in this country to raise or diminish 
 his fame, as he was sent to France. The fiUies descended 
 from Williamson's Ditto were superior to the colts ; but 
 this distinction is not so striking as with the others. He was 
 the sire of Bacchante, the dam of Sultan, an honour suffi- 
 cient to 'gain distinction. Olivia Jordan and Stella, 'the 
 dams of Liston and Independence, have already been intro- 
 
THE HOESE. 123 
 
 duced as daughters of Sir Oliver. He was also tlie sire 
 of Olivetta, the dam of Rainbow, Adventurer, Autocrat, and 
 Halston ; and of Olympia, the dam of Elis and Epirus, great- 
 grandam of Orlando, and consequently great-grandam of 
 Teddington. Great merit is due to Master Henry as the 
 sire of Banter, the dam of Touchstone, while his blood 
 (Master Henry's) is not transmitted through a male de- 
 scendant to the studs of the present day. In Sir Oliver's 
 pedigree there is a strain of blood to Soreheels, foaled about 
 the year 1720, who is described as having been a very bad 
 stallion, but that his sister was an excellent brood-mare. 
 It would appear that the property is a family heritage of 
 ancient standing. The lineage of Orlando, the sire of Ted- 
 dington, aJBfords a double confirmation of this peculiar ten- 
 dency, to explain which it is necessary to insert his pedigree. 
 
 He was by Touchstone, out of Vulture, by Laugar ; her 
 dam. Kite, by Buzzard, out of Olympia, by Sir Oliver ; and 
 as Touchstone was by Camel, out of Banter, by Master 
 Henry, the peculiar property of the two sires is rather 
 singularly brought into contact. 
 
 Every breeder of horses, and indeed every other person 
 who takes an interest in the subject, enjoys his peculiar 
 fancies and affections for certain lineages of the equine race. 
 This extends in some instances to prejudice ; but the rejec- 
 tion of blood, from which hereditary or constitutional infir- 
 mities can be transmitted, should be maintained with the 
 utmost resolution. Some persons are of opinion that the 
 most probable means of producing a race-horse of the highest 
 pretensions, is by the union of speedy blood in the sire, and 
 stout blood in the dam ; others contend that the qualifica- 
 tions of speed and stoutness should be reversed ; each bring- 
 ing forward examples in support of their arguments. The 
 theory of stoutness on the part of the mare is a good one. 
 
124 THE HOESE. 
 
 inasmucli as it implies soundness of constitution, a most im- 
 portant qualification in a brood-mare ; at the same time it does 
 not follow but a very speedy mare may be gifted witb a sound 
 constitution. There never was a gamer horse than Venison, 
 his female ancestors were of a speedy family. The same 
 may be said of Teddington, especially of his paternal gran- 
 dam. Vulture. The stoutest mares have not on all occasions 
 proved the most successful in the stud, for instance Camarine, 
 Catherina, and Alice Hawthorn. It is by comparing the results 
 of past events like these that breeders are most successfully 
 guided in making judicious crosses. Venison and Teddington 
 furnish a good precedent; the Smolensko and Grohanna 
 blood which flowed in the veins of the dam of Venison were 
 celebrated for speed, that of Partisan, his sire, for stoutness— 
 per contra, in Teddington speed is recognised through his 
 sire, as Vulture, his paternal grandam, was one of the speediest 
 mares of her day, and although she could not, in racing p«r- 
 lance, stay a distance, Teddington had the quality of endur- 
 ance with great speed. The lineage of such worthies at 
 Alice Hawthorn, Nancy, the Flying Dutchman, Stockwell 
 Eataplan, and Virago, will supply breeders with precepts 
 applicable to the present generation, to guide them in then 
 choice of those crosses which are most likely to prove 
 successful. 
 
 To determine by the external appearance of a horse on the 
 qualifications he may possess, or what he may be able tc 
 perform, is an exercise of judgment with which the most ex- 
 perienced are not endowed. Appearances are so fallacious 
 that the most skilful will find themselves mistaken; this 
 applies both to racing 'and breeding, therefore much must 
 be left to future development. If breeding horses coulc 
 be reduced to a system like a sum in arithmetic, or ar 
 operation in chemistry, there would be an end to speculation; 
 
THE HOESE. 125 
 
 and the exciting interest with which it is accompanied would 
 be wanting. It is not to be inferred from this that chance pre- 
 sides unreservedly over its destinies, far from it ; there may 
 be and are some extraordinary incidents which occasionally 
 embellish it with something akin to that character, but they are 
 the exceptions, and not the rule. Those who take the most 
 pains to investigate causes and effects will be most successful in 
 the enterprise of breeding horses. Temper is a qualification 
 of great importance, and this expression must be accepted 
 with a comprehensive meaning ; not simply to convey the 
 idea of docility, but the combined attributes of courage, or 
 good-will to exert the physical powers to the utmost extent ; 
 and in proportion as a horse is gifted with physical capabilities 
 and the will to exert them, so will he maintain a pos-ition 
 among his class. There are instances of horse? being 
 endowed with perfect symmetry, great power, and the most 
 exquisite action, all of which is of no avail, because they do 
 not also possess the energy to give effect to those good quali- 
 ties. Again, there are some having the will but not the poTT^''-'- 
 Stepping from the race-course to the hunting-field, we often 
 see a moderately sized but highly bred horse going fresh 
 and well at the end of the day, with a heavy weight upon 
 liis back, while another of nearly twice his bulk, but wanting 
 aristocratic lineage, carrying only a light weight, is beaten 
 before the run is half over. It is evident in this latter case 
 that the energetic disposition is deficient. This energy is 
 influenced by the degree of nervous excitability of the brain, 
 and the nervous system which influences the muscles of loco- 
 motion, and it shows how much more thoroughbred horses 
 ire gifted with the relative proportions of nervous excitability 
 than mongrels. This subject affords a very expansive field 
 for observation, although it is one which breeders seldom 
 :ake into consideration. It is the presence of an equivalent 
 
126 THE HOESE. 
 
 portion of nervous excitability of tlie brain and nervous 
 system, influencing tbe muscles of locomotion with, physical 
 power, which, combine to establish the perfection of endur- 
 ance. If the nervous excitability be in excess, and the 
 animal is gifted with, good action, speed will be his forte. 
 This is manifest, because the exciting energies of the nervous 
 system exhaust the muscular powers too quickly to enable 
 the animal to continue beyond a short distance. If again 
 those proportions of nervous excitability be slightly wanting, 
 and the horse has a powerful muscular conformation, his 
 energies may be aroused to a certain extent by artificial 
 means. Here much discrimination in the rider is necessary, 
 otherwise the object is defeated. But if with great muscular 
 powor the nervous energies are extremely deficient, the animal 
 will be of little value. This may to some extent afibrd a 
 reason why very large horses are seldom very good ones. The 
 two essentials, the will and the power, must exist in all horses 
 which, perform extraordinary feats. The most competent 
 jude7es are not able to decide upon the merits of a horse until 
 t^hose merits are tried. A moderately experienced person caD 
 determine if the essential points, such as the shoulders, back, 
 loins, and quarters are in conformity with the generally 
 acknowledged opinions of symmetry ; he can tell also the 
 animal being in workingcondition, if he shows a fine develop- 
 ment of muscle and sinew ; and the action will afibrd a fair 
 criterion whereby to judge if the muscles, sinews, and^levers 
 be proportioned to each other ; but no one can tell whether 
 the horse possesses the energetic will to put all his powers 
 into effect until he is tried, for whatever purpose he may be 
 adapted. To convey evidence upon this point the head is 
 the most important organ. In favourable cases the con- 
 tours are agreeably traced, the lines are most beautifully 
 developed, with a fine expressive eye, fuU of vigour and 
 
THE HOESE. 127 
 
 energy. But these signs may be fallacious ; they may indicate 
 a elioleric, fiery temper, impatient of reasonable control, 
 which will occasion the speedy prostration of the muscular 
 system. At the same time that a neat, light, well-formed 
 head, may generally be considered as indicating superior cor- 
 poreal powers ; a dull, heavy, sullen aspect is a pretty sure 
 index of the reverse. The spinal marrow which passes through 
 the whole length of the vertebrae is the vital cause of muscular 
 motion, and from it the nerves issue. This spinal marrow 
 is a continuation of the posterior portion of the brain, and as 
 ill this wonderful and beautiful machinery is entirely hidden 
 Tom inspection, the fallacy of judging from external appear- 
 mces is readily explained. Eacing is the medium through 
 ivhich these characteristics are discovered ; and breeders will 
 ind it to their advantage to investigate minutely on which 
 side the balance preponderates, whether it be in favour 
 )f the will or the power. By this some of the uncertainty 
 jonnected with the speculation of breeding horses will be 
 )vercome. If the sire be of very energetic temper, he is 
 good cross for a mare possessing power, with a dull, 
 )hlegmatic disposition. Those who have devoted their atten- 
 ion to the many interesting subjects connected with the 
 •acing career and the lineage of the equine race, are aware 
 hat the most valuable qualities that the horse can display 
 viil sometimes lie dormant through a generation or more, 
 md then burst forth with renewed distinction. There can be 
 10 doubt this is occasioned by a deficiency of the exciting force 
 »r energy of the brain and nervous system which infiuences 
 he muscles of locomotion — for that is the power which moves 
 he machinery. This inestimable faculty may be affected 
 nd sadly deranged, by accidental causes or injudicious treat- 
 aent. If an animal be frequently and seriously alarmed or 
 )unished, it will have a marked and visible effect upon the 
 
128 THE HOESE. 
 
 nervoas system. Tliis will influence tlie muscnlar powers 
 and render tliem incapable of merely slight exertion. Thit 
 is exemplified by the animal breaking out into profuse per- 
 spiration. Eational modes of treating young horses are bj ' 
 far more generally known and practised than they were only 
 twenty years ago. The ordeal which many of them had tc 
 undergo in bygone days in the hands of inconsiderate persons 
 for the purpose of preparing them to run for early engage 
 ments, was well calculated to raise an outcry against tht 
 practice of training them at two years old. Even the proba 
 tionary exercise of lunging was carried often to an excesi 
 prejudicial and dangerous to the nervous system, the mus 
 cular powers, and the delicate texture of joints and tendons 
 A moment's reflection will determine, that if a young animal 
 or indeed one of mature age, be wantonly excited to perforn 
 so much labour as to occasion exhaustion of the muscula 
 powers, the sympathy existing between the muscular an( 
 nervous system will interfere to restrain ' such aggressions i: 
 future. The more we scrutinize the elaborate and beautifu 
 works of nature, the more we must admire the wonderfii 
 order by which they are regulated. If one portion of th 
 animal frame in its influence over another subdues, distresses 
 or injures it, some superior faculty interposes to keep th 
 machinery in order. Thus, in the event of extreme exhaus 
 tion, the muscular powers of the animal having been set ii 
 motion by the brain and the nervous system, man in hi 
 ignorance, by over-exciting the nervous system, causes th 
 muscles to be excited beyond the limits of convenience ant 
 reason. The brain and nervous system participate in this 
 being the primary agent acted upon, and in its turn actin< 
 upon the body, of which it forms a part, on a future occasioi 
 declines to exert itself ; in a word, the generous temper an( 
 liigh courage which previously adorned the victim is dis 
 
THE HOKSE. 129 
 
 pirited and broken. If, however, tlie nervous system be 
 more highly gifted, so that it overcomes the muscular powers, 
 the poor creature becomes emaciated and weak, losing its 
 condition sometimes without an apparent cause. 
 
 A most decided example of this excessive irritability and 
 predominance of the nervous system over the muscular 
 powers occurred in a mare which I had in training some 
 years since. It was evidently inherited, as her dam possessed 
 it in a high degree, and also a half-sister, although she did 
 contrive to win the Oaks of her year, was in like manner 
 affected. So great was the nervous irritability of my mare, 
 that all means were devised, such as changing the route to 
 the exercise-ground, and always treating her with the 
 greatest care, so as not to disturb the equanimity of her 
 temper. After having run a few races, although she was 
 never punished, her nervous excitement caused her defeat, so 
 to speak, before she started. The only occasions upon which 
 slie could run were, when races took place sufficiently near to 
 her own stable, that she could be led direct to the starting- 
 post, ready saddled, and without affording her time for con- 
 sideration, start her for the race ; and under these circum- 
 stances she could run respectably. The usual preparation 
 of walking her on a race-course prior to starting was quite 
 sufficient to disarrange her nervous system, and would make 
 a difference in her running beyond all calculation. Her race 
 over, she would become perfectly cool and reconciled. 
 
 This extraordinary excitability of the nervous system is 
 not confined to horses at the early stage of their lives, it may 
 occur at any period ; when they are in the breaking tackle, 
 in the training stables, or when frequently engaged in 
 running severely-contested races. "When the propriety of 
 running long distances is advocated, together with the 
 imaginary superiority of the horses of olden times, who 
 
130 THE HORSE. 
 
 were accustomed to tliose performances, a most conclusive; 
 answer is at Land ; such practices were calculated to pro- 
 duce a serious injury to the nervous system, which are in 
 many instances entailed upon the progeny. This may be ac- 
 cepted as a principal reason why horses and mares, more 
 especially the latter, when they have passed a long career 
 on the turf, and are worn down by frequent running, 
 seldom produce foals of much value till they have enjoyed 
 several years of respite. Horses having undergone, in the 
 necessary ordeals of training, and in severe contests on the 
 course, the utmost trials which their frames are capable of 
 sustaining, it cannot be expected that on a sudden their consti- 
 tutions will assume the change required in the stud. Besides 
 that which has been already described, the physical or muscu- 
 lar system has to undergo a renovation. A horse may be 
 virtually uninjured by his labours when he bids adieu to 
 the race-course ; but it may, and frequently does, require 
 years of repose before the system can be brought into that 
 state which is necessary for him to gain distinction as the 
 progenitor of first-rate stock. The means adopted in many 
 cases are the adverse of those which are calculated for the 
 purpose. After having finished his career on the turf, for 
 which it is necessary that he should perform a vast deal of 
 work, all at once he is destined to a life of indolence ; doomed 
 to the very limited space of his loose box, he is scarcely per- 
 mitted to enjoy the advantages of walking exercise. The 
 energies of the trainer were devoted to prevent the accumu- 
 lation of undue portions of fat — the stud-groom devotes his 
 earnest attention to produce the utmost degree of plethora. 
 Nature will not permit such liberties to be exercised on her 
 choicest favourite with impunity. The most important func- 
 tions of the animal system become out of order, because they 
 have been so rapidly changed. Is it wonderful that the legs ■ 
 
THE HOESE. 131 
 
 should become suflfused, that cutaneous disorders should 
 deprive the coat of its brilliancy — which, by the way, had 
 hitherto been an object of the greatest assiduity, but which is 
 now neglected — or that roaring should succeed to catarrhal 
 affections, which have been unnoticed ? A long catalogue of 
 disorders might be supplied which have their origin in inju- 
 dicious treatment at this important crisis. When it is ob- 
 served that the horse is about to become the sire of another, 
 and probably a numerous generation, upon which he may 
 entail many disorders and imperfections, the result of neglect, 
 it behoves every owner of a stud to devote more than ordi- 
 nary attention to the management of the favourite race-horse 
 when he has concluded a glorious career on the turf, and is 
 about to pass the remainder of his days as the sultan of a 
 chosen harem. 
 
 The great difference which is on most occasions apparent 
 in the condition of the stud-horse, and the brood mares, 
 requires a passing comment. The former is generally in the 
 highest state of excitement, his spirits bounding with gay 
 delight, so that he can hardly be restrained within moderate 
 subjection to the control of his attendant. This is the 
 result of high keep and the natural temperament of the 
 animal. But how different the appearance of the poor mare 
 — she is comparatively in woful plight — she is seldom seen 
 bounding in playful or joyous mood, but is seemingly con- 
 templating, with careworn anxiety, the troubles of a matron. 
 To some extent this is a state natural to the pregnant female, 
 but in many instances it is increased by the quality of the 
 food, which principally consists of grass. The keep of horses 
 and mares requires to be more nearly assimilated in order to 
 render more certain the state of pregnancy, and more perfect 
 the condition of the foetus. Part of the food which the mare 
 consumes is destined to afford nourishment to her embryo 
 z2 
 
132 THE HORSE. 
 
 4: 
 
 offspring, and like herself, it will liave imparted to it some of 
 the properties of that food ; it is therefore most important 
 that the nutriment which she receives should be of that kind 
 which is calculated to establish a vigorous constitution. 
 
 The judicious selection of proper crosses is one of the mosfc 
 momentous considerations connected with the management of 
 a breeding stud. An intimate acquaintance with the pro- 
 perties and propensities of the different families of the 
 thorough-bred horse can only be attained by constant attention 
 and careful comparisons of results, and whoever enters on the 
 costly speculation without having minutely investigated these 
 matters, does so with very little more than chance to befriend 
 him. In making piirchases of untried racing stock, it is 
 equally essential. To those who speculate upon racing ven- 
 tures it is a subject of no mean importance, for it will enable 
 them to draw valuable inferences with reference to dark 
 horses. The crosses which have from time to time been most ' 
 eminently successful speak for themselves in the respective 
 pedigrees of horses of celebrity ; to attempt to enumerate 
 them would be an irksome and unprofitable task. Every 
 breeder can, by reference to the stud-book, select examples 
 applicable to every mare. Acting upon the hints already 
 given, that will be most successfully carried out by taking 
 the most recent cases. When a mare has terminated her 
 career on the turf she is very commonly consigned to the 
 stud ; in many instances without considering her worth in that 
 department. Thus a vast number of foals are produced, 
 many of which occasion disappointment. This is a difficulty 
 which cannot readily be overcome ; for the question arises, 
 " What defects ought to exclude a mare from the stud?" 
 Constitutional unsoundness and hereditary infirmities, no 
 doubt ; but beyond these, where is the line to be drawTi ? 
 Unwilling to sell a mare for a trifling sum, the owner very 
 
THE HOBSE. 133 
 
 often reconciles himself with the flattering excuse, that she 
 possesses or inherits some sterling qualities, which may 
 descend to her progeny, and he cheers himself with an 
 example, such a one as that of Hero, for instance, whose 
 sire and dam were both unworthy representatives of their 
 families, so far as their racing exploits gave evidence : they 
 were, nevertheless, highly descended. A person who breeds 
 for sale would never risk such a speculation, and this is 
 again suggestive of an example. "When a foal, the Hero and 
 his dam were offered for sale on Bath Eace-course at a low 
 price, but failed in attracting a purchaser. Mr. Powney, who 
 resides on a farm in the immediate neighbourhood, took 
 compassion on the owner, and exchanged a few sovereigns — 
 about twenty — for the mare and foal, and it was a lucky 
 Tenture. '\''irago was sold when a yearling under the hammer 
 for 500 guineas ; she was the issue of a worthy sire and a 
 dam of repute. Hence the vast difference in the relative 
 value of these two celebrities before their excellences had 
 been tested. 
 
 It must be confessed that there are too many mares used 
 for breeding which are unworthy of the honour ; but again 
 it must be remembered that the produce in due time has to 
 undergo the refining process through the medium of that 
 inquisitive crucible, the race-course, which assists in some 
 measure in the extirpation of weeds. AVorthless fillies, the 
 produce of worthless parents, may, in the possession of some 
 persons, go on for a time ; but there are few who do not 
 soon become weary of breeding such rubbish. Thus there is 
 an antidote to the evil. If the facilities for breeding inferior 
 stock were confined to the females, the consequences would 
 be unimportant ; but, unfortunately, it extends to the males. 
 It appears to be an irreconcilable contradiction that the 
 public, who have to pay for the services of a horse, would 
 
134 THE HORSE. 
 
 ever patronize one, unless lie was eminent for liis good 
 qualities, neither will judicious and experienced breeders 
 ever fall into that error ; but there are young beginners who 
 do, and thus it is that animals, which never ought to be 
 permitted to perpetuate their species, keep up a race dis- 
 tinguished for bad properties. These errors are committed 
 only by a small proportion of those who embark in the 
 speculation, and, therefore, the injury sustained is more the 
 loss of money to the individuals, than any deterioration in the 
 national character of the horse. 
 
 There is a mistake into which some of the most extensive, 
 and it may be added, highly experienced breeders have fallen, 
 that of not selecting a suitable partner for each mare. A 
 stud of mares is got together, and they may be unex- 
 ceptionable ; a stallion is purchased, and he may be of the 
 very best blood, altogether the most perfect animal of his 
 day ; and yet there may be some mares, indeed several out 
 of a number, from which it cannot be reasonably expected 
 that the produce will be highly valuable. Setting aside the 
 contingency of consanguinity presenting a rational impedi- 
 ment, there are many circumstances which ought to be 
 considered as a bar to the union. Great disproportion of 
 size may be one. Although it is held as a principle, and no 
 doubt it is a good one, to correct any imperfections which 
 are possessed by one parent by the superiority of those par- 
 ticular points in the other, attempts to rectify diminitive 
 stature by the other extreme are generally productive of 
 disappointment. The increased size to which the English 
 thorough-bred horse has been brought has been accomplished 
 by degrees, and nature is jealous of having her handywork 
 outraged by excess. Disproportion in some of the limbs is 
 commonly the result when great disparity of size charac- 
 terizes the parents. If either the horse or the mare be 
 
THE HORSE. 135 
 
 defective in the shoulders, it should be determined that the 
 other must be unexceptionable in that respect ; the same 
 distinction applies to the bac*k, loins, quarters, thighs, hocks, 
 and legs. There are some breeders who regard with in- 
 significance the perfections of their mares, relying upon the 
 merits of the horse for the perfection of the produce ; but, to 
 say the least of it, it is a most hazardous conception. It 
 has been already remarked, that mares which have dis- 
 tinguished themselves most successfully on the turf have, 
 in many instances, failed to produce foals of any value ; 
 and it has very frequently occurred, that mares which have 
 only run a few races have been most successful in the stud. 
 "Very high prices have occasionally been given for mares to 
 breed from, in consequence of the celebrity they have 
 attained on the turf; but there are scarcely any examples 
 of their having compensated the purchasers. The most 
 valuable mares for the purpose are, undoubtedly, those which 
 have bred runners ; and, if their cost price is high, they 
 generally remunerate the enterpising speculators by the 
 superiority of their offspring. There is a great advantage 
 attendant upon breeding from a mare whose produce has 
 been tried in public, as by that means some of the charac- 
 teristic faculties of her produce may be known, and which 
 will afford a valuable criterion in the selection of the horse 
 which is to become the sire of a succeeding foal. It appears 
 to be a property inherent in some mares to breed aU, or 
 nearly all, their foals endowed with the same propensities, 
 although the propensities of these foals differ from her own. 
 Thus, a mare may be gifted with great stoutness, and her 
 foals more celebrated for speed ; and there are also examples 
 of speedy mares having bred foals which have proved 
 particularly stout. 
 
 The success of a breeding stud will be regulated to a very 
 
136 THE HOESE. 
 
 considerable extent by the judgment which is exercised in the 
 selection of mares. There are many which are considered 
 very well bred, which are by no means desirable animals to 
 breed from. It may be urged that a thorough-bred mare 
 cannot be otherwise than well bred; but her lineage may 
 go back to ancestors of unworthy pretensions, and on that 
 account she may not be suitable for the purpose. She may 
 also possess hereditary blemishes, either in person or in pedi- 
 gree, which, unfortunately, more frequently develope them- 
 selves than the highest classes of perfections. Action is an 
 accomplishment which in general does not command the 
 attention it deserves. In racing, providing a horse gets his 
 head first past the winning-post, no one would care whether 
 it were accomplished by the most uniform and exquisite 
 motion of the limbs, or whether it could be performed by an 
 entertaining succession of summersaults. The qualities which 
 win fame on a race-course are speed and endurance, no thought 
 is bestowed in what manner the propelling .power is effected ; 
 and these propelling powers are sometimes combined with 
 very indifferent action. This in a race-horse, so long as his 
 services are confined to the turf, is a consideration of no im- 
 portance ; he may be valuable for that purpose, be his action 
 ever so faulty ; but in the stud it becomes a very different 
 affair. Action is very commonly entailed upon the offspriDg ; 
 more frequently than speed and stoutness, to which good 
 action is generally an important improvement. It can scarcely 
 admit of a doubt, that the failure which has attended 
 many horses and mares, which have been good runners 
 themselves, but which have produced very inferior stock, 
 may be in many instances traced to defective action. The 
 conformation which conduces principally to this perfection 
 for racing depends greatly on the hind legs, the thighs, the 
 back, and the loins j from the shoulders the motive power of 
 
THE HORSE. 137 
 
 Itlie fore legs proceeds. For racing purposes, tlie quality of 
 ■the fore legs is not of equal importance as in tliose animals 
 which, are destined for hunters, or riding horses. This 
 ;opinion is evidently maintained by many of the most expe- 
 rienced breeders for the turf; because they continue to breed 
 from horses in whom this failing is hereditary. So long as the 
 shoulders are gifted with the power of free action, and the 
 fore legs are suiEcient to act as props to the machinery, by 
 the aid of boots, bandages, and such like appendages, the legs 
 may be kept in tolerable order for a time, and enable a horse 
 to run for his early engagements. But yet to how much 
 anxiety, and often loss, does this imperfection subject the 
 owner. There is a constant apprehension that the legs will 
 fail. Every sweat, every gallop which a horse with infirm 
 legs takes, in his preparation, excites his owner to nervous 
 trepidation, fearing that a break down may be the conse- 
 q^uence. In racing the anxiety is still greater. No prudent 
 man likes to encounter the additional risk of backing his 
 liorse for a race when the legs are of defective quality. The 
 effect is often extensive, and is not restricted to actual lame- 
 Qess, or breaking down. Horses which have M'eak fore legs 
 will tire in those limbs before they experience distress in 
 Dther parts of their frames ; this, of course, affects their 
 running and occasions their defeat. 
 
 There is a certain refinement of form, a gracefulness of out- 
 ine, an elegance of motion and aristocratic bearing, charac- 
 :eristic of a high-bred mare, which merits distinction. 
 Breeders often show a great predilection for what they term 
 Sue, large, roomy mares ; they are often pertinaciously un- 
 ■ .f rtain in their produce ; one year their foal is undersized, 
 mJ the succeeding one it is overgrown. The Arabs are said 
 :o attach more importance to the perfections of their mares 
 ;haE to those of their horses. English breeders might take 
 
138 THE HOESE. 
 
 a profitable example in this respect from them. Tliey fre- 
 quently breed from inferior mares, at all events, some whose 
 merits have not been tried ; but very rarely, indeed, from 
 horses which have not gained some reputation on the course, 
 let their pedigrees be ever so pure and unexceptionable. In 
 ■the early days of breeding it was by no means an uncommon 
 practice. The only modern instance of an untried race-horse 
 gaining repute in the stud was that of Defence. The high 
 premiums paid for the services of stallions of fame, and which 
 breeders are willing to pay, affords convincing proof of tht 
 importance which is attached to the sire. Horses of very 
 great pretensions are patronized at 501. each mare, descend' 
 ing to lOl. as the mininum for sires of respectable eminence 
 At the present day the number of stallions is considerably 
 above the average of former years, which tends to a dimi 
 nution of charges even of first-rate horses ; and as they 
 descend in the scale of estimation, the reduction is more con 
 spicuous. This is a fact which cannot be regarded in an^ 
 but a fortuitous aspect ; being a greater number, there is ; 
 greater variety, and a more copious field for choice. Whei 
 we examine the question as to the influence of the sires, com 
 pared with the dams, on the breed of horses, the increase ir I 
 the number of the former must be accepted in a most favour 
 able position. It would, indeed, be a boon to this country i 
 there were a law, as there is in France, to interdict the pro , 
 creation of horses possessed of hereditary infirmities. Befon 
 the owner of a stallion is permitted to ofi'er the horse as i 
 candidate for public favour, he must be examined and ap 
 proved by an officer appointed by government, a powerfa 
 guarantee against breeding rubbish. 
 
 It has already been observed, that of the nine hundred an( 
 forty-one foals produced in 1853, about one-half of them are h 
 thirty sires, the chosen favourites of the nation ; this give 
 
THE HOBSE. 139 
 
 to tlietn an averaf^e of about sixteen each ; but on referring to 
 the table at page 73, which exemplifies the number of foals by 
 the most celebrated stallions, the three which stand at the head 
 Df the list more than double that average. Presuming they may 
 continue in the stud on the same favourable terms during a 
 period of ten years, they will be the ancestors of a numerous 
 progeny. A mare in one season produces but one foal ; but 
 the horse may be the sire of numbers. Suppose that, in the 
 course of her life, she may produce ten foals in thirteen or 
 fourteen years, the stallion, during a similar period, may be 
 the sire of some hundreds. If he be a bad representative of 
 bis species, how extensive the injury which he may occasion. 
 If a good one, and his good qualities are esteemed, how great 
 the benefit which he will confer. Winning a Derby or 
 St. Leger establishes a character for a horse when the time 
 arrives for his being transferred to the stud. It is a criterion 
 Qot to be disregarded, for there are but few, after having 
 won one of those great races, which have not maintained their 
 paternal dignities. The addition to the chaplet of laurels is 
 greatly enhanced by winning a few of the highest class of 
 weight-for-age races, such as Ascot and Goodwood cups. 
 
 Great encouragement was given, during a series of many 
 years, to breeding cocttails, under the impression that it would 
 cultivate a class of horses adapted for hunting, travelling, and 
 other useful purposes. Like steeple-chasing, and other pro- 
 jects, it was very captivating in theory, but extremely de- 
 ceptive in practice. It was at that time urged, that the 
 weights and distances at which thorough-bred horses were 
 accustomed to run' promoted a breed of horses calculated 
 only for speedy purposes, and incapable of carrying weights ; 
 in fact, the arguments which have been resuscitated with 
 invigorating warmth, were brought in existence many years 
 ago, although they have lain dormant for want of reality and 
 
140 THE HORSE. 
 
 force. To remedy the evil which was supposed to be sprout- 
 ing forth from the scions of the thorough-bred horse, it was 
 attempted to encourage the breeding of powerful weight-carry- 
 ing hunters, by means of a cross between the two classes. It 
 was very soon discovered, that horses bred after such a 
 fashion had no chance whatever in competition with those of 
 superior lineage, either in their capabilities of running dis- 
 tances, or carrying weights ; and all sorts of nefarious prac- 
 tices were introduced to take advantage of the unsophis- 
 ticated owner of a veritable cocktail. To enumerate the 
 cunning devices, and often brazen-fronted excesses, would 
 serve to fill a volume of amusing narrative, but the relation 
 of several of them would awaken reflections on individuals 
 which have long since been lulled to rest on the pillow ol 
 oblivion ; and there let them slumber. But it is amusing tc 
 recall our faculties of remembrance, as some of the panto- 
 mimic feats of former times dance before our eyes ; when ar 
 aristocratic courser, not unknown to fame, was made t( 
 undergo the manoeuvres of a harlequin, under the guise of i 
 forged, fictitious pedigree. Another scene represents the pro 
 duce of the thorough-bred mare exchanged for that of the 
 half-bred, and the mothers with difficulty induced to cherisl 
 a spurious offspring. Dealing on more wholesale terms, t 
 thorough-bred mare was occasonally removed from a dis- 
 tance — from some remote glen — with a fictitious pedigree, 
 and she soon became the mother of a stud of cocktails. Sc 
 clumsily were some of these legerdemain exploits conducted, 
 that they could not fail to be detected ; although many oj 
 them passed unnoticed, and many of the rules were palpably 
 absurd. It was deemed sufficient proof if the sire or dam 
 had been acknowledged as a half-bred one, that the progeny 
 were so styled. Thus, if Mr. Green, in 1825, neglected 
 to disqualify a thorough-bred mare, which might run for a 
 
THE HOKSE. 141 
 
 lalf-bred stake, Mr. Smith, in 1835, was incapacitated from 
 iisqnalifying the produce. In course of time, allowances of 
 .yeii2:lits were accorded to horses with half-bred pedigrees, when 
 running for all -aged stakes, and consequently they were very 
 requently introduced to those engagements ; in fact, a horse 
 ^f the third, fourth, or inferior class, was more valuable, if he 
 'ould be passed off with a flaw in his escutcheon. Eventually, 
 hose whose ancestors really did possess some stains, being 
 or many generations crossed with the purest blood, having 
 :o little contamination in their veins, were so nearly equal to 
 lioso of acknowledged purity, that the allowance of weight 
 3(^eame an absurdity, and an additional incentive to fraud. 
 
 That the object of promoting a breed of sound, useful, 
 powerful horses was not accomplished by deviations from the 
 •ustoms of legitimate racing, is well known to all who have 
 leroted their attention to the passing events on the turf dur- 
 ng the last twenty years. In every instance they have had 
 m adverse tendency. There is not an example in the annals 
 )f racing of a bond Jide half-bred horse, that could defeat a 
 ifood thorough-bred one of the same age, at high weights, 
 )ver any distance of ground from two to four miles ; and the 
 rreater the distance, and the higher the weights, more con- 
 Musive have been the results in favour of blood. Finding 
 lie good intention was a failure, and that many very serious 
 n conveniences connected with racing were attributable to 
 he practice of running half-bred horses, every discourage- 
 ncnt was imposed by the highest authorities in the racing 
 lemisphere, and, with very few exceptions, the course is once 
 |nore clear of the abominations. It is but a mark of respect 
 ue to the good judgment and discrimination of the Jockey 
 lub, to observe, that from the commencement they threw 
 very discouragement in the way of cock-tail racing. 
 Il A circumstance occurred a few years since, about the period 
 
142 THE HOESE. 
 
 when tlie appetite for cocktail racing was becoming satiated, 
 which is worthy of introduction, as it supplies evidence of 
 the schemes that were adopted, and of the confusion which 
 must have increased if the custom had been maintained. A 
 gentleman, whose experience was limited, formed a small stud 
 of brood mares, and purchased one described to him as being 
 got of Manfred, and said to be thorough-bred. She was 
 transferred to him through the agency of a country horse- 
 dealer, famed for flexibility of conscience. This horse-dealer 
 had been running the veritable Manfred mare for half-bred 
 stakes, as a substitute for a hond-fule half-bred one, and | 
 which latter was the identical animal he sold with the 
 thorough-bred pedigree. She found a place in the stud-book 
 and produced foals to several horses, but it is needless to add, 
 they proved worthless as racers, and fortunately none of them 
 have been kept for breeding. Surreptitiously introduced as 
 they were to the aristocratic ranks of the equine family, it car ( 
 create no surprise that they were unable ■ to maintain a posi- 
 tion in such exclusive society. There is a noble idiosyncracj 
 innate in the thorough-bred horse ; his courage is indomitable 
 whether in contests against his fellows on the course, or ii 
 the chase. He evinces stoutness and courage when distressec 
 by pace, which is never equalled by those which have a bid 
 in their escutcheon. The fraudulent devices of deceptivf 
 men might enable them to pass off spuriously-bred mares^ 
 but the degenerate offspring were sure to proclaim the cheal 
 when submitted to the trial of the race. At various remote 
 periods there is no doubt several mongrel-bred mares have 
 been passed off as thorough-bred ones, and have gained 
 admission in the stud-book. This will, to a certain extent, i 
 afford a reason for the very unsuccessful results which have 
 attended the produce of particular families. 
 
 There is a circumstance which must not be omitted in con- 
 
THE HOESE. 143 
 
 ection witli breeding half-bred horses, as it may serve as a 
 eacou for other purposes. The most superior produce 
 lv\ avs resulted from the mare which was not thorough-bred, 
 nd the highest-bred horse. This principle is likewise 
 cknowledged by the breeders of all other kinds of stock, 
 rbether cattle or sheep ; and it is a subject of great import- 
 uce to those who breed hunters and first-class riding horses, 
 t leads to the conviction that the English thorough-bred 
 Lorse, from the great care that has been, from time to time, 
 estowcd in the selection of the choicest subjects, has now 
 lecome a more highly-bred animal than the Arab, from which 
 e was originally descended. This may afford another expla- 
 .ation to causes already named why the produce from 
 Lrabian horses and English thorough-bred mares are so 
 tterly worthless. The results might be more favourable 
 lirough the agency of Arabian mares with English horses. 
 Ls the distinction of entaihng certain qualities exclusively 
 hrough the female line has been already noticed with refer- 
 nce to Sir Oliver and Master Henry, it may likewise 
 urnish a hint on this occasion. It must here be mentioned 
 bat the most recent strain of Arabian blood that has been at 
 11 successful on the turf is that of Fair Ellen, by the Wel- 
 jsley Grey Arabian, foaled in 1806. She bred Lilias, a win- 
 ler of the Oaks ; and some of her other more remote de- 
 cendants, although they did not attain first-rate honours, 
 rere far superior to any others of recent date, so nearly 
 elated to Arabian blood. It was the opinion of the late Earl 
 Spencer, who, all the world is aware, devoted great attention 
 the breeding of domestic animals, that the influence which 
 ach parent exercises over its progeny is in proportion to the 
 ntiquity and pui'ity of the race to which it belongs. This 
 heory may now be said to have received practical proof, and 
 be generally acknowledged. 
 
144 THE HOESE. 
 
 From tlie numerous facts wliich have been advanced, each 
 bearing upon the most important points, we must come to 
 the conclusion tbat the progressive increase of racing and 
 breeding horses for that purpose has led to unequivocal im- 
 provement ; and it is clearly manifest that the horses of the 
 present day are superior to their predecessors in size, power, 
 speed, and endurance. The augmentation of their numbers 
 is unmistakeable evidence of the interest attached to the two- 
 fold enterprise. We may now take up another engagement, 
 equally, perchance more inviting, interesting, and familiar tc 
 the public, that of breeding horses for hunting, riding, driving 
 mounting our gallant soldiers, and other useful purposes. Th( 
 assertion has been made, and it cannot be rebutted, that th( 
 supply is unequal to the demand. However, we have th( 
 pure source from which they may be produced in grea 
 numbers, inadequate though they be to the requirements of th( 
 nation, but having the material, it is only incumbent upon ui 
 to bring it into effect upon the most advantageous terms. 
 
 When railroads began to spread their ferruginous line; 
 over the surface of the country, a reasonable apprehensioi 
 arose in the breasts of agriculturists and breeders, that thi 
 demand for horses would be very considerably diminished 
 this naturally induced them to reduce the number of thai: 
 brood mares, and devote their attention to other description: 
 of stock, from which they anticipated more profit. Tht' 
 resources for breeding horses of these kinds, as regardij 
 mares, are but limited, and, under any circumstances, som< 
 time must intervene before a great augmentation of numberi 
 can be effected. According to the return made of assessec 
 taxes, in 1850, the total number of horses used for riding anc | 
 drawing carriages amounted to 166,460. If we add to thes( 
 264,682, to represent the number of horses of this class whicl 
 were wholly or partially exem^^t from duty, exclusive o. 
 
THE nOESE. 145 
 
 igricultural horses, it will be as many as we can account for. 
 Presuming one half of these to be mares, and that one in 
 ;wenty could be made available for breeding, besides those 
 rt-hich are annually drafted for that service, it would only 
 ifford an addition of about 10,000; and they, according to the 
 proportion of foals from thorough -bred mares, would not 
 Droduce more than 7,272 foals; in all probability that 
 lumber would be diminished, from the fact that less care 
 md attention would be devoted to them. It is impossible to 
 estimate correctly the number of mares devoted to the pur- 
 )0se of breeding, as we have no statistical returns. 
 
 The eye delights to feast upon that which is symmetrical 
 md beautiful. There is no creature in the universe, the fair 
 )ortion of the human race excepted, in which the lines of 
 )eauty are so exquisitely defined as they are in a well-shaped 
 lorse. Whether we behold him in easy graceful action, 
 )ounding over the elastic turf; boldly facing the opposing 
 )arrier which disputes his progress in the chase ; proudly 
 tepping (perchance with a fair burthen upon his back) in 
 he park; or gaily and gorgeously caparisoned with the 
 )araphernalia of the battle-field; in either instance we 
 •dmire him for his swiftness, his activity, his docility, and 
 lis unflinching courage. Accustomed as the Enghsh are to 
 Lorses and equestrian exercises, it would, indeed, be an 
 xtraordinary event if Englishmen were not, as a nation, 
 :ood judges of those points which in the horse produce the 
 ighest claims to perfection; and in all classes of society, 
 rom the highest to the lowest, persons pride themselves on 
 heir real or imaginary proficiency. Whether the amount of 
 iiscrimination be great or Httle with which any individual, 
 ligh or low, gentle or simple, may be gifted, nothmg occa- 
 ions a friend or acquaintance greater offence than an 
 asinuation that his judgment in horseflesh is deficient. 
 
 L 
 
146 THE HOESE. 
 
 This for general purposes is a little species of self-vanity, 
 •which may be unimportant, at least so long as it is confined 
 to purchasing ; but when deficiency of judgment is exercised 
 in breeding, it becomes a different affair. A worthless pro- 
 duce is not only an individual loss, but a public misfortune. 
 There are many who are very fair judges of horses when 
 they are in fit condition to be put to work, who are totally 
 at a loss when they attempt to form opinions on breeding, or 
 concerning young horses which are promising to become 
 valuable animals. Almost every individual who has made 
 the horse his thesis for writing, has given a description of 
 the essential points which every animal must be gifted with 
 that lays claims to excellence. It is a worn-out and unpro- 
 fitable subject to dilate upon. Practice alone will make 
 an adept in this art. To be a thoroughly good judge ol 
 horses is an invaluable acquirement to the breeder, and it is 
 indispensable to him if he is ambitious of eminence and 
 profit. The first considerations in making selections ol 
 horses and mares for the purpose of breeding hunters and 
 riding-horses, will be to determine whether they are likelj 
 to produce foals which will be powerful, active, hardy^ anc 
 sound. On the first point the greatest errors commonlj 
 prevail, especially among the agricultural classes. Thej 
 frequently choose bulk, without regard to muscular develop' 
 ment : this affords scope for the exercise of an expansive 
 field of observation. If bulk were most conducive to per 
 fection, the most valuable animal would be the gigantic 
 cart-horse, but his great size and weight is ' accompaniec ' 
 with slowness of motion, and a dull phlegmatic temperament 
 The nature of the substances of which he is composed ij 
 conducive to these characteristics. The bone is far more 
 porous than that of a weU-bred horse, and the muscles ar( 
 of a more flaccid texture. There is a greater constitutiona 
 
THE H0B8E. 147 
 
 disposition to deposit fat in tlie cart-horse, and his want 
 of activity renders him incapable of accelerated motion. 
 These defects generally diminish in degree as the animal 
 approaches to a more aristocratic lineage; and the most 
 valuable kinds to choose for breeding are those which evince 
 the greatest amount of muscular power, with symmetrical 
 proportion, short legs, and a good pedigree. 
 
 Every person who enters into the speculation of breeding 
 horses undoubtedly does so with a view to profit; next to breed- 
 ing for the turf, his object will be to produce hunters gifted with 
 the most valuable properties. No man, however good his judg- 
 ment may be, can at all times feel certain that his mare will 
 favour him with the object of his wishes ; but failing in pro- 
 ducing a hunter she may breed a clever charger, or hack, a 
 cavalry horse, or an animal calculated for harness. "With the 
 first object in view, it is necessary that the mares be adapted 
 to the desired intention, and some difficulty exists in pro- 
 curing them. If a mare distinguishes herself in the hunting- 
 field, her owner is unwilling to be deprived of her services 
 until she meets with some accident, or becomes worn out by 
 old age. The former of these may not interfere with her 
 value as a brood-mare, but the latter is a serious impedi- 
 ment. To calculate upon having a powerful, vigorous, 
 sound, and hardy progeny from an attenuated worn-out 
 mother, shows an unjustifiable excess of confidence in the 
 fickle favours of Dame Fortune. There is a greater difficulty 
 at the present period in procuring desirable mares of this 
 class to breed from than there was in by-gone days, when 
 fashion was opposed to riding mares ; that prejudice has been 
 overcome, because it has been determined that mares are 
 generally superior to geldings in constitution and endurance. 
 Where there were ten mares seen in the hunting-field in 
 1825, fifteen would be seen in 1854. It is a common opinion, 
 l2 
 
148 THE HOESE. 
 
 but a great error, tliat very large mares are the most eligible 
 to breed from : tliey are of all animals the most uncertain in 
 their produce ; one year they will present their owner with 
 gigantic foals, and perchance the following year with others 
 as much undersized ; they seldom observe the happy medium ; 
 and it is from selecting great, loose-made, leggy mares for 
 this purpose, that we have too many horses of that descrip- 
 tion in the fairs. 
 
 Those conformations, or more emphatically speaking, ana- 
 tomical proportions, which are conducive to the utmost degree 
 of speed in the race-horse, are not in general the most eligible 
 for other purposes, such as hunting, riding, or harness-work. 
 From this cause it frequently happens that stallions, which 
 have been most successful as the progenitors of racing 
 stock, have not gained equal renown as sires of hunters and 
 horses of inferior classes ; and, vice vet^sd, many horses 
 which have been the sires of celebrated hunters and hacks 
 have been nearly worthless in the racing" harem. This is a 
 fortunate cii'cumstance for the generality of breeders, as it 
 enables them to procure the services of really useful sires at 
 a more reasonable rate. Of the stallions which come withia 
 this category, may be enumerated, Fyldener, Master Henry, 
 Spectre, Belzoni, and Manfred. All these are dead ; but it is 
 from their descendants that we must expect to find horses and 
 mares likely to distinguish themselves as parents of superior i 
 hunting stock. In days of yore there were some first-rate stal- 
 lions in Shropshire, — Black Sultan, Transit, and a horse called 
 the Hundred House Snap,'a distinction which he took from the 
 name of the inn at which he was domiciled. These horses 
 estabhshed much of the good fame for which that county 
 has been distinguished for its breed of hunters ; and there is 
 still some of the good blood remaining. Generally speaking 
 the descendants of Penelope, highly valuable as they are for 
 
THE HOESE. 149 
 
 racing, are not to be clioscn as the progenitors of liunters, 
 from tlie undeniable fact tliat^tliey inherit badly-formed fore- 
 legs. There are, no doubt, exceptions, and Irish Birdcatcher 
 is mentioned as one : before he gained so much celebrity as 
 he has subsequently attained, and while yet in his native 
 land, he was the sire of many very superior hunters ; but as 
 the propensity exists in all animals to inherit defects from 
 remote ancestors, it is a risk better to be avoided. There are 
 some horses which have gained high honours as the sires of 
 excellent stock, both on the turf and in the hunting-field, and 
 their blood should be perpetuated with the utmost care. The 
 most conspicuous of these are, Orville, Muley, Sir Oliver, 
 Williamson's Ditto, and Pantaloon ; any of their descendants, 
 unless contaminated with hereditary defects from other 
 sources, are especially adapted to beget hunters and riding 
 horses of the highest class. 
 
 "With the most laudable intentions, suggestions have been 
 made to encourage the breeding of horses especially adapted 
 for the cavalry service, l^o one can doubt the absolute 
 necessity of advocating this highly-important speculation : 
 neither is it possible that any person can shut his eyes to the 
 fact that a most emphatic impetus is wanting to induce agri- 
 culturists to devote their best energies to the breeding of 
 horses, in order that a more efficient supply may be aflforded 
 for this and other purposes. It has been asserted by a 
 gentleman who has made an imaginary problem, " the 
 deterioration of our saddle-horses," the subject for his pen, 
 that the English horses of the present day are such a degene- 
 rate race that they cannot endure the hardships of a campaign, 
 and that they are too weak to bear their burthens in the 
 battle-field. Let those who entertain such opinions remember 
 the gallant charges made by our brave cavalry in the Crimea, 
 and the delusion must cease. The clear breaches they made 
 
150 THE HOESE. 
 
 through the ranks of their enemies, such as were previously 
 unheard of in the annals of warfare, decide at once the 
 pluck of our countrymen, and the efficiency of their horses. 
 That we have lost an immense number cannot be denied 
 but the causes originated in circumstances totally uncon- 
 nected with degeneracy of constitution. One of the pro- 
 posals made for the improvement of this class of horses 
 is the introduction of Arabian sires. A few words will 
 decide the fallacy of such a proceeding, which I feel assured 
 will be re-echoed by every breeder of practical experience. 
 The Arabians are too small, too low in stature for the 
 purpose, and if they were crossed with large mares, 
 under the impression that the mares would transmit to 
 their progeny the height required by the military standard, 
 the greatest incongruity of proportions would be the 
 result. It is one of the greatest errors breeders of horses 
 can fall into, that of attempting to obtain symmetrical foals 
 by the union of parents greatly dissimilar in size and cha- 
 racter ; the ojBfspring is almost invariably disproportionate, and 
 consequently of very little value. Another suggestion equally 
 objectionable was announced during the summer of 1854, 
 and from the authority from whence it came gained some 
 attention. In a report of the proceedings of the Eoyal Agri- 
 cultural Society, we find the following notice : — " Improve- 
 ment in horse breeding. Mr. Spooner, of Southampton, 
 recommended the council to take measures with the Govern- 
 ment, as well as with the local societies of the country, for 
 improving the breed of horses for cavalry and artillery pur- 
 poses, with a view of obtaining animals possessing a combina- 
 tion of activity and strength in the highest degree. He thought 
 that object would be obtained by encouraging the breeding of 
 good saddle-horses from the best brood-mares capable of carry- 
 ing sixteen stone, by the best stallions, well, but not thorough 
 
THE HOESE. 151 
 
 bred, capable of carrying a similar weight. He thought 
 that such mares abounded throughout the country, although 
 they were at present employed for draught, and other labo- 
 rious purposes ; he considered that the class of male horses 
 to be used was the one now too frequently castrated ; namely, 
 a three-parts-bred hunter, capable of carrying a heavy weight 
 up to the fleetest hounds ; such an animal readily commands 
 some 2001. or 300Z., when his excellences are known, and 
 which may in fact be regarded as the most noble and valuable 
 of the horse tribe. Mr. Spooner had little doubt that the 
 system would in a few years result in the regeneration of the 
 English breed of saddle-horses." With the most profound 
 respect for Mr. Spooner's devotion to the good cause, there 
 are several impediments to the success of his proposal. There 
 is no three-parts-bred horse in existence that can live with 
 hounds a mile when they are running hard ; such an animal 
 is deficient in speed, activity, and endurance. In a slow 
 protracted run of three or four hours' duration, such an 
 animal might manage to go through it, with great discom- 
 fiture to his rider and distress to himself. He would be sick, 
 and unable to make his appearance at the covert side for some 
 time. That which is merely exercise to the thorough-bred 
 horse, or one nearly akin to him, is punishing, toilsome labour 
 to the mongrel. Farmers require no encouragement to in- 
 duce them to breed from coarse, low-bred stallions : unfor- 
 tunately for their own interests, they are too prone to do so, 
 tempted oftentimes by the price at which the services of such 
 animals are to be obtained. This is one of the principal 
 causes of our horse-fairs being supplied with such an abun- 
 dance of ill-shaped, worthless brutes. This fact is very 
 readily determined by instituting inquiries how the worst- 
 looking animals are bred ; and it will be found that they are 
 the progeny of coarse, under-bred sires. The kind of mares 
 
152 
 
 THE HOESE. 
 
 wliicli Mr. Spooner proposes to breed from are undoubtedly 
 admirably adapted for tlie purpose ; but they certainly do nol 
 abound " throughout the country ; " on the other hand, they are 
 extremely scarce. If a horse by a three-parts-bred sire were 
 to be offered to an experienced sportsman as a hunter, he 
 would reject him at once. The highly -priced Leicestershire 
 hunter, capable of carrying weight, is thorough-bred, or 
 nearly so ; if there be a taint, it is on the side of the dam. 
 This principle was incontestably proved when cocktail races 
 were in fashion, and has been previously noticed. 
 
 Measures calculated to encourage the breeding of horses 
 suitable for cavalry purposes have not only been for some 
 time desirable, but they have now assumed an indispensable 
 character. It is a subject demanding serious attention. In 
 order to effect this object most successfully, it is important 
 that the utmost encouragement be given to breeding horses, 
 without reference to any particular class, as an impulse by 
 which greater numbers would be produced, and thus a 
 supply provided for all purposes of utility. Prizes given 
 for racing would not be productive of benefit, under any 
 circumstances ; they would not fill the ranks of our cavalry 
 regiments. Eacing has been; most successfully established ; 
 what is now required is, to make it the interest of agricul- 
 turists to breed the best horses from the sources supplied 
 by the turf. Great speed is not an essential in a troop- 
 horse, at least not so much so as it is in a hunter. Quickness 
 or activity is the desideratum, and that is very frequently not 
 accompanied with speed. The long stride of the swiftest 
 race-horse is not an especial quality in a charger, who in a 
 more collected manner, with shorter step and quicker move- 
 ments, is enabled to perform the necessary evolutions with 
 much greater facility. The means by which encouragement 
 to breed horses for the use of the cavalry would be most 
 
THE HOKSE. 153 
 
 advantageously promoted would be tlirougli the agency of pre- 
 miums offered by Government for horses exclusively adapted 
 for military service to be shown at the exhibitions of the !Royal 
 Agricultural Society of England, and other influential agricul- 
 tural meetings throughout the kingdom. There can be no doubt 
 of the result, with conditions something to the following effect : 
 A premium of 50Z. for the best horse calculated for the Life 
 Guards ; 30Z. for the best horse calculated for the service of 
 the Artillery or Dragoon Guards ; and 201. for the best horse 
 calculated for the Light Cavalry regiments ; with a reserva- 
 tion, that every horse exhibited shall be subject to be claimed 
 for the service, at the regulation price of the class in which 
 he is entered ; or possibly it might be advisable, on these 
 special occasions, that the standing price be augmented. It 
 would be necessary that the judges should determine in 
 which class each horse should be entered, giving the owner 
 the opportunity of withdrawing from competition, in the 
 event of his not approving the class in which his horse is 
 placed. This would prevent sanguine persons from entering 
 horses in ranks for which they are not adapted. There is no 
 question but a vast number of horses would be exhibited : 
 being thus assembled, it would save Government considerable 
 expense and trou.ble in sending officers and agents to fairs, 
 and would in that respect effect a saving perhaps nearly 
 equivalent to the amount of premiums. Under these regula- 
 tions it would not be necessary to place any restriction on 
 breeders how they should attempt to breed their respective 
 candidates. The eligibility of each horse would depend 
 upon his own merits ; and farmers would naturally devote 
 their best energies to accomplish their object. "While all the 
 other branches of agricultural enterprise, stimulated by the 
 friendly agency of reward, distinction, and profit, have made 
 steady progress in the march of improvement, breeding those 
 
154 THE HOESE. 
 
 kinds of horses which come within the province of the farmer 
 has not met with equivalent encouragement, nor made similar 
 advances towards perfection. The description of horse best 
 calculated for the military service is that which ranges from 
 fifteen hands two inches high to sixteen hands, on short legs, 
 with good sound feet ; strong in the back and loins, with 
 fine reclining shoulders, muscular thighs, active, capable of 
 carrying upwards of fourteen stone, with hardy constitution. 
 These must be the produce of stout mares, showing a fair pro- 
 portion of blood, not essentially thorough-bred, neither of the 
 coarse, heavy, mongrel, carting class. Short, powerful, com- 
 pact, thorough-bred stallions, such as are not sufficiently 
 speedy for racing, are the only animals calculated to beget 
 a promising progeny. The present regulation prices, which 
 extend from twenty-five to sixty guineas, in connection with 
 the proposed premiums, would be sufficiently remunerative to 
 stimulate persons to the speculation of breeding exclusively i 
 for the service, in which undertaking, if- good judgment be 
 exercised, many of the produce will be calculated for hunting i 
 or harness work, and they will be marketable at higher prices. | 
 
 The custom occasionally adopted by agriculturists of breed- 
 ing foals from three-year-old filUes before they are broken, I 
 is, upon general principles, a questionable policy, but under 
 certain circumstances it may be rendered justifiable. When 
 the demand is found to exceed the supply, which is the case 
 at the present crisis, such measures may be resorted to with 
 good efi'ect. 
 
 Few persons possessing adequate capital, with the neces- 
 sary conveniences and all the means and appliances, would 
 enter into the speculation of breeding simply with a view to 
 rearing hacks ; they aspire to the more ambitious project of 
 breeding horses of greater value ; but a very clever mare of 
 this kind is by no means unlikely to produce a foal that will 
 
I THE HOESE. 155 
 
 be remunerative, providing a suitable sire be cliosen. In 
 Wales there is a vast number of this class bred from ponies 
 and galloways. They are, many of them, exceedingly useful, 
 but they seldom realize high prices. This speculation is 
 mostly confined to the wild, mountainous districts, where 
 the land is of httle value, and they are consequently reared 
 at a trifling expense. In general they are well bred, being 
 descended from thorough-bred sires, and if they were more 
 perfect in their fore-legs, their value would be considerably 
 enhanced. Their shoulders, too, are usually defective, and 
 they seldom attain any size. This arises from two causes — 
 hereditary entailment and defective keep. 
 
 Of the class which come under the denomination of road- 
 sters, there are several kinds, differing essentially from each 
 other, and they have all undergone considerable improve- 
 ment during the present century. The carriage horse of 
 olden times was a gigantic animal, sixteen or seventeen hands 
 high, long-backed, leggy, and overtopped with upright shoul- 
 ders, a large head, and often a Eoman nose. Animals of this 
 kind were selected to draw the family of a country gentleman 
 in a heavy coach at the rate of six miles in the hour. The 
 descendant of the present day is a neat, well-formed, com- 
 pact animal, fifteen hands three inches high, on short legs, 
 wdth good shoulders, a nice light neck and neat head ; can 
 trot ten miles in the hour with perfect ease to himself; 
 and would have been esteemed by our ancestors calculated 
 to make them a first-rate hunter. The hack is equally im- 
 proved ; from the plodding, slow, slovenly, uncultivated mon- 
 grel, he is transformed into an active, springy, quick, handy 
 animal. The lady's palfry is a selection from the most elite 
 of this class. Ponies, too, are improved ; they show more 
 breeding and have better shoulders. These advantages have 
 been gained through the agency of blood on the paternal 
 
156 THE HOESE. 
 
 side, and tliis affords additional example to that -wliicli has 
 already been given on tlie subject of breeding cocktails. If 
 any evidence were wanting to corroborate the assertion that 
 the hacks of the present day are improved as regards sym- 
 metry, but especially in that essential portion, the shoulders, 
 it may be observed, that a crouper to a saddle is very seldom 
 seen ; whereas our forefathers scarcely ever thought of 
 riding without one, from the ostensible reason, that if they 
 did, they would be seated on their horses' necks. 
 
 Comparing the thorough-bred horse with the cart-horse, 
 we are scarcely able to reconcile our ideas with the fact, that 
 they are varieties of the same species of animal, so great is 
 the distinction between them in their movements, appearance, 
 temper, capabilities, and habits. They stand at the two ex- 
 tremes of the equine tribe. The cart-horse is useful for only 
 one purpose, that of draught. The thorough-bred horse is 
 useful for many purposes. If taken from the race-course, 
 he makes the most superlative of hunters '; he is undeniable 
 as a charger, and equally good in harness ; and, with some 
 exceptions; he makes the best of hacks ; and when, poor 
 fellow, he is worn out in those services, he will go to plough 
 with the most amiable docility. The more persons are ac- 
 quainted with him, the more highly will they value his 
 numerous properties. The breed of cart-horses requires im- 
 provement most extensively ; in fact, it requires remodelling 
 altogether. As a class, they are the most imperfect of our 
 domestic animals. They are slow, weak, inactive, lumbering 
 mountains of horseflesh. They consume an enormous quan- 
 tity of food, for which they afford very inadequate compen- 
 sation. It may be urged that the enormous dray-horses 
 which we are accustomed to see in London are grand animals 
 of their kind, and useful for the purpose to which they are 
 applied. As to their grandeur, that is a matter of taste. A 
 
THE HOESE. 157 
 
 tliick-lipped negro woman may bo an object of admiration to 
 one of her own countrymen, Tlie usefulness of tlie liuge 
 dray-horse would be much better supplied by an animal of 
 a more active kind. It is an ancient custom which maintains 
 them in their position. Horses of a lighter and quicker 
 character have been substituted in London for purposes of 
 moving equally heavy loads, and the advantages are acknow- 
 ledged. For agricultural purposes, the heavy, hairy-legged 
 cart-horse is totally unsuitable. Farmers persevere in breed- 
 ing them with a view to selling the largest of them for London 
 dray-horses. When attached to the plough they are too 
 heavy and too inactive. In some counties it is usual to see 
 three or four of these sluggish animals at plough, whereas, in 
 others, a greater proportion is done by a pair working abreast. 
 I do not mean to say that all kinds of land can be broken up by 
 a pair of horses at all seasons, that is, where the land is very 
 strong, and when it is very dry, but when it is in that state 
 it can scarcely be considered proper to work it till it becomes 
 ameliorated by rain, in which condition a pair of horses is 
 sufficient, providing they are of the right sort. A more active 
 I and a better bred animal is required. I have already ob- 
 I served, that the thorough-bred horse and the cart-horse 
 stand at the two extremes of their species, and I can by no 
 means propose that an improvement of the breed of cart-horse 
 should even be attempted by the intermixture of the classes. 
 The extremes are too widely opposed to each other ; and 
 , although occasionally resorted to, the success is very equi- 
 I vocal. 'Not only are the anatomical proportions extremely 
 ' different, but the constitutions also. IS'ature will not submit 
 to such incongruities. The improvement must be accom- 
 plished by a more assimilative progress — by characters whose 
 qualities are not so extremely different. The most perfect 
 animal of the kind I ever saw for the purpose of improving 
 
158 THE HOESE. 
 
 the breed of cart-Tiorses is a stallion called Cleveland Short- 
 legs, the property of Messrs. Hall, at the Dud ding Hill 
 stud farm, near London, an establishment named in the 
 early pages of this volume. Active mares, such as may be 
 found in Yorkshire, Shropshire, the adjacent parts, and some 
 others of the horse-breeding districts, of a better order than 
 the common, heavy, cart description, put to him, could not 
 fail to produce foals of a very superior stamp for agricultural 
 purposes and heavy draught. The attainment of greater 
 quickness, more energy, and more compactness, with less 
 unprofitable lumber by the selection of parents possessing 
 those qualities, would in course of time efiect a vast improve- 
 ment in our breed of useful working horses. 
 
 Of the cart-horse tribe a very superior specimen may be 
 seen at Mr. Henry Bailey's, Wallgaston, Berkeley, in the 
 county of Gloucester. He is a young black stallion, called 
 Kohinoor ; of most perfect symmetry, on short clean legs, 
 combining great muscular power with extraordinary activity, 
 and is in every respect a perfect model of his class. 
 
 A breeder of thorough-bred horses has a manifest advan- 
 tage over him who breeds half-bred ones, on two very 
 essential points. The former knows to a certainty how his 
 mare is descended, and can obtain similar information con- ; 
 ceming the horse which he may select ; he is thus able to t 
 avoid consanguinity. There are few half-bred mares whose I 
 lineage can be traced beyond a generation or two, and there 
 are many very promising ones in appearance whose ancestry 
 is not known. The propensity which stock has to the resem- 
 blance of a distant relative in character, imperfections, and 
 constitution, renders the breeder of half-bred horses liable to 
 much uncertainty in that respect. More perfections are 
 combined in and transmitted by the thorough-bred than the 
 mongrel-bred horse. A person may be in possession of a 
 
THE HOESE. 159 
 
 mare sliowing a considerable portion of pure blood, and in 
 appearance promising in every respect, yet her grandam or 
 grandsire may have been a cart-horse, and she may favour 
 her owner with a prototype. This is doubly hazardous, unless 
 the sire is of aristocratic lineage. 
 
 It is a very frequent exclamation, that breeding horses is 
 attended with so much uncertainty, that many persons have 
 been deterred from the speculation, or have relinquished it 
 from disappointment. True, Nature sometimes perplexes 
 us with casualties which we did not contemplate, yet a little 
 investigation will elucidate and explain causes ; and again, 
 they will serve as monitors for the future. A chestnut horse 
 and a bay mare may produce a gray, a brown, or black foal ; 
 but in all probability it will be discovered on inquiry that 
 some ancestor was of a similar colour. When breeding for 
 the chase or the road is the object, colour is a consideration 
 of some importance, and that will be most successfully regu- 
 lated by selecting parents whose ancestors were generally of 
 the most fashionable colours. It frequently happens, both 
 with mares and stallions, that most of their progeny are of 
 different colours from themselves, from the cause already 
 mentioned. 
 
 Hereditary defects, among which maybe enumerated spavins, 
 curbs, roaring, and constitutional blindness, may He dormant 
 in the immediate progenitors, and make their appearance in 
 the offspring ; but it will nine times out of ten be ascertained 
 that the imperfection is a family inheritance. 'No surprise 
 ought to be aroused by such events, and when they transpire 
 they should be attributed to want of caution. It is to guard 
 against such casualties that circumspection, study, and ex- 
 perience are valuable ; and the more judgment there is 
 exercised the more satisfactory will be the results of the 
 undertaking. Beauty, symmetry, and action are essential 
 
16Q - THE HOESE. 
 
 qualifications ; for tlie price wliicli may be obtained for a hand- 
 some young borse witb sbowy action, far exceeds tbat wbicb 
 can be procured for one whose only merit consists in bis 
 goodness, without style and appearance to recommend bim 
 to notice. Tbe value of tbe latter is not estimated until bis 
 good deeds bave established his fame, and it may not be in 
 the power of the breeder to put them to the test, or having 
 done so to give them publicity. 
 
 CHAPTER yil. 
 TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT OE THE HORSE. 
 
 THE STABLE. 
 
 The first thing of importance in the treatment of a horse 
 is the building which is provided for him, or his stable. 
 Perhaps the best way of treating the subject is to show wliat his 
 stable ought not to be, and that, unfortunately both for the 
 animal and his owner, will be to show what it too generally is. 
 
 In the first place, it ought not to be dark ; and in this 
 respect there are but too many proprietors of horses who 
 will, in their practice at any rate, be at issue with us, though 
 the total or partial blindness of their horses should have 
 taught them better ; for from this cause in general springs 
 the blindness of the animal, which, by nature, is no more pre- 
 disposed to blindness than is his owner. And not only does 
 a dark stable afiect the sight of a horse, but his general 
 health also, especially, as is often the case, if he be immured 
 in his stable for days together. Light is just as essential to 
 a healthy condition as food itself, and an animal can no more 
 
THE HORSE. IGl 
 
 thrive witlioiit the one than the other. The man who in- 
 vented dark stables was no d<?ubt the progenitor of him who 
 invented the barbarous practice of docking and nicking 
 horses' tails. 
 
 The window should, if possible, be at the south end of the 
 building, so that the animal, if not at work, should, as much 
 as possible, get the benefit of the sun's rays, which, whatever 
 some persons may think to the contrary, were really made 
 as much for the benefit of horses as men. The door should 
 be towards the same aspect. The window should go close 
 up to the ceiling, and may come within four or five feet of 
 the ground. When the window is constructed so as to admit 
 a sufficiency of light, the internal walls should not be white- 
 washed, as the light reflected from a white surface is highly 
 injurious to the eyes ; they should be of a dark gray colour, 
 and this is easily effected by mixing a little lamp-black with 
 the lime-wash. 
 
 The next thing to be considered is ventilation ; and this — 
 as stables are commonly ventilated, or rather not ventilated — 
 is believed to be of no moment whatever. In many old 
 country stables we find the door made of two portions, the 
 upper one opening whilst the lower one is made fast. This 
 is very well for farm stables ; but this construction is not 
 adapted for those where horses of the higher class are kept. 
 With a door of this description, open at the top, and a lofty 
 window at the other end, open at the top also, a draught 
 takes place which is above the horse's back, and will venti- 
 late the stable thoroughly, especially if the stable be lofty, 
 as it always should be, though it is in general constructed so 
 as to have a hay -loft over it — a great convenience, no doubt — 
 but one which should not be permitted to reduce the height 
 of the stable itself to some seven or eight feet; in which cir- 
 
 M 
 
162 THE HOESE. 
 
 cumscribed space a team of horses is often confined for tke 
 niglit, under the necessity of breathing the same air as they 
 have expired. To expect horses to be healthy or sound under 
 such a condition is to expect an impossibility. 
 
 A little consideration will show the importance of perfect 
 ventilation. The air which the horse expires is as totally 
 difi'erent a substance to that which he inhales as wood is 
 from iron. He inhales atmospheric air, and the constituents 
 of this pass through his lungs, and into his blood ; he expires 
 carbonic acid gas, one of the gases most inimical to animal 
 life, as any man may convince himself who will go down into 
 an old unused well. If this deadly gas be not carried ojff 
 by proper ventilation, it becomes mixed with the atmospheric 
 air of the stable, and is again inhaled, to the great injury of 
 the animal's health. The greatest care is also requisite that 
 it should be thoroughly carried off, and this can only be done 
 as it comes out from the animal's body; when cold, it is 
 heavier than atmospheric air, and sinks "to the floor of the 
 stable, in which case it is not so easily got rid of, but may lay 
 the foundation of diseases innumerable, and will certainly 
 shorten the usefulness, if not the life, of the animal. From 
 this, as much as from any other cause, horses may truly be 
 said not to live out half their days. 
 
 A thorough ventilation is as necessary in the winter as 
 the summer, and there is infinitely less risk of injuring the 
 horse by cold than by allowing him to breathe expired air 
 over again. If accustomed to proper ventilation, he will 
 never take cold from any judicious means adopted to promote 
 his health and comfort. Pure air in winter is as necessary 
 as in summer ; whilst in the summer the more that can be 
 admitted to cool the stable the better. The building should, 
 then, be so constructed, as in summer to admit the greatest 
 possible quantity of cool air, and in winter to admit sufficient 
 
THE HORSE. 163 
 
 for the preservation of the purity of the atmosphere, without 
 running any risk from cold 'draughts. Care must also be 
 taken not to admit draughts of air near the horse's heels, or 
 diseased legs will be the result. Draught cannot be too care- 
 fully guarded against, nor is it requisite that such should 
 occur, if a little forethought only be exercised. Some 
 "writers on the subject advocate a chimney-shaft to be erected 
 in the stable, by vrhich the foul air can best escape, and also 
 the admission of fresh air over the animal's head by means 
 of perforated zinc. 
 
 The next consideration— and it is not less important than 
 either of the preceding— is that of cleanliness. Too many 
 persons believe, or they act as so believing, that the more a 
 horse stands and sleeps amongst the filth of his own litter, 
 the more he thrives. This is an error of ignorance, or of 
 idleness— perhaps both combined. The effect of it, at any 
 rate, is to make the animal, in addition to breathing his own 
 breath again, inhale the foetid ammoniacal steams which arise 
 from his own ordure and urine. We have even heard 
 farmers defend this mode on the ground that the manure is 
 better, as though the manure were worth anything in com- 
 parison with the horse. 
 
 Men who reason thus are of the same class as those who 
 strew their manure over the yard in order that the rain 
 may wash from it all the ammoniacal salts, so that it may 
 be rendered the worst adapted possible for the use intended. 
 Yet were their wisdom questioned, they would sneer at any 
 one who might give himself the trouble to instruct them, 
 as they no doubt will at us, when we tell them that clean- 
 liness is as requisite for a horse as for a family. 
 
 A brick or stone stable floor is the best ; if the latter, the 
 stone should be roughened with small furrows ; and in either 
 case a deep drain sunk outside of the stable is necessary, 
 M 2 
 
164 THE HOESE. 
 
 for keeping it perfectly dry, without which either brick or 
 stone floors will be prejudicial from damp. This is of the 
 utmost importance. Neither should such drains be used to 
 carry ofi" the urine. The floor should slope an inch to a 
 yard ; but only to the gutter which carries off the urine. 
 Indeed, if this is carried off by an iron pipe with suitable 
 openings, so much the better. A tub sunk outside the stable 
 as a receptacle for the urine, will soon amply repay the 
 farmer for his trouble ; it is too valuable to be permitted 
 to diffuse itself over the dung-heap in the yard, to be washed 
 away with the first shower of rain. 
 
 Litter should always be allowed for a horse to stale upon, 
 as it is easily removed ; and a little water thrown down 
 occasionally will keep the stable free from smells. Toothing 
 can be more offensive either to horse or man, than the smell 
 of putrid urine ; whilst, if this be permitted to run into a 
 proper receptacle, and a little sulphuric acid added occa- 
 sionally, nothing can exceed its value as a manure, which the 
 farmer should be as careful to preserve as he is the core 
 which it fertilizes. 
 
 Within reason, the more room a horse has in his stall, the 
 less liable will he be to swollen legs. . In no instance ought 
 he to have less room than six feet, and if ten can be afforded 
 him, so much the more will he thrive, the comfort being 
 especially felt after a hard day's work. Loose boxes are 
 indispensable to horses of value. 
 
 A perfect stable should never have a hay-loft over it, 
 This, of course, will give a little more trouble to the stable- 
 man ; but where the comfort of a horse is concerned, that is 
 of no consequence whatever. A deep manger, with two oi 
 three iron bars across, is far preferable to a rack or well foi 
 the reception of hay, and will more effectually prevent waste. 
 An arrangement for water should also be provided. The 
 
THE HORSE. 165 
 
 front must, of course, be boarded up, with the exception 
 of the part from which the horse eats. The advantage 
 of this arrangement would be, that all the hay would be 
 eaten, and not pulled down, as is generally the case, and 
 trodden under foot amongst the litter. Much hay will be 
 saved by the use of a deep manger as a substitute for a 
 rack ; and an equal saving would take place in corn, if the 
 manger were made to slope slightly inwards, instead of 
 outwards, as is usually the case. It would exceedingly puzzle 
 a wasteful or mischievous horse to throw his corn out of 
 such a manger, if deep enough ; but for this, the manger 
 as usually constructed affords him every facility. 
 
 Dung never ought to be allowed to be swept up in a 
 corner, as is frequently the case, and all wet litter should be 
 removed. In short, the more pains that are taken relative to 
 a horse's comfort in a stable, the more will he repay those 
 pains ; and the farmer, especially, can have no better 
 assurance that the more the horses thrive, the more will 
 he himself thrive. The very fact of his attention to his 
 horses, independently of the more effective work arising 
 therefrom, will beget a similar habit of attention to every- 
 thing else. 
 
 THE HOESS'S FOOD. 
 
 This should be oats and hay of the best quality ; beans for 
 hard-working horses, occasionally varied with carrots or 
 Swedes ; bran mashes ; and, under some circumstances, lin- 
 seed gruel. Many persons are not aware, that the price of 
 musty corn and bad hay is vastlj'- dearer than that of the 
 same commodities of good quality — and that the worse- the 
 quality the higher the cost. It is so nevertheless — for whether 
 the purchaser of inferior articles bargain for it or not, he 
 always purchases with them indigestion, foulness of blood, 
 
166 THE HOESE. ^ 
 
 looseness of the bowels, general debility, and glanders ; all 
 of these being too costly to be purchased into any stable. 
 We once knew a farmer whose practice it was to sell all his 
 best articles, and keep the refuse of the farm for his own 
 horses : the consequence was, that he never was without 
 glanders or some other disease in his stable ; and there was 
 not a carter in the parish who did not give his team a wide 
 berth wherever he met it with his own horses. It was the 
 man's system, nevertheless ; and he either could not see its 
 banefulness, or he would not alter it ; so he died at last 
 from it, having caught a glanderous infection from his own 
 stable. Mr. Spooner, in speaking of this subject, thus testi- 
 fies his own experience:—"! have known a serious loss 
 sustained by a proprietor of post and coach horses, from 
 keeping a considerable stock of oats, and neglecting to turn 
 them ; many horses became glandered and farcied, apparently 
 in consequence of this circumstance." 
 
 Much has been said of late respecting the advantage of 
 bruising oats, and various machines are much in vogue for 
 the purpose. Mr. Spooner says of them, " they are apt to 
 produce diarrhoea, especially if the animal is worked hard." 
 It is further alleged that many horses will not eat them with 
 an appetite ; and the opponents to the system go further, 
 urging that unbruised oats excite a flow of saliva, necessary 
 to perfect digestion, which is not the case with those which 
 are bruised. The explanation to the first of these questions 
 supplies a very strong recommendation. The stomach having 
 derived a sufficient quantity of nourishment from a moderate 
 portion, does not require more. With reference to the flow 
 of the saliva, without entering upon the question how far it 
 is necessary to assist digestion, no animal can swallow its food 
 without a sufficiency of saliva to assist the act of deglutition ; 
 and it is not recommended to reduce the oats to flour, but 
 
THE HOESE. 107 
 
 merely to bruise tliem. Many persons fancy tliat by giving 
 oats in small quantities, and spreading them tbinly over 
 the manger, the horses will be induced to masticate them. 
 Those who have watched their operations will find that a 
 greedy-feeding horse will drive his corn up into a heap, 
 and collect with his lips as much as he thinks proper for a 
 mouthful. 
 
 Little, if any, advantage arises from cutting hay into chaff, 
 especially for the most valuable kind of horses. It is done 
 in cart stables to prevent waste, which is often enormous in 
 those departments where horses are permitted to pull the hay 
 out of their racks, and tread it under foot. 
 
 The state of perfection to which the higher classes of the 
 horse have been brought in this country, is attributable to 
 the great attention devoted during a long period of time to 
 the selection of the best descriptions for the purpose of per- 
 petuating the species ; the treatment they have received, 
 under the influence of a propitious climate ; and the nature 
 of the food with which they have been supplied : greater 
 improvements are capable of being realized by judicious 
 management. 
 
 With reference to treatment, and the climate of this king- 
 dom, practical experience assures us that the atmosphere is 
 suitable to the constitution of the equine tribe ; but the vicis- 
 situdes of the elements are so great, that protection is neces- 
 sary to guard against their effects. This is found to apply, 
 not only to the horse, but to all others of our domesticated 
 animals. Warmth, in connection with a pure and uncon- 
 taminated air, is of the utmost importance ; but it is not 
 necessary to enter into the details by which that desideratum 
 is to be accomplished. The subject of food requires more 
 minute observations, especially as it is too frequently disre- 
 garded, except by breeders of race-horses. 
 
168 THE HOESE. 
 
 The great perfection of tlie physical powers of the horse is 
 obtained by the due proportion and constituent elements of 
 muscular fibre, bone, and sinew ; and the more these sub- 
 stances are respectively condensed, so to speak, the greater 
 the amount of power will there exist in a given bulk. Every 
 description of food which is said to contain nutritive pro- 
 perties, abounds more or less, and in various proportions, 
 with elements calculated for the construction of the different 
 substances of which the animal frame is composed. It is 
 therefore important to select those kinds of food which con- 
 tain the most of these particles convertible into substances 
 which render the animal of the highest value. The growth 
 of animals, the development of their muscles, the texture of 
 their bones and sinews, depend greatly upon the quality of 
 the food with which they are supplied. That which is con- 
 ducive to the production of fat must be rejected ; for, although 
 there is not any kind of food which is convertible into muscle 
 which will not at the same time produce fat, there are many 
 circumstances which render different kinds more abundant 
 with the elements of either substance. This is a wise ordina- 
 tion of nature, for, to a certain extent, fat is essential to the 
 health and the motive powers of the animal, but in excess it 
 is detrimental. On this point circumspection and experience 
 are valuable acquirements to regulate the condition. When 
 a horse is in a manifest state of plethora, it is a certain indi- 
 cation that the food which he receives abounds too copiously 
 with elements conducive to the production of the adipose 
 substance. It will sometimes happen that a horse does not 
 generate a sufficiency of fat ; this may arise from indispo- 
 sition, the bad quality of the food, or its not being given in 
 sufficient quantities. 
 
 There are certain laws of nature indispensable to animal 
 life, certain functions which must be supported. Physiolo- 
 
THE HOUSE. 169 
 
 gists inform us tliat the nourisliment of the body is derived 
 from the ingredients of the blood, two of the principal of 
 which are serum and fibrine. The serum, when condensed 
 or coagulated, forms albumen, the restorative element of fat 
 and muscular fibre ; the fibrine contained in the blood con- 
 tributes largely to the formation of muscle or flesh. Animal 
 and vegetable fibrine and albumen are precisely similar, and 
 unless they form component parts of the food the animal 
 will waste away. Tat, muscular fibre, and certain other 
 substances, composing the animal frame, are constantly 
 undergoing the process of exhaustion, through the efiect of 
 oxygen, which is taken into the system every moment of life 
 by means of the organs of respiration. But no part of that 
 oxygen remains in the body ; it is expelled in the form of 
 carbon and hydrogen, by exhalations from the skin, and the 
 ordinary evacuations. The expenditure of carbon and hydro- 
 gen is increased by labour or exercise in an equal ratio as the 
 number of exhalations are accelerated by that exercise. By 
 this process the fat and muscular fibre are constantly in a 
 state of exhaustion and renewal, and are supposed to be 
 thoroughly renewed in the course of six or seven months ; 
 dependent, however, upon the amount of labour, and the 
 uninterrupted health of the animal. The more expeditiously 
 this renovation of the system takes place, the more perfect 
 will be the condition of the subject. It is therefore evident 
 that the nutritive matter supplied by the food must exceed 
 the exhaustion which takes place in young animals, to occa- 
 sion their growth and increase the development of muscle 
 and other tissues, and with adults it must be equivalent with 
 the exhaustion to maintain the animal in a normal state. 
 
 It has been ascertained that such vegetable food as afibrds 
 nourishment to animals abounds most with nitrogen ; and 
 that they require the least of those kinds which contain the 
 
170 THE HOESE. 
 
 largest quantities. But here it must be observed tbere is a 
 limit to tlie presentation of food abounding too profusely 
 with nutritive properties, which will speedily affect the 
 animal partaking thereof. The blood-vessels will become 
 distended, and other channels overcharged with an excess of 
 their fluid ; and upon the slightest appearance of the symp- 
 toms which indicate a disordered state of the circulation, 
 unless medicines are presented which are calculated to relieve 
 the system from the accumulation, aided by temporary 
 abstinence, and indeed change of food, the health of the 
 animal is sure to suffer. 
 
 Professor Playfair, who has made experiments on the 
 quantity of nutritious matter contained in different kinds of 
 food supplied to animals, found that in one hundred lbs. 
 of oats, eleven lbs. represent the quantity of gluten where- 
 with flesh is formed, and that an equal weight of hay affords 
 eight lbs. of similar substance. Both hay and oats contain 
 about sixty-eight per cent, of unazotised matter identical with 
 fat, of which it must be observed a vast portion passes off 
 from the animal without being deposited. By this calcula- 
 tion it appears that if a horse consumes daily four feeds of 
 oats and ten lbs. of hay, the nutriment which he derives will be 
 equivalent to about one lb. eleven oz. of muscle, and thirteen 
 and a half lbs. of superfluous matter, which, exclusively of 
 water, nearly approximates the exhaustion of the system by 
 perspiration and the various evacuations. 
 
 Some very interesting and instructive experiments have 
 been made by Mr. William Goodlet, factor to Lord Blantyre, 
 at Erskine, Eenfrewshire, on the feeding properties of turnips 
 grown with different manures ; a full account of which ap- 
 peared in the columns of the MarTc Lane Express, of January 
 16th, 1854. They supply proofs of the effects produced by 
 the same description of food cultivated with different manures j 
 
THE HOKSE. 171 
 
 and as a similar principle exists witli reference to the ele- 
 ments by which nourishment is supplied to the horse, the 
 results of the inquiry may be interesting. It must be in- 
 variably remembered, that the good qualities of food are 
 derived from the land upon which it is cultivated, and that it 
 will partake of good or bad elements in the same ratio as the 
 land is charged with them. The account states : "A portion 
 of a field on the farm of Beauchamp, in Forfarshire, intended 
 for turnips last year (1850), was selected for its equal quality 
 of soil and exposure upon which to grow the lots to be expe- 
 rimented with. The soil is a good friable loam, and the field, 
 which had been manured for a bean-crop in 1848, was in 
 wheat in 1849, and ploughed in the autumn, with a good 
 furrow for turnips in the following season. Plot No. 1, got 
 twenty tons of well-made farm-yard dung per acre. ]N'o. 2, 
 got four cwt. of Peruvian guano per acre. No. 3, got ten 
 tons of like dung, and two cwt. of like guano, per acre. The 
 cattle experimented upon consisted of twenty-one two-years- 
 old, short-horn crosses, and were divided into lots of seven 
 each. Lot 1 was fed with the turnips grown with dung alone ; 
 lot 2 with the turnips grown with guano alone ; and lot 3 
 with turnips produced from half dung and half guano. The 
 animals were all fed alike, with equal weights of the turnips, 
 hay, and a small quantity of oil-cake. Periodical investiga- 
 tions were made by weighing them to ascertain their pro- 
 gress. The final results show, that the beasts which were fed 
 upon the turnips grown from dung made the greatest improve- 
 ment ; those which were fed upon the turnips grown from 
 half dung and half guano were next in rotation ; and those 
 fed with the turnips raised from guano alone made the least 
 amount of progress. It must be observed, the experiment 
 was conducted for the express purpose of ascertaining which 
 kind of manure imparted to the turnips the greatest amount 
 
172 THE HOSSE. 
 
 of nutritious matter, and not to ascertain wliicli would grow 
 the greatest bulk of roots on a given quantity of land ; there- 
 fore an equal weight was given to each animal daily." 
 
 These experiments afford a valuable precedent with refer- 
 ence to the qualities contained in hay resulting from the 
 kind of land upon which it is grown, and the manure which 
 is used to increase the quantity. That which contains the 
 greatest amount of those elements which are convertible into 
 fat is not the kind to be chosen for horses. It is generally 
 the produce of rich alluvial soils, low meadows on the margin 
 of rivers, or of land highly stimulated with luxuriating 
 manures. That such hay is convertible into larger propor- 
 tions of fat than muscle, may readily be determined by the 
 fact, that horses perspire more profusely when they are sup- 
 plied with it. Indeed, there is scarcely any other test re- 
 quired, by which the quality of the hay may be known. 
 The quality of hay will vary greatly in different years, 
 although grown in the same field ; this variation is the result 
 of atmospheric influences. Wet seasons are essentially 
 inimical to the production of horse provender ; but the drier 
 the nature of the land the better it will be. The great pro- 
 gress made of late years in the practice of draining will even- 
 tually ensure an improvement in the qualities of hay, which 
 will also in course of time produce beneficial influences 
 on the condition of the equine classes, more especially with 
 the common descriptions than with thorough-bred stock, 
 as the breeders of the latter generally exercise appropriate 
 circumspection in their choice of that food which is of the 
 best description. The manure with which the land is refreshed 
 cannot fail to have a very considerable effect upon the crop 
 which is produced ; and the best herbage is that which grows 
 on dry land, regenerated with compost formed of earth, lime, 
 and salt. The nutritive properties of oats ai-e pretty accu- 
 
THE nOESE. 173 
 
 itL'ly determined by tlieir weight/at the same time the nature 
 auJ condition of tlie land has a similar effect upon them that 
 it has upon hay and other productions. 
 
 It is generally known that the embryo offspring partakes 
 of the health or condition of the dam, therefore the food 
 vrith which the mother is supplied must affect the foal. 
 This is a subject too commonly disregarded by breeders, 
 although it is constantly demonstrated after the foal comes 
 into life. If a mare be supplied with food which produces 
 relaxation, her foal will be in the same state ; and constipa- 
 tion is recognized in a similar manner. The propriety of 
 supplying a brood-mare with the best and most suitable 
 kinds of food during pregnancy cannot be too strongly 
 impressed. In the management of young stock every effort 
 should be made, by giving them food which is adapted to 
 the purpose, to bring them to maturity as early as possible : 
 by these means the texture and development of the bones, 
 the sinews, and the muscles is greatly accelerated. The 
 constitution of each animal must be consulted, and it is 
 highly important, if the acme of condition is to be attained 
 by animals when they arrive at an age of maturity, that the 
 growth and gradual development of their frames should be 
 composed of those healthy and invigorating materials, upon 
 which the structure of condition can be raised. To accom- 
 plish this, hay, oats, and occasionally beans, must form 
 the principal items of equine dietary, and grass should be 
 provided only in limited supplies during the summer months. 
 It is to giving growing stock unrestricted quantities of green 
 food that breeders must ascribe a very general cause for 
 their disappointment, and it is by that practice that the 
 kingdom is supplied with such vast numbers of worthless 
 animals. Grass, it may be observed, loses two-thirds of its 
 
 weight, and a greater proportion of bulk, when converted 
 
174 THE HOESE. '' 
 
 into hay; but that extraneous matter consists of moisture, 
 possessing no portion of fibrine, consequently it contains 
 none of those elements which increase muscular development. 
 If a horse be supported upon grass alone, he must eat a vast 
 quantity— equal to more than three times the proportion 
 of hay— to derive an equivalent amount of nourishment; 
 being very full of sap and moisture, it is quickly digested ; 
 consequently, the animal must be continually devouring iL 
 This distends the stomach and bovrels, and impairs the 
 faculty of digestion; for the digestive powers require rest 
 as well as the other organs of the body, if they are to be 
 preserved in a healthy state. The muscular system is 
 debilitated, and fat accumulates; flatulent cholic or gripes 
 is produced, which not unfrequently becomes constitutional. 
 Nothing can be more erroneous than the antiquated impres- 
 sion, that the purgative properties of young grass in the 
 spring are conducive to the healthy state of the equine 
 family. "When the modus operandi of that description of 
 food is explained, the supposition of its being calculated 
 to produce beneficial effects must vanish. The young green 
 herbage is extensively overcharged with sap and moisture, 
 of a crude, acrimonious nature, and it exists so abundantly, 
 that a considerable portion of it cannot be taken up by the 
 organs destined for the secretion of urine, or by the 
 absorbent vessels of the body; a great quantity of this 
 superfluous fluid, therefore, passes into the intestines, and 
 is thus discharged in a watery state. But the mischief does 
 not terminate immediately on the subsiding of the purgative 
 action ; the absorbent vessels, having been overloaded, be- 
 come distended and relaxed, and some time intervenes before 
 they resume their healthy tone, under the most judicious 
 treatment. This is clearly exempHfied by the habitual 
 tendency which many horses exhibit of having swelled legs. 
 
THE HORSE. 175 
 
 When tliis evil exists, any persons wlio entertain a doubt as 
 to the primary cause may readily convince themselves, by 
 iiuestigating the course of treatment to which the animal 
 lias been subjected. Horses which are reared on wet marshy 
 land are invariably afflicted with this relaxed condition of the 
 :ib<orbent vessels of the legs. Constant supplies of green 
 succulent food render these defects constitutional, and 
 the most scientific stable management is often frustrated 
 nv\hen such animals are required to perform ordinary 
 -labour ; their legs fail, not from anatomical defects, but from 
 the cause explained, which operates injuriously upon a struc- 
 ture which is naturally perfect. 
 
 Superficial judges of horses do not mark the difference 
 between the appearances of a fat and a muscular-formed 
 animal. If the bones are covered, the points filled out, and 
 the general contour looks pleasing to the eye, they conceive 
 that every requisite is accomplished. A more fallacious im- 
 pression cannot exist. A horse of very moderate pretensions, 
 if in perfect condition, will prove himself infinitely superior in 
 the quality of endurance or capability to perform work, than 
 one of a higher character which is not in condition. If two 
 tiorses are ridden side by side, at the moderate pace of seven 
 or eight miles in the hour, on a warm day in the summer, 
 one of which has been taken out of a grass field, and the 
 other fed on hay and corn, the difference will be very soon 
 detected. The grass-fed horse will perspire profusely, yet 
 the other will be cool and dry. This propensity to perspire 
 likewise proves that the system of the former is replete with 
 adipose deposit, and fluids destined to produce that substance 
 an unnecessary encumbrance, and in such quantities opposed 
 to freedom of action. 
 
 Under an impression that an abundance of luxuriant grass 
 will increase the flow of milk, it is frequently given to brood 
 
176 THE HOESE. 
 
 mares, but if it lias tlie effect of producing relaxation it is 
 exceedingly prejudicial. A moderate portion of good milk is 
 far preferable to that wbicb is weak and poor. Tborouo-li- 
 bred mares are not unfrequently deficient in their lacteal 
 secretions, more so than those of a common description. It 
 is obviously necessary that either class should be supplied 
 with good and nutritious food for the purpose of augmenting 
 it when insufficient, but the nature of the food requires to be 
 regulated by the constitution of the individual. 
 
 A mistaken notion of economy frequently induces persons 
 to turn their horses into the grass fields during the summer 
 months. A few words may serve to dispel that delusion. 
 Twenty-two bushels of oats, allowing one bushel per week, 
 which is sufficient for young stock or horses not in work, 
 from the 15th of May to the 16th of October, may be esti- 
 mated as the produce of a trifle more than half an acre of 
 land. Prom ten to twelve hundredweight of hay may be 
 estimated as the produce of another half- acre, although a ton 
 and a half per acre is not more than an average crop on land 
 in good condition. It will require an acre of grass-land capa- 
 ble of producing a ton and a half of hay to support a horse 
 during the above-named period. When the relative value of 
 a horse which has been kept on hay and corn is compared 
 with that of one which has been grazed, the verdict will be 
 considerably against the latter. 
 
 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF HOESES. 
 
 There is not a more important subject than the manage- 
 ment of the colt from the earliest period, and the preparing 
 and fitting him for the duties that he has to perform. The . 
 mare is usually at heat at some period in the spring, varying j 
 from the middle of February to the latter end of May. The 
 age of the foal is reckoned from January j therefore it is a 
 
THE HOESE. 177 
 
 matter of some consequence among racing men, that the 
 mare should foal early ; for two or three months' difference in 
 the age of the colt will materially influence the running at two 
 years old. For mares of other classes, the months of March, 
 April, and May, are the most favourable periods. There is, 
 however, a strange difference in the length of the period of 
 pregnancy in the mare, more so than in any other domesticated 
 animal. The cause of this, or the circumstances that influ- 
 ence it, have never been satisfactorily explained. The writer 
 of this sketch had two mares that were impregnated within 
 two days of each other. One of them foaled a fortnight 
 within the eleven months ; the other did not drop her foal 
 until four weeks after the expiration of the eleventh month. 
 There was no possibility of a second impregnation. 
 
 The mare needs not to be taken from moderate work 
 because she is pregnant. Exercise will be of advantage to 
 her rather than otherwise, and may be continued almost to 
 the period of her expected parturition. She should, however, 
 be carefully watched, that her labour-pains may not come 
 upon her unawares. She will probably require, when half 
 the period of pregnancy is past, a little addition made to her 
 food. Any possible symptoms of abortion should also be 
 watched, for these will now, if ever, occur. They will pro- 
 bably be attributable to being overworked or not worked at 
 all, or to being over-fed or half-starved. It should also be 
 recollected that the mare which has once aborted is subject 
 to a repetition of this accident, and that all the mares in the 
 pasture are subject to the same mishap, from a strange 
 species of sympathy. 
 
 A day or two after the foal is dropped, providing the 
 weather is fine, it may be turned with its dam into a sheltered 
 paddock, in which there is a hovel for security from the 
 wind and the rain. Hay, corn, and bran mashes must be 
 
 N 
 
178 THE HORSE. 
 
 allowed, if it is early in tlie season, or tlie grass lias scarcely 
 begun to shoot. Tkere is nothing so detrimental to the colt 
 as insufficient food. It should be regarded as a fundamental 
 principle in breeding, that if the growth of the colt at 
 any time is checked by starvation, beauty, energy, and stout- 
 ness will rarely be displayed in after-years. 
 
 In five or six months, according to the growth of the foal, 
 the weaning may tate place. The colt should be confined to 
 a stable or other building, until he becomes a little recon- 
 ciled to the loss of his dam. 
 
 Too great a distinction, however, is often made between the 
 colts, according to the labour for which they are destined. 
 The one that is designed for somewhat superior service has 
 a hovel in which he is sheltered, while the other is probably 
 exposed to the biting blast, with no food but what he can 
 gather from the frozen ground, except perhaps a morsel X)i 
 hay and straw, and that not of the best quality, when the 
 herbage is buried in the snow. There is nothing gained bj 
 this system of starvation : the farmer may depend upon it 
 that if, from false economy, the colt is half-starved and hii 
 growth arrested, his value will be materially injured as lonj 
 as he lives. The author of the work on " The Extent anc 
 Obligation of Humanity to Brutes" thus describes this neg 
 iected creature : — " The foal that has been left to struggle oi 
 as he can, becomes poor and dispirited. He is shrinking 
 under the hedge, cold and shivering, with his head hanging 
 down, and the rheum distilling from his eyes. If he is mad< 
 to move, he listlessly drags his limbs along, evidently weak 
 and generally in pain. He is a sad specimen of poverty 
 misery, and cruelty." 
 
 The purpose for which the animal is adapted will deter 
 mine the age when the process of breaking must commence 
 Thorough-bred ones are taken in hand in the summer afte: 
 
THE nOESE. 179 
 
 tliey have attained tlieir first year. Those •\^'hich are destined 
 for other employment will not require the attention of the 
 breaker till they are three years old. This is a process on 
 which wiir materially depend the temper and value of the 
 horse, and the pleasure of the rider. The foal should be 
 handled and haltered, and led about by the servant M'ho has 
 the chief care of him, and whose conduct towards him should 
 always be kind. " The principle," says the author of " The 
 Horse," "on which the after-usefulness of the animal is 
 founded, his early attachment to and confidence in man, and 
 obedience, resultin^^ principally from these." 
 
 A horse is well broken when he has been taught implicit 
 and cheerful obedience to his rider or driver, and dexterity 
 in performance of his work. A dogged, sullen, spiritless 
 submission may be enforced by the cruel and brutal usagfe to 
 which the breaker so frequently has recourse ; but that 
 prompt and eager response to the slightest intimation of the 
 rider's will — that manifest aim to anticipate every wish, 
 which gives to the horse so much of his value, must be 
 founded on habitual confidence and attachment. The educa- 
 tion of the horse should be like that of the child. Pleasure 
 should be as much as possible associated with the early 
 lessons ; while firmness, or, if need be, coercion, must esta- 
 blish the habit of obedience. 
 
 It is surprising how soon, under a system of kind manage- 
 ment, the animal which has been accustomed to go where he 
 pleased, and to do as he thought fit, may be taught to yield 
 up his will to another, and to obey with alacrity his master's 
 bidding. If there is a kind-hearted and faithful servant 
 about the premises who will undertake this task, the breeder 
 is fortunate ; for, without this, he is often compelled to 
 resign his colt to the tender mercies of a colt-breaker — a man 
 who seldom has any conception of obtaining his object 
 
 n2 
 
180 THE HORSE. 
 
 by tlie moral influence which kindness would give him 
 over the youngster, but who has too frequent recourse to 
 violence, and that of the most outrageous kind, until the colt 
 becomes a dull, dispirited, useful, but desponding and ill- 
 treated slave through life, or, cherishing a deep feeling of 
 wrong and a spirit of revenge, becomes determinedly vicious 
 and dangerous. 
 
 LEAPING. 
 
 During the process of breaking, every young horse, with 
 any pretensions to making a hunter, should be taught to 
 leap. This is most readily accomplished by means of a 
 well-constructed leaping-bar. It should be arranged with 
 guide-rails set six feet apart, and from five feet six inches 
 to six feet high, smooth at the top, so that the lunging-rein 
 may pass free. They should be about twenty feet in length, 
 sloping gradually to the two extremes, so as to form a kind 
 of lane. There should be two leaping-bars, about seven feet 
 apart, which may be made to rise about five feet, between 
 grooves in the posts, so -that they cannot be knocked down. 
 The young pupil is brought out with a caveson and a lung- 
 ing-rein. The initiative should commence with the first 
 bar on the ground, and the second not more than a foot high : 
 they can both be raised as the youngster gains confidence 
 and proficiency ; and a few oats supplied from the pocket will 
 operate as an encouragement for good performance. An 
 assistant is necessary with a whip ; but that implement must 
 be used with great caution. By this mode young horses 
 will soon become very clever, and it will save them and their 
 riders many falls. Although falls are to be deprecated, 
 every fence at which a young horse is practised should be 
 sufficiently strong, so as not to give way. Other places may 
 be selected in the course of time ; but above all, the lesson, 
 should be short, and the young horse should be taken 
 
THE HORSE. 181 
 
 away wlien 'he has accomplished what is required from him 
 cleverly. 
 
 Havino^ weathered the second winter, the education of the 
 farmer's horse may be pursued. He may be bitted. How 
 much depends upon the application of this little coercive 
 instrument, the bit ! The first bit should always be a large 
 one. It may be contrived so as not to hurt the mouth in the 
 slightest degree. The colt may be permitted to champ and 
 play with it an hour or two at a time, for a few successive 
 days. Then portions of the harness may be put upon him ; 
 and, by-and-by, the winkers ; and, a little after that, he may 
 go as centre horse in a team of three. If he has been kindly 
 and well managed, it is a great chance if he does not go 
 quietly enough, and in a day or two begin to pull with the 
 rest. 'Not many days need to pass before the most difficult 
 of all the mancEuvres of the cart, the backing, is tried ; and it 
 will succeed oftener than they who see the horrible cruelties 
 that are inflicted on the mouth of the horse would think to 
 be possible. The author of this sketch is not advocating the 
 humouring and spoiling of the horse, but he is showing how 
 many lessons may be inculcated by patience and kindness, 
 which brute force would fail to accomplish. 
 
 The breaking being accomplished, the management of the 
 horse will vary according to his breed and destination ; 
 but the good usage of our domesticated slaves should be 
 regarded as a principle that ought never to be violated. The 
 agricultural horse is seldom over- worked, and on large farms 
 is generally well fed ; perhaps, in many cases, too much 
 above his work. This, however, is an error on the right 
 side. 
 
 There are many acts of cruelty committed in the farmer's 
 stable, resulting more from carelessness and thoughtlessness 
 than absolute brutality. In almost every stable there is some 
 
182 THE HOESE, 
 
 horse more powerful or greedy tlian liis neiglibours, wlio 
 robs them of the greater part of their share of the food. 
 The victims are -usually either old or young horses with 
 imperfect mouths. The farmer's stable should be oftener 
 divided into separate stalls than it usually is. The simple* 
 bails afford a very insuflScient security against the thefts of 
 a greedy neighbour. The farmer would certainly reap the 
 advantage of this altered plan in the increased health of 
 some of his team, and their increased capability of labour. 
 
 Connected with this is another circumstance, with regard 
 to which the farmer should be always on the alert — the 
 stupid and cruel dislike which the carter frequently entertains 
 towards some particular horse in his team. This is a crime 
 that should never be forgiven; nor should the secret 
 administration of certain favourite and powerful, and too 
 frequently, injurious, drugs. This practice is often carried 
 to an extent that is scarcely credible. The person who prac- 
 tises this imposition, whatever be his motives — often con- 
 nected with the wished-for good appearance of his team — 
 should be immediately dismissed ; and it should be a golden 
 rule, that no drug should be kept or used in a stable without 
 the master's knowledge and permission. 
 
 A simple but invaluable appendage to the cart-stable is 
 file nose-hag. In order that the lungs of the horse may have 
 their full play, and especially that the speed of the horse may 
 not be impeded, an exceedingly small stomach was given to 
 him. It is, consequently, soon emptied of food, and hunger, 
 and languor, and indisposition, and inability to work, speedily 
 succeed. At length food is set before him ; he falls 
 ravenously upon it ; he swallows it faster than his contracted 
 stomach can digest it ; the stomach becomes overloaded ; he 
 cannot, from the peculiar construction of that organ, get rid 
 of the load by vomiting, and the stomach, or some of the 
 
THE HOESE. 183 
 
 vessels of the brain, become ruptured, and the animal dies. 
 The farmer attributes this to an unknown or accidental cause, 
 and dreams not that it is, in the great majority of cases, to be 
 traced to voracious feeding after hard work and long fasting. 
 The nose-bag is a simple but a kind contrivance, and an. 
 effectual preventive. No cart-horse on a journey of more 
 than four or five hours should be suffered to leave the 
 farmer's yard without it. 
 
 A very slight inspection of the animal will always enable 
 the owner to determine whether he is too well fed or not suf- 
 ficiently fed. The size of the horse, and the nature of the 
 work, and the season of the year, will make considerable 
 difference in the quantity and the quality of the food. The 
 following accounts will sufficiently elucidate the general cus- 
 tom : — " Mr. Harper, of Bank Hall, Lancashire, ploughs 
 seven acres per week, the year through, on strong land, with 
 a team of three horses, and allows to each weekly two 
 bushels of oats, with hay, during the winter six months, and, 
 during the remainder of the year, one bushel of oats per 
 week. Mr. Ellman, of Glynde, in Sussex, allows two bushels 
 of oats, with pease-haulm or straw, with but very little hay, 
 during the winter months. He gives one bushel of oats with 
 green food during the summer."* There is very little 
 difference in the n^anagement of these two gentlemen, and 
 that probably arising from circumstances peculiar to their 
 respective farms. The grand principles of feeding, with re- 
 ference to agricultural horses, are to keep the animal rather 
 above his work, to give him good and wholesome food, and, by 
 the use of the nose-bag or other means, never to let him work 
 longer than the time already mentioned without being baited. 
 
 The horse of quick work should be allowed as much as he 
 
 * Agricultural Survey of Sussex, pp. 378 and 311. 
 
184 THE HOESE. 
 
 will eat, care being taken that no more is put into tlie 
 manger than he will readily dispose of; and that the corn 
 be consumed before the hay is given ; if the former be not 
 eaten up with an appetite, it must be removed before the 
 stable is shut up. The quantity actually eaten will depend 
 on the degree of work and the natural appetite of the horse ; 
 but it may be averaged at about sixty-six pounds of chaff, 
 seventeen pounds and a half of beans, and seventy-seven 
 pounds of oats per week. 
 
 The imtering of the horse is a very important but dis- 
 regarded portion of his general management. The kind of 
 water has not been sufficiently considered. The difference 
 between what is termed hard and soft water is a circum- 
 stance of general observation. The former contains certain 
 saline principles which decompose some bodies, as appears in 
 the curdling of soap, and prevent the decomposition of 
 others, as in the making of tea, the boiling of vegetables, and 
 the process of brewing. It is natural to "suppose that these 
 different kinds of water would produce somewhat different 
 effects on the animal frame; and such is the fact. Hard 
 water, freshly drawn from the well, will frequently roughen 
 the coat of the horse unaccustomed to it, or cause griping 
 pains, or materially lessen the animal's power of exertion. 
 The racing and the hunting groom are perfectly aware of 
 this ; and so is the horse, for he will refuse the purest water 
 from the well, if he can obtain access to the running stream, 
 or even the turbid pool. Where there is the power of choice, 
 the softer water should undoubtedly be preferred. 
 
 The temperature of the water is of far more consequence 
 than its hardness. It will rarely harm, if taken from the 
 pond or the running stream, but its coldness when recently 
 drawn from the well has often been injurious ; it has pro- 
 duced colic, spasm, and even death. 
 
THE HOESE. 185 
 
 There is often considerable prejudice against tlie liorse 
 being fairly supplied with water. It is supposed to chill 
 him, to injure his wind, or to incapacitate him for hard 
 work. It certainly would do so if, immediately after drink- 
 ing his fill, he were galloped hard, but not if he were suf- 
 fered to quench his thirst more frequently when at rest in 
 the stable. The horse that has free access to water will not 
 drink so much in the course of a day as another, who, in 
 order to cool his parched mouth, swallows as fast as he can, 
 and knows not when to stop. 
 
 A horse may with perfect safety be far more liberally 
 supplied with water than he generally is. An hour before 
 his work commences, he should be permitted to drink a 
 couple of quarts. A greater quantity might probably be 
 objected to. He will perform his task far more pleasantly 
 and effectively than with a parched mouth and tormenting 
 thirst. The prejudice both of the hunting and the training 
 groom on this point is cruel, as well as injurious. The task 
 or the journey being accomplished, and the horse having 
 had his head and neck dressed, his legs and feet washed, 
 before his body is cleaned he should have his water. When 
 dressed, his corn may be offered to him, which he will readily 
 take ; but water should never be given immediately before 
 or after the corn. 
 
 CONDITION. 
 
 It would be incompatible with the limits of this little 
 work to enter into the voluminous details of the racing 
 stables ; but some leading remarks on the condition of hunters 
 and all other kinds of working horses are requisite. The 
 treatment of hunters has been vastly improved since it was 
 discovered that turning them out to grass during the summer 
 months was highly prejudicial to their future performances. 
 
186 THE HOESE. 
 
 TVTien tlie hunting season lias terminated, rest is acceptable to 
 most horses, and that cannot be conceded to them more con- 
 veniently than in a loose box, with a yard into which they 
 may be enlarged daily. The state of each animal will deter- 
 mine the necessity for physic, or any applications in the way 
 of blisters or counteractants to the legs. A moderate allow- 
 ance of corn is indispensable, with a sufficiency of hay, but 
 not so much of either as to occasion plethora. Water should 
 always be at hand. Enough has been introduced in these 
 pages on the ill effects of green succulent herbage : those 
 who desire to have their hunters in first-rate condition, will 
 reject it, except in very small quantities for certain purposes. 
 Towards the latter end of August, one or two doses of mild 
 physic will render the subject in a proper state for gradually- 
 increased exercise ; and very few which have been treated in, 
 this manner will require the abuse of sweating — imperative 
 with those which have been fattened with grass. Thus the 
 legs and constitutions are exonerated from much injury and 
 inconvenience. Two or three hours' walking, and ocasional 
 trotting exercise daily, with a steady gallop from two to three 
 miles twice or thrice a week, as the season approaches, will 
 complete the purpose. Clipping or singeing has now become 
 so general, that it is scarcely necessary to make a comment 
 upon the advantages they afford ; and to a certain extent, 
 dependent upon the length of coat, one or other of the opera- 
 tions is indispensable. It enables the servants to dress the 
 horses with so much more expedition where they return 
 home after the fatigues of the day. When the country is 
 very deep and wet, and the horse's coat is covered with clay, 
 or other adhesive soil, the plan of washing the animal all 
 over with warm water immediately on his return to his stables 
 is recommended. It is a great object to dress a tired 
 hunter as expeditiously as possible, and two men should 
 
THE HOKSE. 187 
 
 al^rt-ays be employed for tliat purpose. The ordeal wliich tlie 
 liunter undergoes preparatory to liis work is often incon- 
 sistent. On tlie previous day tlie hay should be moderately 
 apportioned, regulated by the constitution of the animal. 
 On the morning of hunting he should be allowed from six to 
 eight go-downs of water, according to the distance he may 
 have to travel to the place of meeting, and two feeds of corn 
 is as much as he will require. On his return to his stable, he 
 should have, immediately that the bridle is removed from his 
 head, half a bucket of gruel, prepared with linseed, oatmeal, 
 or wheat flour, which requires to be boiled, and a plentiful 
 allowance of bran mash. 
 
 The preparatory work and treatment of hacks and carriage- 
 horses scarcely varies, if the owner desires to have them in first- 
 rate order. The most extraordinary notions prevail concerning 
 the hardihood of horses, and the best means of securing that 
 valuable faculty. It is alleged that those which are bred in the 
 mountainous districts of Wales and Scotland are highly gifted 
 with this property. It is true they bear exposure to great 
 inclemency of weather, and live on scanty food. Thus, 
 reasoning by analogy, persons fancy that by demi-starvation 
 and exposure to inclemency a hardy animal may be reared. 
 There cannot be a more palpable error. The mountaineers 
 are not able to work in their native state ; they must be well 
 supplied with good nutriment when their active services are 
 required, and that, with dry shelter, in a well-ventilated 
 building, is the keystone to physical power and endurance. 
 
 MANAGEMENT OF FAEM HOESES. 
 
 Agriculturists find it to their advantage to keep their 
 horses in the stables and yards throughout the summer, in 
 preference to turning them out into the pasture-fields. The 
 
188 THE HORSE. 
 
 manure wliicK tKey make more than compensates for tlie 
 expense of bringing tlieir food to tkem. In the winter, an 
 allowance of Swedes saves a vast quantity of hay and corn, 
 and keeps the animals cool : they are preferable to carrots. 
 Bran is useful, but it should never be given to them, or 
 to any other horses, without being previously scalded. Carters 
 have a most reprehensible practice of driving their horses into 
 ponds to drink, while attached to each other by their gearing 
 or harness ; many have been drowned in consequence. This 
 class of men have also a most abominable propensity for 
 giving drugs of various kinds: astern injunction should be 
 laid against it. The plan of cutting their hay into chaff is 
 to be recommended, as it saves waste : where this is not done, 
 the quantity of food destroyed, but not consumed, in cart 
 stables is enormous. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 DISEASES OF HORSES. 
 
 It may be readily supposed that the animal doomed to the 
 manner of living which every variety of the horse experiences, 
 will be peculiarly exposed to numerous forms of suffering ; 
 every natural evil will be aggravated, and many new and 
 formidable sources of pain and death will be superadded. 
 
 Interest and humanity require that we should become 
 acquainted with the nature, and causes, and remedy of the 
 diseases of the horse. Only a slight sketch of them can be 
 given here, but sufficient perhaps to enable the owner to 
 avoid their causes, to recognize their existence, and to induce 
 him, without dangerous delay, to apply to the proper quarter 
 for their removal or alleviation. 
 
THE HOBSE. 189 
 
 The principal diseases of the horse are connected with the 
 cii'culatory system. From the state of habitual excitement 
 in which the animal is kept, in order to enable him to execute 
 his task, the heart and the blood-vessels will often act too 
 impetuously; the vital fluid will be hurried along too 
 rapidly, either through the frame generally or some particular 
 part of it, and there will be congestion, accumulation of blood 
 in that part, or injiammation, either local or general, disturb- 
 ing the functions of some organ or of the whole frame. 
 
 Congestion. — Take a young horse on his first entrance into 
 the stables ; feed him somewhat highly, and what is the con- 
 sequence ? He has swellings of the legs, or inflammation of 
 the joints, or perhaps of the lungs. Take a horse that has 
 lived somewhat above his work, and gallop him to the top of 
 his speed : his nervous system becomes highly excited — the 
 heart beats with fearful rapidity— the blood is pumped into the 
 lungs faster than they can discharge it— the pulmonary vessels 
 become gorged, fatigued, and utterly powerless — ^.the blood, 
 arrested in its course, becomes viscid, and death speedily 
 ensues. We have but one chance of saving our patient — 
 the instantaneous and copious abstraction of blood ; and only 
 one means of preventing the recurrence of this dangerous 
 state ; namely, not sufiering too great an accumulation of the 
 sanguineous fluid by over-feeding, and by regular and sys- 
 tematic exercise, which will inure the circulatory vessels to 
 prompt and efilcient action when they are suddenly called 
 upon to exert themselves. This is an extreme case, but the 
 cause and the remedy are sufficiently plain. 
 
 Again, the brain has functions of the most important 
 nature to discharge, and more blood flows through it than 
 through any other portion of the frame of equal bulk. In 
 order to prevent this organ from being oppressed by a too 
 great determination of blood to it, the vessels, although 
 
190 THE HOESE. 
 
 numerous, are small, and pursue a very circuitous and wind- 
 ing course. If a liorse higlily fed, and full of blood, is sud- 
 denly and sharply exercised, tlie course of the blood, is 
 accelerated in every direction, and to the brain among other 
 parts. The vessels that ramify on its surface, or penetrate its 
 substance, are completely distended and gorged with it; 
 perhaps they are ruptured, and the effused blood presses 
 upon the brain ; it presses upon the origins of the nerves, on 
 which sensation and motion depend, and the animal suddenly 
 drops powerless. A prompt and copious abstraction of blood, 
 or, in other words, a diminution of this pressure, can alone 
 save the patient. Here is the nature, the cause, and the 
 treatment of apoplexy. 
 
 Sometimes this disease assumes a different form. The 
 horse has not been performing more than his ordinary work, 
 or perhaps he may not have been out of the stable. He is 
 found with his head drooping and his vision impaired. He 
 is staggering about. He falls, and lies half-unconscious, or 
 he struggles violently and dangerously. There is the same 
 congestion of blood in the head, the same pressure on the 
 nervous organs, but produced by a different cause. He has 
 been accustomed habitually to overload his stomach, or he 
 was, on the previous day, kept too long without his food, and 
 then he fell ravenously upon it, and ate until his stomach 
 was completely distended and unable to propel forward its 
 accumulated contents. Thus distended, its blood-vessels are 
 compressed, and the circulation through them is impeded, or 
 altogether suspended. The blood is still forced on by the 
 heart, and driven in accumulated quantity to other organs, 
 and to the brain among the rest ; and there congestion takes 
 place, as just described, and the animal becomes sleepv, 
 unconscious, and, if he is not speedily relieved, he dies. This, 
 too, is apoplexy : the horseman calls it stomach staggers. 
 
THE HOESE. ]91 
 
 Its cause is improper feeding. The division of the hours of 
 labour, and the introduction of the nose-hag, have much 
 diminished the frequency of its occurrence. The remedies 
 are plain : " bleeding, physicking, and the removal of the 
 contents of the stomach by means of a pump contrived for 
 that purpose. 
 
 Congestions of other kinds occasionally present themselves. 
 It is no uncommon thing for the blood to loiter in the com- 
 plicated vessels of the liver, until the covering of that viscus 
 has burst, and an accumulation of coagulated black blood 
 has presented itself. This congestion constitutes the swelled 
 legs to which so many horses are subject when they stand 
 too long idle in the stable ; and it is a source of many of the 
 accumulations of serous fluid in various parts of the body 
 and particularly in the chest, the abdomen, and the brain. 
 
 Injiammation is opposed to congestion, as consisting in an 
 active state of the capillary arterial vessels ; the blood rushes 
 through them with far greater rapidity than in health, from 
 the excited state of the nervous system by which they are 
 supplied. 
 
 Inflammation is either local or dJ fused. It may be con- 
 fined to one organ, or to a particular portion of that organ ; 
 it may involve many neighbouring ones, or it may be spread 
 over the whole frame. In the latter case it assumes the 
 name of fever. Fever is general or constitutional inflamma- 
 tion, and it is said to be sym'patlietic or symjptomatic when it 
 can be traced to some local affection or cause, and idiojuitJiic 
 when we cannot so trace it. The truth probably is, that 
 every fever has its local cause ; but we have not a sufficient 
 knowledge of the animal economy to discover that cause. 
 
 Inflammation may be considered with reference to the 
 membranes which it attacks. 
 
 The mucous memhranes line all the cavities that com- 
 
192 THE HOESE. 
 
 municate witli tlie external surface of tlie body. There is 
 frequent inflammation of the membrane of the mouth. 
 Slain, or Glysynthrax, is a vesicular enlargement which runs 
 along the side of the tongue. Its cause is unknown. It 
 should be lanced freely and deeply, and some aperient 
 medicine administered. JBarhs, or pai^s, are smaller en- 
 largements, found more in the neighbourhood of the bridle 
 of the tongue. They should never be touched with any 
 instrument : a little cooling medicine will generally remove 
 them. Lampas is inflammation of the palate, or enlarge- 
 ment of the bars of the palate. The roof of the mouth may 
 be slightly lanced, or a little aperient medicine administered ; 
 but the sensibility of the mouth should never be destroyed 
 by the application of the heated iron. Canker and wounds 
 in the mouth, from various causes, will be best remedied by 
 diluted tincture of myrrh, or a weak solution of alum. 
 
 Foreign bodies in the gullet may be generally removed by 
 means of the probang used in the hove- of cattle ; or the 
 oesophagus may be opened, and the obstructing body taken 
 out. 
 
 It is on the mucous membranes that 2^oisons principally 
 exert their influence. . The yew is the most frequent vegetable 
 poison. The horse may be saved by timely recourse to equal 
 parts of vinegar and water ejected into the stomach, after 
 the poison has been as much as possible removed by means 
 of the stomach-pump. Por arsenic or corrosive sublimate 
 there is rarely any antidote. 
 
 Spasmodic colic is too frequently produced by exposure to 
 cold, the drinking of cold water, or the use of too much 
 green meat. The horse should be walked about, strong 
 friction used to the belly, and spirit of turpentine given in 
 doses of two ounces, with an ounce each of laudanum and 
 spirit of nitrous sether, in warm water, ale, or gruel. If the 
 
' THE HORSE. 193 
 
 spasm is not soon relieved, the animal sliould be bled, and 
 injections of warm water with a solution of aloes thrown up, 
 if constipation exists. This spasmodic action of the bowels, 
 when long continued, is liable to produce introsusception, or 
 entanglement, of them ; and the case is then hopeless. 
 
 Superpurgation often follows the administration of a too 
 strong or improper dose of physic. The torture which it 
 produces will be evident by t]\e agonized expression of the 
 countenance, and the frequent looking at the flanks. Plenty 
 of thin starch or arrowroot should be given both by the 
 mouth and by injection ; and, twelve hours having passed 
 without relief being experienced, chalk, catechu, and opium 
 should be added to the gruel. 
 
 Worms in the intestines are not often productive of much 
 mischief, except they exist in very great quantities. Small 
 doses of emetic tartar or calomel, with a little ginger, may be 
 given to the horse half an hour before his first meal, in order 
 to expel the round white worm ; it must be worked ofl" with 
 linseed-oil or aloes, and injections of linseed-oil or aloes will 
 usually remove the ascarides, or needle-worms. 
 
 The respiratory passages are all lined by the mucous mem- 
 brane. Catarrh, or cold, inflammation of the upper air- 
 passa.fjGS, should never be long neglected. A few mashes or 
 a little medicine will usually remove it. If it is neglected, 
 and, occasionally, in defiance of all treatment, it will de- 
 generate into other diseases. The larynx may become the 
 principal seat of inflammation. Laryngitis will be shown 
 by extreme difiiculty of breathing, accompanied by a strange 
 roaring noise, and an evident enlargement and great tender-, 
 ness of the larynx when felt externally. The windpipe must 
 be opened in such case, and the best advice will be necessary. 
 Sometimes the subdivisions of the trachea, before or when it 
 first enters the lungs, will be the part afi'ected, and we have 
 
 
 
194 THE HOESE. '| 
 
 hroncJdtis. TKis is cliaracterized by a quick and liard 
 breathing, and a peculiar wlieezing sound, with the cough- 
 ing up of mucus. Here, too, decisive measures must be 
 adopted, and a skilful practitioner employed. His assistance 
 is equally necessary in distemper, influenza, and epidemic 
 catarrh, names indicating varieties of the same disease, and 
 the product of atmospheric influence ; differing to a certain 
 degree in every season, but in all characterized by intense 
 inflammation of the mucous surfaces, and rapid and utter 
 prostration of strength, and in all demanding the abatement 
 of that inflammation, and yet little expenditure of vital 
 power. 
 
 Cough may degenerate into inflammation of the lungs ; or 
 this fearful malady may be developed without a single pre- 
 monitory symptom, and prove fatal in twenty-four or even 
 in twelve hours. It is mostly characterized by deathly 
 coldness of the extremities, expansion of the nostril, redness 
 of its lining membrane, singularly anxious countenance, con- 
 stant gazing at the flank, and an unwillingness to move. A 
 successful treatment of such a case can be founded only on 
 the most prompt and fearless and decisive measures: the 
 lancet should be freely used. Counter-irritants should follow 
 as soon as the violence of the disease is in the slightest 
 degree abated ; sedatives must succeed to them ; and fortu- 
 nate will he be who often saves his patient after all the de- 
 cisive symptoms of pneumonia are once developed. 
 
 Among the consequences of these severe affections of the 
 lungs, are chronic cough, not always much diminishing the 
 usefulness of the horse, but strangely aggravated at times by 
 any fresh accession of catarrh, and too often degenerating 
 into thicTc wind, which always materially interferes with the 
 speed of the horse, and in a great proportion of cases termi- 
 nates in broken wind. It is rare, indeed, that either of these 
 
THE HOESE. 195 
 
 diseases admits of cure. That obstruction in some part of 
 the respiratory canal, which varies in almost every horse, 
 and produces the peculiar sound termed roaring, is also 
 rarely removed. Roaring is a malady of such frequent occur- 
 rence and such disastrous consequences, that it will be found 
 more discursively treated upon in the concludiug pages. 
 
 Glanders, the most destructive of all the diseases to which 
 the horse is exposed, is the consequence of hreatliing the 
 atmosphere of foul and mtiated stables. It is the winding 
 up of almost every other disease, and in every stage it is 
 most contagious. Its most prominent symptoms are a small 
 but constant discharge of sticky matter from the nose ; an 
 enlargement and induration of the glands beneath and within 
 the lower jaw, on one or both sides, and, before the termina- 
 tion of the disease, chancrous inflammation of the nostril on 
 the same side with the enlarged gland. Its contagiousness 
 should never be forgotten, for, if a glandered horse is once 
 introduced into a stable, almost every inhabitant of that stable 
 will sooner or later become infected and die. 
 
 The urinary and genital organs are also lined by mucous 
 membranes. The horse is subject to inflammation of the 
 Tcidneys, from eating musty oats or mow-burnt hay, from 
 exposure to cold, injuries of the loins, and the imprudent use 
 of diuretics. Bleeding, physic, and counter-irritants over 
 the regions of the loins should be had recourse to. Diabetes, 
 or profuse staling, is diificult to treat. The inflammation 
 that may exist should first be subdued, and then opium, 
 catechu, and the Uvaursi administered. Inflammation of the 
 bladder will be best alleviated by mucilaginous drinks of 
 almost any kind, linseed-gruel taking precedence of all others. 
 Inflammation of the neclc of the bladder, evinced by the 
 frequent and painful discharge of small quantities of urine, 
 will yield only to the abstraction of blood and the exhibition 
 o 2 
 
196 THE HOESE. 
 
 of opium. A catlieter may be easily passed into the bladder 
 of the mare, and urine evacuated ; but it will require a skilful 
 veterinary surgeon to effect this in the horse. A stone in the 
 bladder is readily detected by the practitioner, and may be 
 extracted with comparative ease. The sheath of the penis is 
 often diseased, from the presence of corrosive mucous matter. 
 This may easily be removed with warm soap and water. 
 
 To the mucous membranes belong the conjunctival tunic 
 of the eye ; and the diseases of the eye generally may be here 
 considered. A scabby itchiness on the edge of the eyehd 
 may be cured by a diluted nitrated ointment of mercury. 
 Warts should be cut off with the scissors, and the roots 
 touched with lunar caustic. Inflammation of the haw should 
 be abated by the employment of cooling lotions, but that 
 useful defence of the eye should never, if possible, be removed. 
 Common ojphthalmia will yield as readily to cooling applica- 
 tions as inflammation of the same organ in any other animal j 
 but there is another species of inflammation, commencing in 
 the same way as the first, and for a while apparently yielding 
 to treatment, but which changes from eye to eye, and retui-ns 
 again and again, until blindness is produced in one or both 
 organs of vision. The most frequent cause is hereditary pre- 
 disposition. The reader cannot be too often reminded that 
 the qualities of the sire, good or bad, descend, and scarcely 
 changed, to his offspring. How moon-blindness was first 
 produced no one knows ; but its continuance in our stables 
 is to be traced to this cause principally, or almost alone ; and 
 it pursues its course until cataract is produced, for which 
 there is no remedy. Gutta serena (palsy of the optic nerve) 
 is sometimes observed, and many have been deceived, for the 
 eye retains its perfect transparency. Here also medical 
 treatment is of no avail. 
 
 The serous membranes are of great importance. The brain 
 
THE HOESE. 197 
 
 and spinal marrow, witli tlie origins of tlie nerves, are sur- 
 rounded by them ; so are the heart, the lungs, the intestinal 
 canal, and the organs whose office it is to prepare the gene- 
 rative fluid. 
 
 Inflammation of tlie Brain. — Mad staggers fall under this 
 division. It is inflammation of the meninges, or envelopes 
 of the brain, produced by over-exertion, or by any of the 
 causes of general fever, and it is characterized by the wildest 
 delirium. Nothing but the most profuse blood-letting, active 
 purgation, and blistering the head, will afibrd the slightest 
 hope of success. Tetanus, or Locked Jaw, is a constant spasm 
 of all the voluntary muscles, and particularly those of the neck, 
 the spine, and the head, arising from the injury of some 
 nervous fibril — that injury spreading to the origin of the 
 nerve — the brain becoming afiected, and universal and 
 unbroken spasmodic action being the result. Bleeding, phy- 
 sicking, blistering the course of the spine, and the admi- 
 nistration of opium in enormous doses, will alone give any 
 chance of cure. Epilepsy is not a frequent disease in the 
 horse, but it seldom admits of cure. It is also very apt to 
 return at the most distant and uncertain intervals. Palsy 
 is the suspension of nervous power. It is usually confined to 
 the hinder limbs, and sometimes to one limb only. Bleeding, 
 physicking, antimonial medicines, and blistering of the spine, 
 are most likely to produce a cure ; but they too often utterly 
 fail of success. Rabies, or madness, is evidently a disease of 
 the nervous system, and, once being developed, is altogether 
 without remedy. The utter destruction of the bitten part 
 with the lunar caustic, soon after the infliction of the wound, 
 will, however, in a great majority of cases, prevent that 
 development. 
 
 Pleurisy, or inflammation of the serous covering of the 
 lungs and the lining of the cavity of the chest, is generally 
 
198 THE HOESE. 
 
 connected with, inflammation of the substance of the lungs ; 
 but it occasionally exists independent of any state of those 
 organs. The pulse is in this case hard and full, instead of 
 being oppressed ; the extremities are not so intensely cold as 
 in pneumonia j the membrane of the nose is little reddened, 
 and the sides are tender. It is of importance to distinguish 
 accurately between the two, because in pleurisy more active 
 purgation may be pursued, and the effect of counter-irritants 
 will be greater, from their proximity to the seat of disease. 
 Copious bleedings and sedatives here also should be had 
 recourse to. It is in connection with pleurisy that a serous 
 fluid is efiused in the chest, the existence and the extent of 
 which may be ascertained by the practised ear, and which in 
 many cases may be safely evacuated. 
 
 The heart is surrounded by a serous membrane,- — the peri- 
 cardium, that secretes a fluid, the interposition of which pre- 
 vents any injurious friction or concussion in the constant 
 action of this organ. If this fluid increases to a great degree, 
 it constitutes dropsy of the heart, and the action of the heart 
 may be impeded or destroyed. In an early stage it is diffi- 
 cult to detect, and in every stage difficult to cure. 
 
 The heart itself is often diseased ; it sympathizes with the 
 inflammatory affection of every organ, and therefore is itself 
 occasionally inflamed. Carditis, or injlammation of the heart, 
 is characterized by the strength of its pulsations, the tremor 
 of which can be seen, and the sound can be heard at a dis- 
 tance of several yards. Speedy and copious blood-letting 
 will afford the only hope of cure in such a case. 
 
 The outer coat of the stomach and intestines is composed 
 of a serous membrane, — the peritoneum, which adds strength 
 and firmness to their textures, attaches and supports and 
 confines them in their respective places, and secretes a fluid 
 that prevents all injurious friction between them. This coat 
 
THE HOESE. 199 
 
 is exceedingly subject to inflammation, wliich is somewhat 
 gradual in its approach. The pulse is quickened, but small ; 
 the legs cold ; the belly tender ; there is constant pain, and 
 every motion increases it ; there is also rapid and great prostra- 
 tion of strength. These symptoms will sufficiently characterize 
 peritoneal inflammation. Bleeding, aperient injections, and 
 extensive counter-irritation, will afford the only hope of cure. 
 
 The time for castration varies according to the breed and. 
 destiny of the horse. On the farmer's colt it may be effected 
 when the animal is not more than four or five months old, 
 and it is comparatively seldom that a fatal case then occurs. 
 For other horses, much depends on their growth, and particu- 
 larly on the development of their fore-quarters. An improve- 
 ment has been effected in the old mode of castrating, by 
 opening the scrotum, and the division of the cord by the 
 knife, instead of the heated iron. 
 
 Synovial or joint membranes are interposed between the 
 divisions of the bones, and frequently between the tendons, 
 in order to secrete a certain fluid that shall facilitate motion 
 and obviate friction. Occasionally the membrane is lacerated, 
 and the synovia escapes. This is termed opened joint, and 
 violent inflammation rapidly ensues. The duty of the prac- 
 titioner is to close this opening as quickly as possible. 
 Superaeetate of lead one part, and water four parts, may 
 be applied or injected into the cavity, frequently with success. 
 A great deal of inflammation and engorgement are produced 
 around the opening, partially, if not altogether, closing it, or 
 at least enabling the coagulated synovia to occupy and ob- 
 literate it. Perhaps, in order to secure the desired result, the 
 whole of the joint should be blistered. After this a bandage 
 should be firmly applied, and kept on as long as it is wanted. 
 If there is any secondary eruption of the synovia, the cautery 
 must be had recourse to. 
 
200 THE HORSE. 
 
 Spavin is an enlargement of tlie inner side of tlie liock. 
 Tlie splint-bones support the inferior \sijev of tliose of the 
 hock, and as they sustain a very unequal degree of concus- 
 sion and weight, the cartilaginous substance which unites 
 them to the shank-bone takes on inflammation. It becomes 
 bony instead of cartilaginous ; and the disposition to this 
 change being set up in the part, bony matter continues to be 
 deposited, until a very considerable enlargement takes place, 
 known by the name of spavin, and there is considerable 
 lameness in the hock -joint. The bony tumour is bhstered, 
 and probably fired, but there is no diminution of the lame- 
 ness until the parts have adapted themselves, after a con- 
 siderable process of time, to the altered duty required of them, 
 and then the lameness materially diminishes, and the horse 
 becomes, to a very considerable extent, useful. Curb is an 
 enlargement of the back of the hock, three or four inches 
 below its point. It is a strain of the ligament which there 
 binds the tendons down in their place. The patient should 
 be subjected to almost absolute rest; a blister should be 
 applied over the back of the tumour, and occasionally firing 
 will be requisite to complete the cure. JN'ear the fetlock, and 
 where the tendons are exposed to injury from pressure or 
 friction, little bags or sacs are placed, from which a lubri- 
 cating mucous fluid constantly escapes. In the violent tasks 
 which the horse occasionally has to perform, these become 
 bruised, inflamed, enlarged, and hardened, and are termed 
 ^oindgalls. They blemish the horse, but are no cause of lame- 
 ness after the inflammation has subsided, unless they become 
 very much enlarged. The cautery will then be the best cure. 
 Immediately above the hock, enlargements of a similar nature 
 are sometimes found, and as they project both inwardly and 
 outwardly, they are termed thorough-pins. They are seldom 
 a cause of lameness ; but they indicate great, and perhaps 
 
THE HOESE. 
 
 201 
 
 injurious, exertion of tlie joint. On tlie inside of the Lock a 
 tumour of this kind, but of a more serious nature, is found. 
 It is one of these enlarged mucous bags, but very deeply 
 seated ; and the subcutaneous vein of the hock passing over 
 it, the course of the blood through the vein is thus in some 
 measure arrested, and a portion of the vessel becomes dis- 
 tended. This is a serious evil, since, from the deep-seatedness 
 of the mucous bag, it is almost impossible to act effectually 
 upon it. It is termed hog or hlood spavin. 
 
 The cellular tissue which fills the interstices of the various 
 organs, or enters into their texture, is the seat of many dis- 
 eases. From the badness of the harness, or the brutality of 
 the attendant, the poll of the horse becomes contused. In- 
 flammation is set up,— considerable swelling ensues; an 
 ulcerative process soon commences, and chasms and sinuses 
 of the most frightful extent begin to be formed. The withers 
 also are occasionally bruised, and the same process takes 
 place there, and sinuses penetrate deep beneath the shoulder, 
 and the bones of the withers are frequently exposed. These 
 abscesses are termed poll evil and fistulous icitJiers, and in 
 the treatment of them the horse is often tortured to a dread- 
 ful extent. A better mode of management has, however, 
 been introduced : setons are passed through the most depen- 
 dent parts; no collection of sanious fluid is permitted to 
 exist, and milder stimulants are appHed to the surface of the 
 ulcer. 
 
 An abscess of a peculiar character is found between the 
 branches of the lower jaw in young horses. It is preceded 
 by some degree of fever. It is usually slow in its progress, 
 but at length it attains a considerable size, including the 
 whole of the cellular tissue in that neighbourhood. There is 
 one uniform mass of tumefaction. This is strangles. It 
 seems to be an effort of nature to get rid of something that 
 
202 
 
 THE HOESE. 
 
 oppresses tlie constitution, and the treatment of it is now 
 simple and effectual. It is encouraged by fomentations and 
 blisters. It is punctured as soon as the fluctuation of a fluid 
 within it can be fairly detected ; the pus speedily escapes, 
 and there is an end of the matter. 
 
 Farcy. — "While the arterial capillaries are engaged in 
 building up the frame, the absorbents are employed in re- 
 moving that which is not only useless, but would be poison- 
 ous and destructive. They take up the matter of glanders 
 and of every ulcerating surface, and they are occasionally 
 irritated, inflamed, and ulcerated, from the acrimonious nature 
 of the poison which they carry; the absorbents are fur- 
 nished with numerous valves; the fluid is for a while 
 arrested by them, and there the inflammation is greatest, 
 and ulceration takes place. This is the history of the farcy- 
 cords and buds. Farcy is a highly contagious disease, 
 whether or not it be connected with glanders. It, however, 
 occasionally admits of cure, from the application of i\iQ cau- 
 tery to the buds, and the administration of the corrosive 
 sublimate or the sulphate of iron internally. 
 
 The skin of the horse is subject to various diseases. 
 Large pimples or lumps suddenly appear on it, and, after 
 remaining a few days, the cuticle peels off, and a circular 
 scaly spot is left. This is called surfeit. The cause is ob- 
 scure, but principally referable to indigestion. A slight 
 bleeding will always be serviceable. Physic rarely does 
 good, but alteratives composed of nitre, black antimony, and 
 sulphur, will be very beneficial. Mange is a disease of a 
 different character : it is the curse of the stable into which 
 it enters, for it will almost certainly affect every horse. Tho- 
 rough dressings with Barbadoes tar and linseed-oil, in the 
 proportion of one of the former to three of the latter, will be 
 tjie most effectual external application, while alteratives and 
 
THE HOUSE. 203 
 
 physic sliould be given internally. Hide-hound is a very 
 appropriate term for the peculiar sticking of the hide to the 
 ribs when a horse is out of condition. The subcutaneous 
 adipose matter is all absorbed. The alterative above recom- 
 mended will be very useful here. 
 
 The legs, and the hind ones more than the fore ones, are 
 subject to frequent, and great, and obstinate swellings, at- 
 tended with great pain and considerable fever. It is acute 
 inflammation of the cellular substance of the legs. Physic and 
 diuretics, and tonics if there is the slightest appearance of 
 debility, are the proper means of cure. Friction and ban- 
 dages will also be useful occasionally. There are two causes, 
 diametrically opposed to each other, which occasion the legs 
 to swell : an inspissated or plethoric condition of the blood; 
 the other, debility of the system. The remedy must depend on 
 the cause : in the first case, moderate doses of physic, com- 
 bined with diuretics, according to a formula given at the con- 
 clusion ; in the other case, tonics, with good keep, are 
 necessary. 
 
 Grease is an undue secretion of the fluid which was de- 
 signed to lubricate the skin of the heels ; and that secretion 
 is also altered in quality. The hind legs begin to swell — a 
 fluid exudes from the heels — the hairs of the heels become 
 erect like so many bristles, and the skin of the heel is hot and 
 greasy. Soon afterwards cracks appear across the heel : 
 they discharge a thick and offensive matter, and then deepen. 
 They spread up the leg, and so does the tumefaction of the 
 part. In process of time the skin, inflamed arid ulcerated, 
 undergoes an alteration of structure ; prominences or granu- 
 lations appear on it, assuming the appearance of a collection 
 of grapes, or the skin of a pine-apple. They increase, and a 
 fetid discharge appears from the crevices between them. 
 
 The cause is generally neglect of the horse. He is suf- 
 
204 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 fered to stand in the stable witli liis heels cold and wet, wliich 
 necessarily disposes them to inflammation and disease. 
 
 In the first stage of grease, bran, or turnip, or carrot 
 poultices will be serviceable, with moderate physic. Then 
 astringents must be employed ; and the best are alum or 
 sulphate of copper in powder, mixed with several times the 
 quantity of bole Armenian, and sprinkled on the sores. 
 These should be alternated every three or four days. The 
 grapy heels are a disgrace to the stable in which they are 
 found, and admit not of radical cure. 
 
 Splints are bony enlargements, generally on the inside of 
 the leg, arising from undue pressure on the inner splint- 
 bone ; and this is either caused by the natural conformation 
 of the leg, or violent blows on it. These excrescences will 
 often gradually disappear, or will yield to a simple operation, 
 or to the application of the hydriodate of potash or blister 
 ointments. Sprains, if neglected, occasionally become very 
 serious evils. Eest, warm fomentations," poultices, or, in 
 bad cases, blistering, are the usual remedies. Windfalls, 
 if they are of considerable size, or accompanied by much 
 inflammation or lameness, will find in a blister the most 
 effectual remedy. Sprains of the fetloch demand prompt 
 and severe blistering : nothing short of this will produce a 
 permanent cure. SjJrains of the pastei^n and coffin-joints 
 demand still more prompt and decisive treatment. If neo-- 
 lected, or inefficiently managed, the neighbouring ligaments 
 will be involved, more extensive inflammation will be set up, 
 and bony matter, under the name of ring -hone, will spread 
 over the pasterns and cartilages of the foot. Firing alone 
 will, in the majority of cases, be efficient here. 
 
 Inflammation of tJie foot, or acute founder. — In speaking 
 of the structure of the foot, the lamina, or fleshy plates on 
 the front and sides of the coffin-bone, were described. From 
 
THE HOESE. 205 
 
 over-exertion, or undue exposure to cold or wet, or sudden 
 cliange from cold to heat, iixflammation of these lamina) is 
 apt to occur ; and a dreadfully painful disease it is. It is 
 easily detected by the heat of the feet, and the torture 
 which is produced by the slightest touch of the hammer. 
 The shoe must be removed, the sole well pared out, plentiful 
 bleeding from the toe had recourse to, the foot well poulticed, 
 and cooling medicines resorted to. The bleeding should be 
 repeated, if manifest benefit is not procured, and cloths 
 dipped in dissolved nitre, which are colder than the common 
 poultice, should be substituted. After this, a poultice around 
 the foot and pastern should succeed. Little food should be 
 given, and that must consist of mashes and a cooling diet. 
 
 Fumiced Feet. — This is one of the consequences of inflamed 
 feet. The sole of the foot becomes flattened, or even con- 
 vex, by the pressure of the weight above. There is no cure 
 here, and the only palliation of the evil is obtained from the 
 appplication of a shoe so bevelled off from the crust that it 
 shall not press upon or touch the sole. This, however, is 
 only a temporary palliation, for the sole will continue to pro- 
 ject, and the horse will be useless. 
 
 Contracted Feet. — By this is meant an increase in the 
 length of the foot, and a gradual narrowing as the heels are 
 approached ; and, as the necessary consequence of this, a 
 diminution of the width of the foot, and a concavity of the 
 sole. In point of fact, the whole of the foot, including the 
 coffin-bone, becomes narrowed, and consequently elongated. 
 This change of form is accompanied by considerable pain ; 
 the action of the horse is altered ; there is a shortened tread, 
 and a hesitating way of putting the foot to the ground. 
 
 The frog and heel would expand when the weight of the 
 horse descends and is thrown upon them, but the nailing of 
 the shoe at the heels prevents it. Thence the pain and lame- 
 
206 THE HOESE. 
 
 ness. Mr. Turner, of E/egent-street, obviates this by a very 
 simple metliod. He puts four or five nails in the shoe on the 
 outside, and only two on the inside. There is then sufficient 
 room for the natural expansion to take place, and the foot and 
 action of the horse are little or not at all changed. This is an 
 admirable contrivance, and recourse should always be had to it. 
 
 Tlie Navicular Joint Disease. — There are many horses with 
 open and well-formed feet that are lame. In every motion of 
 the foot, there is a great deal of action between the navicular 
 bone and the flexor tendon which passes over it, in order to 
 be inserted into the navicular bone. From concussion or 
 violent motion, the membrane or the cartilage which covers the 
 navicular bone is bruised or abraded, the horse becomes 
 lame, and often continues so for life. This disease admits of 
 remedy to a very considerable extent ; no one, however, but 
 a skilful veterinary surgeon is capable of successfully under- 
 taking it. 
 
 Sand-crack is a division of the crust of the hoof from the 
 upper part of it downward. It bespeaks brittleness of the 
 foot, and often arises from a single false step. If the crack 
 has not penetrated through the horn, it must, nevertheless, 
 be pared fairly out, and generally a coating of pitch should be 
 bound round the foot. If the crack has reached the quick, 
 that must be done which ought to be done in every case — a 
 skilful surgeon should be consulted, otherwise false quarter 
 may ensue. 
 
 False quarter is a division' of tJie ligament by which the 
 crust is secreted. It is one of the varieties of sand-crack, 
 and exceedingly difficult of cure. 
 
 ■ Tread, or Over-reach, is a clumsy habit of setting one foot 
 upon or bruising the other. It should immediately and care- 
 fully be attended to, or a bad case of quittor may ensue. 
 Fomentations in the first instance, and, if much inflammation 
 
THE HORSE. 207 
 
 exists, poultices, to be followed by a mild styptic : tincture 
 of myrrh, or Friar's balsam, ^iH soon effect a cure. 
 
 Quittor is the formation of little pipes between the crust 
 and the hoof, by means of which the purulent matter secreted 
 from some wound beneath the crust makes its escape. The 
 healing of this, and of every species of prich or tcoimd in the 
 sole or crust, is often exceedingly difficult. 
 
 Corns are said to exist when the posterior part of the foot 
 between the external crust and the bars is unnaturally con- 
 tracted and becomes inflamed. Corns are the consequence of 
 continued and unnatural pressure. The cure of corns must 
 be attempted by removing the cause — namely, the pressure. 
 
 Thrush is the consequence of filth and unnatural pressure 
 on the frog. It is the cause and the effect of contraction, 
 whether it is found in the heels of the fore feet or the hinder 
 ones. It is not difficult of cure when taken in time ; but when 
 neglected, it often becomes a very serious matter. Clean- 
 liness, fomentations, dressing the part with tincture of myrrh, 
 and frequent applications of tar, are the best remedies. 
 
 Canker is the. consequence of thrush, or, indeed, of almost 
 every disease of the foot. It is attended by a greater or less 
 separation of horn, which sometimes leaves the whole of the 
 sole bare. This also, like the diseases of the foot generally, 
 is difficult of cure. 
 
 Few things are more neglected, and yet of greater im- 
 portance to the comfort and durability of the horse, than a 
 proper system of Shoeing. It is necessary that the foot 
 should be defended from the wear and tear of the roads ; 
 but that very defence too often entails on the animal a 
 degree of injury and suffering scarcely credible. The shoe 
 is fixed to the foot, and often interferes with and limits the 
 beautiful functions of that organ, and thus causes much un- 
 necessary inflammation and mischief. 
 
208 THE HOESE. 
 
 The slioe of a liealthj foot should offer a perfectly flat 
 surface to the ground. The bearing or weight of the horse 
 will then be diffused over the surface of the shoe, and there 
 will be no injurious accumulation of it on different points. 
 Too often, however, there is a convexity towards the inner 
 edge, which causes an inequality of bearing, which breaks and 
 destroys the crust, and pinches the sensible parts. Hound 
 the outer edge of the shoe, and extended over two-thirds of 
 it on the lower surface, a groove is sunk, through which pass 
 the nails for the fastening of the shoe. At first they some- 
 what project, but they are soon worn down to the level of 
 the shoe, which, in the healthy foot, should not vary in thick- 
 ness from the heel to the toe. 
 
 The width of the shoe will depend on that of the foot. 
 The general rule is, that it should protect the sole from 
 injury, and be as wide at the heel as the frog will permit. 
 
 The upper surface of the shoe should be differently formed : 
 it should be flat along the upper end, the outer portion sup- 
 porting the crust, or, in other words, the weight of the horse, 
 and widest at the heel, so as to afford expansion of the bars 
 and the heels. The inner portion of the shoe should be 
 bevelled off, in order that, in the descent of the sole, that 
 part of the foot may not be bruised. The owner of the horse 
 should occasionally be present when the shoes are removed, 
 and he will be too often surprised to see how far the smith, 
 almost wilfully, deviates from the right construction of this 
 apparently simple apparatus. The bevelled shoe is a little 
 more troublesome to make and to apply than that which is 
 often used by the village smith ; but it will be the owner's 
 fault if his directions are not implicitly obeyed. 
 
 Even at the commencement of the operation of shoeing, the 
 eye of the master or the trustworthy groom will be requisite. 
 The shoe is often torn from the foot in a most violent and 
 
THE HOESE. 209 
 
 cruel way. Scarcely half the clenches are raised, when the 
 smith seizes the shoe with his pincers, and forcibly wrenches 
 it off. The shrinking of the horse will tell how much he 
 suffers, and the fragments of the crust will also afford suf- 
 ficient proofs of the mischief that has been done, especially 
 when it is recollected that every nail-hole is enlarged by this 
 brutal force, and the future safety of the shoe to a greater or 
 less degree weakened ; and pieces of the nail are sometimes 
 left in the substance of the crust, which become the cause of 
 future mischief. 
 
 In the paring out of the foot, also, there is frequently great 
 mischief done. The formidable hutteris is still often found 
 in the smithy of the country farrier, although it is banished 
 from the practice of every respectable operator. A worse 
 evil, however, remains. By the butteris much of the sole 
 was injuriously removed, and the foot was occasionally 
 weakened, but the draicing-Jcnife frequently left a portion of 
 sole sufficient to destroy the elasticity of the foot, and to lay 
 the foundation for contraction, corns, and permanent lame- 
 ness. One object, then, of the looker-on is to ascertain the 
 actual state of the foot. On the, descent of the crust when 
 the foot is placed on the ground, depends the elasticity and 
 healthy state of the foot ; and that may be satisfactorily 
 determined by the yielding of the sole, although to a very 
 slight degree, when it is strongly pressed upon with the 
 thumb. The sole being pared out, the crust on each side 
 may be lowered, but never reduced to a level with the sole ; 
 otherwise this portion will be exposed to continual injury. 
 
 The heels often suffer considerably from the carelessness 
 or ignorance of the smith. The weight of the horse is not 
 thrown equably on them, but considerably more on the inner 
 than the outer quarter. The consequence of this is, that the 
 inner heel is worn down more than the outer, and the foun- 
 
 P 
 
210 THE HOESE. 
 
 dation is laid for tenderness, corns, and nlceration. The 
 smith is too often inattentive to this, and pares away an equal 
 quantity of horn from the inneV and outer heel, leaving the 
 former weaker and lower, and less able to support the weight 
 thrown upon it. 
 
 Mention has already been made of the use of the lars in 
 admitting and yet limiting to its proper extent the expansion 
 of the foot. The smith in the majority of the country forges, 
 and in too many of those that disgrace the metropolis, seems 
 to have waged interminable war with these portions of the 
 foot, and avails himself of every opportunity to pare them 
 down, or perfectly to destroy them, forgetting, or never having 
 learned, that the destruction of the bars necessarily leads 
 to contraction, by removing the chief impediment to it. 
 
 The horn between the crust and the bar should be well 
 pared out. Every one accustomed to horses must have 
 observed the great relief that is given to the horse with corns 
 when this angle is pared out ; and yet, from some fatality, the 
 smith rarely leaves it where nature placed it, but cuts away 
 every portion of it. 
 
 The true function of the frog is easily understood : it 
 gives security to the tread, and permits the expansion of 
 the heels ; but the smith, although these cases come before 
 him every day, seems to be quite unaware of the course 
 which he should pursue, and either leaves the frog almost 
 untouched, and then it becomes bruised and injured, or he 
 pares it away, so that it cannot come into contact with the 
 ground, and consequently is not enabled to do its duty. 
 
 The owner of the horse will therefore find it his interest 
 occasionally to visit the forge, and, guided by the simple 
 principles which have been stated, he will seldom err in his 
 opinion of what is going forward there. He should impress 
 two principles deeply on his mind ; that a great deal more de- 
 
THE HOESE. 211 
 
 pends on tlie paring out of the foot than in the construction of 
 the shoe ; and that few shoes, except they press upon the sole, 
 or are made shamefully bad, will lame the horse, but that he 
 may be very easily lamed by an ignorant or improper paring 
 out of the foot. 
 
 Where the owner of the horse has sufficient influence with 
 the smith, he will find it advisable always to have a few sets 
 of shoes ready made. Much time will be saved, in case of 
 accident, and there will not be, as is too often the case, the 
 cutting, paring, and injuring of the foot, in order to make it 
 fit the shoe. More injury than would be readily believed is 
 done to the foot by contriving to get on it too small a shoe. 
 
 Clips are often necessary, in order more securely to fasten 
 the shoe. They are little portions of the upper edge of the 
 shoe hammered out, and turned up on the crust, and fitted 
 in a little depression made in the crust. They prevent the 
 shoe from being loosened or torn off, both in rapid action and 
 heavy draught, and are therefore used on all heavy, and on 
 many light horses. They are sometimes placed on the side 
 of the shoe, and at the beginning of the quarters, and on all 
 horses that are accustomed to paw violently with their feet. 
 Necessity alone, however, will justify their use. 
 
 The calkin is a prolongation and turning down of the shoe 
 at the heel, enabling the animal to dig his foot more firmly 
 into the ground, and with more advantage throw his weight 
 into the collar ; but it is an abominable and most injudicious 
 practice to place the calkin on one side alone, as is too often 
 done : an unequal direction and distribution of the weight 
 and bearing of the foot is often given, which is necessarily 
 productive of mischief. Few are the cases which will justify 
 the use of calkins on the fore feet, or even on the hind feet, 
 except they are of equal height on each foot ; and few things 
 are more injurious to the foot of the horse than wearing the 
 p2 
 
212 THE HOESE. 
 
 same shoe more than three weeks or a month, let the work 
 be heavy or light. The shoe should never be heavier than 
 the work absolutely requires. This is acknowledged in the 
 shoe of the hunter and the racer, and will tell in the case- of 
 every horse after a hard day's work. The calkin is required 
 on the outside of the hind shoes of hunters, to prevent them 
 from slipping at their leaps ; but the inside of the shoe must 
 be made of a compensating thickness, to afford an even bear- 
 ing for the foot. 
 
 The 5ar sJioe is indispensable in most large stables. It is 
 a very simple contrivance, being nothing more than the con- 
 tinuation of the common shoe over the heels. The bearing 
 of the shoe may thus be taken off from every weak and tender 
 part of the foot, and be either thrown on some other point 
 which is better able to bear the pressure, or diffused over the 
 foot. It is useful in some cases of bad corns, which are thus 
 protected from injury ; in sand-crack, the pressure may be 
 removed from either or both sides of the fissure ; pumiced 
 feet may be raised by this shoe above the possibility of injury ; 
 and in thrush and in canker not only is the weight thrown 
 off the diseased part, but any kind of dressing may be easily 
 retained on the sore. It is a shoe, however, that cannot be 
 safely used for any considerable time, or, at least, it requires 
 occasional or even frequent change, on account of its be- 
 coming gradually pressed down on the sore part beneath. 
 Bar-shoes are not safe for use when much speed is required, 
 and they are dangerous when frost is on the ground. 
 
 The tip is a very different kind of shoe. It reaches but 
 half round the crust. It is used when the horse is at rest ; 
 and, the quarters of this shoe being unfettered, the contracted 
 foot is sometimes enabled to regain its natural open state. It 
 has been tried for road-work, but, as might naturally be 
 expected, it utterly failed when often or long used. 
 
THE HOESE. 213 
 
 The leather slioe is principally useful wlien tlie foot has 
 been injured or inflamed. It, to a considerable degree, breaks 
 the shock, which would otherwise be painfully felt when the 
 foot is put on the ground. It consists of a piece of leather 
 or felt, about an inch in width, which is placed between the 
 crust and the shoe ; and this very materially obviates concus- 
 sion. It must not, however, be long worn, for the nails can- 
 not always be driven securely ; there will be too much play 
 upon them, and they will become loosened ; also the holes 
 which they accurately filled at first will be enlarged, and 
 the crust will be broken away. 
 
 The sole is sometimes entirely covered with leather. This 
 furnishes a temporary defence for the foot, but there is much 
 insecurity of fastening ; the tow or other dressing introduced 
 between the sole and the leather, is not always equably 
 distributed, and frequently the stopping produces a scaly 
 spongy horn, or gravel and dirt will gradually accumulate 
 between the leather and the horn, and the foot will be con- 
 siderably injured. Gutta percha is substituted with good 
 effect. 
 
 One other shoe, the invention of Mr. Percival, must be 
 mentioned — the horse-sandal. It consists of a simple appa- 
 ratus sufficiently light even to be carried in the pocket, but 
 is more frequently attached to the saddle, and which, on the 
 loss of a shoe, can be applied to the foot in the space of a 
 minute, and so securely attached to it that the sportsman 
 may continue the chase to the end of the longest run. The 
 same sandal has been repeatedly worn more than one hun- 
 dred miles : it may be procured from any respectable harness- 
 maker. 
 
214 
 
 THE HOESE. 
 
 EOAEING. 
 
 The quality of soundness involves several questions of no 
 mean importance, especially with regard to those maladies 
 ■which are capable of being transmitted. It is very apparent 
 to those whose practice among horses is extensive, and 
 who are best able to form accurate opinions, that spavins -and 
 curbs are less frequent than they, were five-and-twenty years 
 ago. This may fairly be attributed to the fact, that con- 
 siderable circumspection has been exercised in avoiding such 
 animals for breeding purposes as, possessing peculiar con- 
 formations in their hocks, would render their offspring 
 predisposed to those defects. Blindness is certainly less 
 prevalent than formerly. Superior management in the stable 
 has evidently assisted in averting this evil: insufficiently 
 ventilated, dark stables, with an accumulation of dung to 
 generate ammonia, are fortunately out of fashion. 
 
 There is an impression that roaring is more frequent ; and 
 among race-horses it is not without foundation. As an 
 hereditary complaint, it may certainly be traced to several 
 sources — to horses whose progeny have, in many instances, 
 given unequivocal testimony of the infirmity. When the fact is 
 seriously considered, it is surprising that gentlemen of known 
 talent, owners of valuable studs, hberal in every item of 
 expense calculated to promote the success of their young 
 racing stock, should ever breed from sires or dams known to 
 entail this malady on their progeny. A veterinary surgeon 
 of great ability and observation, has stated that every stallion, 
 when consigned to the stud, becomes a roarer. It is a 
 startling assertion, and induced me to investigate the fact 
 very minutely. The result does not corroborate the state- 
 ment to the full extent of the declaration, although I 
 
THE HOESE. 215 
 
 discovered sufficient to lead me to the conviction that it is 
 a very prevalent affliction. I must here, however, introduce 
 a reserving clause, arising From the difficulty which exists 
 of positively deciding upon every case, which I shall enter 
 upon more minutely as I proceed. In contradiction to the 
 assertion of the professional, I must observe that at various 
 times I had two hunters, which were used for stud purposes 
 during the summer ; one of them continued in my possession 
 three seasons, the other two : most assuredly they were not 
 either of them roarers. This might have been, and very pro- 
 bably was, prevented by the work they performed during the 
 hunting season ; for it is quite certain that very many staUions 
 especially those which belong to private breeding establish 
 ments, and are kept principally for the use of those establish- 
 ments, do not enjoy that exercise which is absolutely 
 necessary for the maintenance of their health. The country 
 stallion, which travels from fair to fair, and from market to 
 market, is infinitely more favourably treated in this respect, 
 than his more highly distinguished brother who presides over 
 a private and choice seraglio. 
 
 Eoaring may be divided into two classes : that which must 
 be pronounced, in opposition to aU theory, as decidedly 
 hereditary ; and that which is produced in individuals in 
 consequence of catarrhal disorders, strangles, influenza, or 
 any other temporary cause which establishes inflammation, 
 and a consequent thickening in the mucous membrane lining 
 the trachea, or parts adjacent, which are the seats of the 
 disorder. Some persons are sceptical respecting the heredi- 
 tary transmission of roaring ; for which little surprise can be 
 entertained, when the difficulties which enshroud numerous 
 equivocal indications are enumerated. To unravel the mys- 
 tery, the primary cause must be ascertained ; for it would 
 be exceeding the limits of truth and experience to say 
 
216 THE HOESE. 
 
 that because a horse is a roarer himself, he will transmit 
 it to his stock. Certain conformations, or rather mal- 
 formations, of the limbs, — such as the legs, the hocks, and 
 the feet, — are often transmitted from the parent to the 
 offspring; from which splints, curbs, spavins, navicular 
 diseases, and other infirmities, have their origin ; and these 
 are admitted in the category of hereditary complaints : yet 
 it cannot be accepted as a rule without exception, that all 
 the produce of malformed animals shall inherit the imper- 
 fections of their parents. Upon the principle of mal- 
 formation in the parts immediately or indirectly connected 
 with the organs of respiration, roaring must undoubtedly 
 come within the definition of an hereditary cause. But 
 when a thickening takes place of the mucous membrane 
 lining the parts which are the seat of the disorder, or ossifi- 
 cation of the cartilages of the windpipe, in consequence of 
 inflammation, resulting from bronchitis, influenza, colds, or 
 such-like accidental occurrences, providing- no malformation 
 of the parts previously existed, roaring cannot with pro- 
 priety be denominated hereditary. The difficulty in such 
 cases is to determine whether that malformation of parts 
 does exist. To assign to such accidental causes as the latter 
 the aspersion of hereditary transmission, is not consonant 
 with reason. 
 
 There are as many degrees or intonations of roaring, as 
 there are notes on the gamut ; and those notes ascend from 
 piano to forte. This renders it difficult in some slight cases 
 to decide positively whether a horse is a roarer or not ; and 
 good judges may be mistaken. The state of the animal 
 very frequently occasions an impediment to an accurate 
 decision : if he be in very plethoric condition, he will not 
 unfrequently give slight indications of roaring ; but when he 
 is divested of that superabundance of fat, all the disagreeable 
 
THE HOESE. 217 
 
 symptoms disappear. The usual test of startling the animal, 
 is by no means an infallible criterion, neither is the stetho- 
 scope in all cases to be relied upon. There is but one positive 
 mode of determining the question : the animal being in a 
 proper condition, he must be ridden and tried in all his 
 paces. With stallions this proof is not often practicable ; 
 and unless they are badly affected, it is often impossible to 
 prove that they are roarers. There is no point upon which 
 the owner of such a horse is so tenacious as that of an 
 accusation that his favourite is a roarer. Tell the proprietor 
 that his horse's legs are bad, insinuate that he broke down 
 in consequence, he will receive your remark with com- 
 placency ; tell him that his horse's hocks are bad, and point 
 out to him an incipient spavin, or an unequivocal curb, he 
 will receive your objection with indifference; point out to 
 him a multitude of unsymmetrical proportions, he will listen 
 to you with calmness; but only intimate to him that you 
 think his horse is a roarer, and he will roar in your ear a 
 challenge of defiance in proof of your allusion. 
 
 Large horses certainly have a greater tendency to become 
 roarers than smaller ones, and irritable-tempered ones more 
 "frequently than those of a phlegmatic disposition. Several 
 of the largest staUions might be enumerated as being pre- 
 disposed to entail this malady on their issue. These are cer- 
 tainly valid reasons for not giving a preference to horses of 
 large size, although public opinion prodominates in their 
 favour. Stallions are more subject to the complaint than 
 geldings, and geldings more so than mares. Compactly- 
 formed horses of moderate size seldom indulge their owners 
 with music. It is very diflBcult to assign any reason for this ; 
 but it appears that there is a greater constitutional disposi- 
 tion in stallions to inflammation about the respiratory organs 
 than there is in mares or geldings, and that inflammation. 
 
21S THE HOESE. 
 
 resulting in deposits of lympli and ossification of the carti- 
 lages, produces the disorder. This phenomenon may be ex- 
 plained in consequence of the sympathy which is well known 
 to exist between various parts of the body. 
 
 A change in the atmosphere is a very frequent cause of 
 inflammation in the respiratory organs, and severe frosts, 
 such as we experienced during the winter of 1853 and 1854, 
 are very likely to produce it. In order to preserve the 
 blooming condition of their horses' coats, it is a common 
 practice with grooms to keep the stables as warm as possible 
 when a frost sets in ; but it is a most dangerous observance. 
 Of the importance of keeping horses warm in their bodies, 
 there cannot be a question ; but that is better regulated by 
 extra clothing. If the atmosphere of the stable be raised to 
 a temperature greatly exceeding that of the open air, the 
 horses, when taken out to exercise or work, are liable to 
 serious consequences, from the great increase in the amount 
 of oxygen which rushes through the respiratory organs in 
 the act of inspiration. The quantity of oxygen is regulated 
 by the temperature of the atmosphere ; and there are few 
 persons who have not experienced the inconvenience attend- 
 ant upon passing from an over-heated ball-room into the' 
 open air ; and they generally take the precaution of adopting 
 additional clothing. The case of the horse is precisely 
 analogous. 
 
 Although a very liberal premium has been offered by a 
 nobleman as an additional stimulus to the profession, the 
 cure for roaring has not yet been discovered. When it pro- 
 ceeds from malformation, it is impossible ; or if the cartilages 
 of the windpipe become ossified, no remedy can be found to 
 reach those parts. An extensive deposit of lymph having 
 taken place in the mucous membranes with which the re- 
 spiratory organs are defended, comes within the same cate- 
 
THE HOESE. 219 
 
 gory. A strong stimulus applied to tlie sinews, joints, or 
 muscles, in the event of lameness, may, and frequently does, 
 impart a wonderful effect ; but it is a different affair when 
 internal organs, such as those of respiration, are disordered : 
 those parts cannot be brought into immediate contact with 
 any application. When a horse is affected with inflammation 
 about those parts which are the seat of the disorder, if it be 
 vigorously attacked in its incipient state with the usual stimu- 
 lating preparations, providing there is no malformation to 
 contend against, the malady may in very many cases be pre- 
 vented ; and a vast number of cases of confirmed roaring are 
 to be attributed to neglect or delay at the important crisis of 
 commencement. Those who would avoid breeding roarers 
 must avoid breeding from parents whose progeny has evinced 
 a predisposition to the complaint. So far every breeder has 
 the remedy in his own hand ; but with the utmost caution, 
 all living creatures are subject to disorders ; and if the results 
 are unfortunate, in defiance of the most skilful treatment, 
 breeders must console themselves with the reflection that 
 their disappointments are the decrees of fate. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 A judicious selection of the most eligible parents for the 
 purpose of breeding, combined with careful attention to the 
 method of rearing and treatment of the offspring, will not 
 fail to afford ample remuneration to those who embark in the 
 speculation ; and the country will abound with animals of the 
 most useful classes, possessing sound and enduring constitu- 
 tions. In order to render the arguments contained in this 
 little volume impressive, it has been necessary to trace the 
 progress of racing and breeding horses, and to show that the 
 higher classes of horses which we now possess have been 
 gradually improving. The insufficiency of supply compared 
 
220 THE HOESE. 
 
 with the demand, for those classes of horses which are re- 
 quired for daily use, has not arisen from defects or deficiency 
 in the material. There is one paramount object in view, 
 of supreme importance to every Englishman, — that of pro- 
 ducing an adequate supply for the purpose of carrying our 
 brave soldiers in the field of battle. Although a hope may 
 be entertained that the blessings of peace will be speedily 
 restored to us, a lesson has been afibrded to the country, of 
 the necessity for being always prepared for war ; and there is 
 no department in which this policy is more imperative than 
 that of our cavalet eesoueces. 
 
121 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 The following formulae may be said to contain most of the 
 remedies necessary for the use of the amateur : when disease 
 prevails, the safest plan is to call in the assistance of a 
 veterinary practitioner. 
 
 AThen calomel or emetic tartar is given for the expulsion 
 of worms, it should be mixed in a small portion of bran 
 mash, after fasting the animal five or six hours : two doses 
 given at similar intervals will be most effective. They must 
 be worked off with linseed-oil or aloes, after an equivalent 
 lapse of time ; and as alkalies neutralize the effects of either 
 of those medicines, soap must be excluded, if the form of ball 
 
 is preferred. . n ■, i . • 
 
 As an external stimulating application for the throat m 
 cases of inflammation arising from cold or other causes, com- 
 mon mustard, mixed with water as for the table, is an 
 excellent remedy, and is equal, if not superior, to any of 
 the more complicated nostrums. 
 
 When cooling remedies are required to the legs, cold 
 water is the best. The introduction of nitre and sal-ammoniac 
 will increase the evaporation ; but great care is requisite to 
 renew such medicated lotions very frequently ; because, when 
 the refrigerating process is over, they become stimulants : 
 thus, on" ordinary occasions, cold water constantly apphed 
 with very loose linen bandages is to be preferred. 
 
 Table showing the proportions of medicines to be given to 
 horses at various ages : — 
 
 Calomel or 
 Tartarized Antimony. 
 
 Linseed Oil. Aloes. 
 
 Grains. " Ounces. Drachms. 
 
 To foals 10 4 to 6 i to | 
 
 Yearlings 15 to 20 6 8 1 1| 
 
 Two years old ... 20 25 8 12 2 2^ 
 
 Three years old 25 30 12 15 2^ 3i 
 
 Four years old -) 3Q ^^ ^ 2pts. 4 6 
 
 and upwards ) ^ 
 
222 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Common Aloetic Purgative. 
 
 Aloes finely powdered... 4 draclims. 
 Hard soap 7 i o. ^ ^ 
 
 Ginger... ..; ^^^^ ^ drachms. 
 
 Mix and form a ball, varying the proportions according to 
 the age and constitution of the horse. 
 
 Aloetic Purgative without Soap. 
 
 Aloes broken in pieces 4 drachms. 
 
 Olive oil or lard 1 drachm. 
 
 Ginger in powder 2 drachms. 
 
 Treacle....' l^drachm. 
 
 The aloes and oil, or lard, must be melted in a jar placed 
 in a saucepan over the fire ; and when melted, the ginger and 
 treacle are added. The aloes must not be boiled longer than 
 to effect their solution. 
 
 Aloetic Alteratives. 
 
 Aloes in fine powder ... 2 drachms. 
 
 Nitre 2 drachms. 
 
 Soap 2 drachms. 
 
 Mix and form one ball. To be given daily till a slight 
 action of the bowels is produced. 
 
 Antimonial Alterative. 
 
 slJlphuret'of antimony } ^^^^ ^ to U drachms. 
 
 Treacle to form a ball. One of which may be given four, 
 five, or six days in succession. 
 
 The preparation necessary before giving aloetic purges 
 should be very scrupulously attended to. Bran mashes must 
 be liberally substituted for hay during the twenty-four hours 
 previous to giving the ball ; and the horse requires to be 
 walked out during its operation. 
 
 PRINTED BY COX (BROS.) AND WYMAN, GRKAT QUEEN-STREET. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Abscesses, treatment of .. page 201 
 
 Abj ssinian horses H 
 
 Age to which the horse lives 105 
 
 Albumen, the restorative element 
 
 of fat and muscular fibre 169 
 
 Alteratives, aloetic and antimonial 222 
 Amblinge, the ancient name of a 
 
 lady's horse 26 
 
 America, South, wild horses of . . 6, 13 
 
 Anatomy of the horse 92 e^ seq. 
 
 Anne, Queen, a patron of the turf 33 
 
 Apoplexy, treatment of IQO 
 
 Arab horse, the Barb the most 
 beautiful variety, 7, 8 ; his doci- 
 lity, 8, 9; various breeds of the, 
 9, 10 ; his genealogy preserved, 
 10; the first one imported into 
 this country, 20; our thorough- 
 breds descended from the 32 
 
 Arabian mares 143 
 
 Arm, the, an important feature of 
 
 the horse 95 
 
 Arthur O'Bradley, the racer 77 
 
 Attachments of the horse 106 
 
 Australian horse, 12; his charac- 
 teristics 13 
 
 Back, the, an important feature .. 94 
 Bar-shoe, its use indispensable .. 212 
 Barb, the most beautiful variety of 
 the Arab horse, 7> 8, 12 ; its cha- 
 racteristics 12 
 
 Barbs, the disease so called 192 
 
 Bartlett's Childers, the famous 
 
 racer 37 
 
 Bay Middleton, the racer 78 
 
 Bedouin Arabs, great horse-breed- 
 ers 10 
 
 Bistirda, the extraordinary gallo- 
 way. 119, 120 
 
 Black Chance, the celebrated racer 77 
 Bladder, inflammation of the, 195; 
 
 detection of stone in the 196 
 
 Blain, the disease so called 192 
 
 Blindness, constitutional, an here- 
 ditary defect 159 
 
 Blood, principal ingredients of the 169 
 
 Bog spavin 201 
 
 Bonney Black, the celebrated racer 36 
 
 Bowels, diseases of the 192, 193 
 
 Brain, inflammation of the .. 189,197 
 
 Breaking of the wild horse 13,14 
 
 of the colt . . . . 1/8,179,181 
 
 Breeding of stock, improvements 
 in, 72, 73 ; science and practice of, 
 110 ef seq, ; " in-and-in" breed- 
 ing to be avoided, 121 ; the 
 amount of any particular blood 
 diminishes in arithmetical ratio, 
 ib.; crosses, 122; necessity of se- 
 lecting a suitable partner for each 
 mare, 134; the mares best adapt- 
 ed for, 135, 137, 148; importance 
 of the stallion in, 138, 148; of 
 cocktails, 139, 142; observations 
 on, 147; for the cavalry service, 
 149 ; on the difficulties attend- 
 ing, 159; necessity of selecting 
 eligible parents for the purpose of 219 
 Breeds of horses, 2 ; foreign breeds, 
 7 ; the Arab and the Barb, 7, 8 ; 
 the Abyssinian, 11 ; the Austra- 
 lian, 12; of New Zealand, 13; 
 of Turkey, 14; of Holland, 15; 
 the Danish, I6; the Swedish. 17 ; 
 encouraged in the reign of King 
 Henry VIII., 25; of celebrated 
 racers, 31 ; varieties of, 47 — 68, 
 119 — 156; of the present day 
 superior to those of olden time 118 
 
 British horse, the 18,19 
 
 Brocklesby Betty, the racer 33 
 
 Bronchitis, treatment of 1 94 
 
 Brood mares, management of the 131 
 Butteris, the instrument used in 
 
 shoeing 203 
 
 Byerley Turk, the celebrated racer 31 
 
 Calkin, use of the 211 
 
 Canker, remedy for the, 192 ; diffi- 
 culty of curing 207 
 
 Carditis, treatment of 198 
 
 Carriage-horse of olden times — 
 gigantic size of the, 155; of the 
 
 present day 1 55 
 
 Cart-horse, general characteristics 
 of the, 65, 66, 147 ; compared 
 with the thorough-bred horse, 
 156; perfect specimens of the .. 158 
 
 Catarrh, treatment of 193, I94 
 
 Catherina, the celebrated racer. ... 82 
 Cavalry horses, deficiency of in the 
 reign of Elizabeth, 26 ; charac- 
 teristics and management of . . 59 
 Cavalry service, breeding of horses 
 for the, 149 ; Mr. Spooner's ob- 
 Q 
 
224 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 serrations on, 1 50 ; premiums pro- 
 posed for the best breeds . . page 153 
 Characteristics which distinguish 
 
 the horse 1 , 146, 147 
 
 Charles II. a promoter of racing 
 and horsemanship, 28 ; racing in 
 
 the time of 85 
 
 Chest, the, an important feature of 
 
 the horse 94 
 
 Chester, horse-races at .... 25, 27 
 
 Cleanliness, necessity of in the 
 
 stable 163 
 
 Clevelandhorse, distinguishing cha- 
 racteristics of the 60, 6l 
 
 Cleveland short legs, the cart-horse 
 
 stallion 158 
 
 Clips necessary to fasten the shoe 211 
 Clothsek, the name of the cloak- 
 bag horse ^e?;y?. Henry VIII. .. 26 
 Clydesdale horse, its characteristics Q7 
 Coach-horse, the, 60 ; the Cleve- 
 land bays, ib. ; different breeds, 6l, 62 
 
 Cocktail racing 142 
 
 Cocktails, breeding of. 139 
 
 Coffin -joints, sprains of the, and 
 
 their treatment 204 
 
 Cold, remedies for 193 
 
 Colic, spasmodic, treatment of 192 
 
 Colt, teeth of the, 97 et seq. ; de- 
 ceptions practised in his teeth, 
 98, 99, 100 ; general management 
 of the, 1/6, 177; breaking of the 179 
 
 Colwick, the racer 82 
 
 Condition of the horse, remarks on 
 
 the 185 
 
 Conformation of the horse . . ^2 et seq. 
 
 Congestion of the brain 189, 191 
 
 Contracted feet, causes of, and re- 
 medy 205, 206 
 
 Corns, treatment of. 202 
 
 Cough, treatment of 194 
 
 Crib-biters 101 
 
 Cross-breeding 132 
 
 Crosses, the judicious selection of ib. 
 Crossing of the British and Roman 
 
 horse 19 
 
 Cruelty, acts of, committed . . 181, 182 
 Crusades, breed of horses in the . . 22 
 Cups, presentation of, 33, 34 ; run 
 
 for at an early age 91 
 
 Castration, time for, and mode of 199 
 Curb, an hereditary defect, 159; 
 
 treatment of the 200 
 
 Curtal, the name of a short-tailed 
 
 horse temp, Henry VIII 26 
 
 Curwen' s Barb, the celebrated racer 3 1 
 
 Danish horse, the l6 
 
 Darley Arabian, the racer 31 
 
 Dartmoor ponies 65- 
 
 Datchet Mead, races established on 28 
 
 Defence, the celebrated racer .... 138 
 
 Derby, winning the 139 
 
 Diabetes, treatment of page i P5 
 
 Digestion, remarks on lG6 
 
 Diseases, ]88 et seq. ; of the cir- 
 culating system, 189; congestion, 
 ib.; apoplexy, I9O; inflammation, 
 191 ; foreign bodies in the gullet, 
 192; colic, ib. ; superpurgation, 
 193; worms and catarrh, ib.; 
 cough, i94; glanders, 195; in- 
 flammation of the kidneys, ib.; 
 of the eye, 196 ; of the brain, 197 ; 
 pleurisy, ib.; inflammation of 
 the synovial membranes, 199; 
 spavin, 200 ; farcy, 202 ; grease, 
 203 ; splints, 204; diseases of the 
 feet, 204—210 ; roaring, 214 — 
 218; formulfe of medicines to be • 
 applied at different ages .. 221,222 
 
 Distemper, treatment of 194 
 
 Docking and nicking, its inutility 
 
 and cruelty I06, 107 
 
 Draught-horse, the 6, 61 
 
 Drawing-knife used in shoeing 209 
 
 Dray-horse, its characteristics . . 62, 67 
 
 Dray-horses of London 156, 157 
 
 Dropsy of the heart 198 
 
 Dung to be removed from the stable l65 
 Dutch horse, the 15 
 
 Ear, the, a prominent feature 94 
 
 Eclipse, the celebrated racer, 23, 29, 30 
 Edward III., his great attention to 
 
 the breed of horses 22, 23 
 
 Edward, Prince, a promoter of horse- 
 racing 23 
 
 Energy, influenced by the nervous 
 
 excitability 125, 126, 129 
 
 English horses, history of, 18 et seq.; 
 value of, at the Norman conquest, 
 
 19; varieties of 107 
 
 Epidemic disease, treatment of .. 194 
 Epilepsy, seldom admits of cure . . 197 
 Euphrates, the celebrated racer . . 79 
 
 Exercise durirg pregnancy 17" 
 
 Exmore ponies 65 
 
 Eye, the, a prominent feature, 94 ; 
 diseases of the 196 
 
 Fables, ancient, respecting the 
 
 horse 103 
 
 False quarter, difficulty of curing 206 
 
 Fair Ellen, the Arabian racer 143 
 
 Farcy, a highly contagious disease, 
 
 202 ; its treatment 202 
 
 Farm-horses, their characteristics, 
 63'; various colours of, 69; on 
 
 the management of 187 
 
 Fat, in constant exhaustion J 69 
 
 Fat and muscle, difference between 175 
 Feeding ; see Food. 
 
 Fetlock, sprains of the 204 
 
 Fibrine of the blood 169 
 
225 
 
 Fillies, worthlessness of, 133; cus- 
 tom of breeding foals from, page 154 
 
 Finland horse, the 17 
 
 Fistulous withers, treatment of . , 201. 
 
 Fitzhubert, Sir J., the first English 
 writer on the horse 26 
 
 Flemish horses, the 16 
 
 Flying Childers, the celebrated 
 racer, 31 ; his Arabian descent 
 and extraordinary swiftness .... 37 
 
 Foal, affected by the food of the 
 dam, 173 ; general management 
 of the, 1/7; its food, 178; wean- 
 ing and breaking of the. . . . 1/8, 179 
 
 Foals, number of produced at 
 given periods, 70, 71, 89; pro- 
 duced from celebrated stallions, 
 73, 138 ; on the breeding of 111 
 
 Food of the horse, 160, 166; its 
 great importance, 167; physical 
 powers of a horse dependent on, 
 168 etsc'j.; quantity of nutritious 
 matter contained in dilierent 
 kinds of, 170 et seq.; of the aam 
 affects the foal, ^73 ; of the foal, 
 178 ; whether too much or too 
 little easily ascertained, 183; 
 quantity to be allowed 183, 184 
 
 Font, admirable conformation of 
 the, 101 ; often varies in magni- 
 tude, 102; general anatomy of 
 the, 103, 104; inflammation of 
 the, 204 ; its treatment, 205 ; 
 pumiced feet, ib. ; contracted 
 feet, ib.; often suffers from care- 
 loss shoeing 209 
 
 Frampton's turf delinquencies 30 
 
 Frog of the horse's hoof, 105 ; true 
 function of the .....' 210 
 
 Galloway, its origin and character- 
 istics, 64, 65 ; history of an ex- 
 traordinary mare of that class, 119,120 
 Gambaldinge, the ancient name of 
 
 ahorse 26 
 
 Genealogy of celebrated horses, 121, 122 
 
 Gentillhorse, the 26 
 
 George I., II., III., and IV,, pa- 
 trons of racing 33, 34, 41 
 
 Glanders, a destructive disease, 
 
 1 95 ; symptoms of 1 95 
 
 Glysynthrax, disease of the 192 
 
 Godolphin Arabian, the racer 8, 31 
 
 Grafton, Duke of, his racing stud 45 
 Grass, to be provided in limited 
 supplies, 1/3; excess of injurious, 
 
 174, 175 
 Grass-land, quantity necessary to 
 
 upport a horse 176 
 
 Grease, disease of the, 203 ; its 
 
 treatment 204 
 
 Great- horse, use of the term 
 temp. Henry VIII 26 
 
 Green food, unrestricted quantities 
 
 of, injurious P"ge 173 
 
 Gret Doble, the ancient name of a 
 
 trotting-horse 26 
 
 Grinders, the 97, 98 
 
 Gullet, foreign bodies in the; their 
 
 treatment 192 
 
 Gutta Serena, medical treatment 
 
 of no avail 196 
 
 Hack, great improvement in the. . 155 
 Hackney, the, 54; his distinguish- 
 ing characteristics, 55 ei seq.; 
 
 management of the 57, 58 
 
 Hackney-coach horse, cruel treat- 
 ment of the 64 
 
 Half-bred horses, 141; lineage of 158 
 Hampton-court, royal stud at . . 42, 43 
 Handicaps, custom of, II6; inten- 
 tion of 117 
 
 Haw, inflammation of the 196 
 
 Hay, little -advantage from catting 
 it into chaff, l67; nutritive pro- 
 perties of, 170, 172 ; produce of 176 
 
 Hayloft, to be provided l64 
 
 Head, a prominent point of the 
 
 horse 93 
 
 Heart, dropsy of the, igS; inflam- 
 mation of the 198 
 
 Helmsley Turk, the 28 
 
 Henry VI., his severe statutes 
 
 against horse-stealing 26 
 
 VII., increase in the number 
 
 of horses during his reign 25 
 
 VIII., statutes enacted by, for 
 
 the breeding of powerful horses 25 
 
 Hereditary defects 159 
 
 Hide-bound, disease of being .... 203 
 Highflyer, the celebrated racer. ... 41 
 
 Highland pony, the 65 
 
 History of English horses . . 18 e^ seq. 
 Hobby, an active riding horse, 
 
 temp. Henry VIII 26 
 
 Hoof; see Foot, 
 
 Horse, general characteristics of 
 the, 1 ; his docility and domestic 
 utility, 3, 4 ; the "wild horse, 4; 
 sagacity of the, 5 ; the foreign 
 breeds," 7 — 17; history of the 
 English breed, 18 et seq.; classi- 
 fication of horses in the l6th cen- 
 tury, 26 ; his properties, ib.; the 
 race-horse, 31, 47; varieties of 
 the, 47—68; statistics of the, 70; 
 early training of the, 83 ; its im- 
 portant points, 93 — 96 ; an her- 
 bivorous animal, 96 ; teeth of 
 the, g7 ; the foot, &c., 101 ; his 
 attachments, 106; ancient fables 
 respecting the, 108, 109; breed- 
 ing stocks of the, 111; superiority 
 of our present breed, )18; the 
 different breeds, 119—156; treat- 
 
226 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 ment and management of the, 
 160, 176; his stable, I6O; his 
 food, 165 ; teaching to leap, 180 ; 
 on the condition of the, 185 ; the 
 farm-horse, 187 ; diseases of the, 
 
 page 187—214 
 Horse-jockeyism, statute against. . 24 
 
 Horse-sandal, its use 213 
 
 Horse-racing in early times 21 
 
 Horses, improvements in the 
 breed of, 74, 76 ; statistical table 
 of, 75 ; historical view of, 78 et 
 seq. , of modern times superior 
 to those of our forefathers, 84 ; 
 number used for riding, and 
 drawing carriages, 144; beauty 
 and gracefulness of one well- 
 shaped, 145 ; the first considera- 
 tion necessary in making selec- 
 tions, 146 ; state of perfection to 
 •which the higher classes have 
 
 arrived 167 
 
 Hunter, the weight-carrying, 15; 
 his distinguishing characteris- 
 tics, 51 ; management of the, 51, 
 52 ; training of the, 53 ; to be 
 
 early exercised in leaping 180 
 
 Hunters of superior breed. . . . 148, 152 
 
 " In-and-in " breeding 120, 121 
 
 Independence, the celebrated racer 79 
 Inflammation, of the brain, 189, 
 197; remedy for, 19O; either 
 local or diffused, 191 ; of the 
 mucous membranes, 191, 192, 
 194 ; of the lungs, treatment 
 of, 194 ; of the kidneys and the 
 bladder, 195; of the haw, 196; 
 of the serous membranes, 197, 
 198 ; of the heart, 198 ; of the 
 peritoneum, 199; of the foot, 
 
 204 et seq. 
 
 Influenza, treatment of 194 
 
 Introsusception of the bowels 193 
 
 Irish Birdcatcher, the sire of many 
 superior hunters 149 
 
 James I., the great improver of 
 English horses 27 
 
 John, King, his great attention to 
 the breed of horses 22 
 
 Joint-membranes, diseases of the. . 3 99 
 
 Kidneys, inflammation of the .... 195 
 King Herod, the famous racer. ... 40 
 Knee, the, an important feature . . 96 
 
 Lady's palfrey 155 
 
 Larapas, disease of the 192 
 
 Laryngitis, treatment of 193 
 
 Leaping, the young hunter to be 
 
 early exercised in, 180; practice 181 
 Leather shoe, use of the 213 
 
 Leg, the, an important feature, page 96 
 Legs, diseases of the, 203 ; cooling 
 
 medicines to be applied to the. . 221 
 
 Lineages of horses 123, ) 24 
 
 Liston, the celebrated racer 79 
 
 Litter to be provided for a horse 
 
 to stale upon l64 
 
 Locked jaw, treatment of 197 
 
 Lungs, inflammation of the 194 
 
 Madness, without remedy ]97 
 
 Management, general, of horses, 
 
 160 et seq., 176, 187 
 
 Mange, treatment of 202 
 
 Manures for hay 172 
 
 Blares, of the Arabian stock, 8 ; 
 average produce of, 71 ; their 
 general management during 
 pregnancy, 177 ; necessity of se-> 
 lecting a suitable partner for 
 each, 134; have often failed to 
 produce foals of any value, 135 ; 
 on the choice of, 136, 137; gene- 
 rally superior to geldings, 147; 
 large ones not the most eligible 
 
 to breed from 148 
 
 Medicines, formulae of proportions 
 
 given at different ages 221, 222 
 
 Meninges, inflammation of the .. 197 
 Military service, breeding of 
 
 horses for the 153,154 
 
 Milk, on increasing the flow of, 175, I76 
 
 Moon-blmdness, disease of 196 
 
 Morocco Barb; the 28 
 
 Muscular fibre in a constant state 
 
 of exhaustion j 169 
 
 Music, fondness of the horse for . . 136 
 
 Navicular-joint disease 206 
 
 Neck, the, a prominent feature . . 94 
 Nervous excitability of the brain, 
 
 125, 126, 129 
 
 Newcastle, racing at 85 
 
 New Zealand, the horse of 13 
 
 Nippers, the 97 e^ seq. 
 
 Nobility, successful breeders of 
 
 racing stock 36 
 
 Norwegian horses, the 18 
 
 Nose-bag, a valuable appendage . . 182 
 Nostril, the, a prominent point . . 94 
 
 Oats, on the custom of bruising, 
 
 166; nutritive properties of 1/0 
 
 Ophthalmia, treatment of 196 
 
 Orlando, lineage of ; 123 
 
 Orville, his pedigree 47 
 
 Oxygen of the body 169 
 
 Palfrey, a lady's horse 26 
 
 Palsy seldom admits of cure 197 
 
 Paps, disease of the 192 
 
 Pastern, sprains of the 204 
 
 Pedigrees of celebrated horses, 121, 122 
 
22i 
 
 Penelope, her pedigree, 45, 46 ; 
 
 descendants of pdge 144 
 
 Performances of the horse, 70 ; of 
 
 the most celebrated racers, 79 et seq,. 
 Peritoneum, inflammation of the 198 
 Peter Lely, the celebrated racer . . 80 
 Phj'sica! powers of the horse main- 
 ly dependent on nutritive food. . l68 
 Physiology of the horse .... Ql et seq. 
 
 Plates, presentation of 33, 34 
 
 Playfair's experiments on food. ... IJO 
 
 Pleurisy, treatment of 197, 198 
 
 Poisons, their treatment 192 
 
 Poll evil, disease of the 201 
 
 Ponies, improvement in 155 
 
 Post-horses established in the 
 
 reign of Henry III 25 
 
 Pumiced feet, an incurable disease 205 
 Purgatives, aloetic 222 
 
 Qualifications, diflaculty of judg- 
 ing from external appearances, 
 
 124, 125 et seq. 
 Quitter, its treatment 207 
 
 Rabies, altogether without remedy 197 
 Race between a Danish horse and 
 
 a footman 16 
 
 Race-course in Smithfield 21 
 
 Race-horse, his distinguishing 
 characteristics, 47 ; historical no- 
 tices of the, 48 ; system of ma- 
 naging the, 49 ; less cruelty exer- 
 cised in his training at the pre- 
 sent time, 50 ; on the general 
 
 management of the 130,131 
 
 Race-horses, high reputation of 
 our, 20; their principal ancestors, 
 31; successfully encouraged by 
 our nobility, 36 ; celebrated in 
 our racing annals, 40, 77 et seq,; 
 on the early training of, 83 et 
 seq.; present breed superior to 
 those of olden times, 118; on 
 
 the breeding of 135—137 
 
 Race-riding, and horse-riders . 114 
 
 Races, at Gottenburg, 17; estab- 
 lished at an early period in Bri- 
 tain, 18, 19; Fitz Stephen's ac- 
 count of, in early times, 21 ; 
 established in the fifteenth cen- 
 tury, 24; at Chester, 25, 27; 
 now generally established, 27; 
 encouraged by our sovereigns, 
 28, 29, 33, 34, 41—43; number 
 of won by the stock of fourteen 
 
 horses of celebrity 73 
 
 Racing, the foster-mother of the 
 high-bred courser, 3; at Newcas- 
 tle temp. Charles II 85 
 
 Racing Calendar 33, 34, 72 
 
 Railroads, changes since the estab- 
 lishment of page 62, 63 
 
 Rawcliffe, a stud farm at 44 
 
 Regulus, the celebrated racer . . 78, 79 
 Respiratory passages, inflamma- 
 tion of the 1 93 
 
 Rheda, meaning of the. word .... 18 
 Richard II. a cultivator of the 
 
 breed of English horses 24 
 
 Riding, art of 114 
 
 Ring-bone, disease of the 204 
 
 Roadsters, of different kinds .... 1S5 
 Roaring, an hereditary defect, 159; 
 causes of, 214, 2l6 ; divided into 
 two classes — hereditary and ca- 
 tarrhal, 215 ; many degrees of, 
 216 ; perfect cure for, not yet 
 
 discovered 218 
 
 Running-horse, its price temp. 
 
 Edw. Ill 23 
 
 Russian horse, the 18 
 
 Saddle-horses, on the supposed 
 
 deterioration of 149 
 
 Sagacity of the horse 5 
 
 St. Leger, winning the 139 
 
 Saliva, necessary to assist degluti- 
 tion 166 
 
 Sand-crack, treatment of 206 
 
 Senses of the horse 105 
 
 Serous membranes, of great impor- 
 tance, 196; diseases of the, 197, 198 
 
 Serum of the blood 169 
 
 Shetlander, the 65 
 
 Shoeing, importance of a proper 
 system of, 207; instructions in, 
 208 et seq.; different kinds of 
 
 shoes 212, 213 
 
 Shoulder, an important feature . . 95 
 
 Sinews of a horse 96 
 
 Skin, diseases of the 202 et seq. 
 
 Smolenski, the celebrated racer . . 41 
 Sole of the horse's hoof 104; 
 sometimes covered with leather 213 
 
 Spasmodic colic, treatment of 192 
 
 Spavin, an hereditary defect, 159 ; 
 
 treatment of 200, 201 
 
 Splints, disease of the 204 
 
 Spooner's remarks on breeding ca- 
 valry horses, 150; on food 166 
 
 Sprains, their treatment 204 
 
 Stable, what it ought to be, 16O; 
 windows and ventilation of the, 
 161,162; cleanliness of the, 163 ; 
 the flooring, l63, l64; the litter, 
 stall, and hay-loft, l64 ; dung to 
 
 be removed from the l65 
 
 Stage-coach horse, his character- 
 istics, 62 ; his treatment 63 
 
 Staggers of the stomach, 191 ; 
 
 mad staggers 197 
 
 Staling, profuse, treatment of ... . 195 
 Stall, advantage of its being roomy 164 
 
228 
 
 Stallions, number of produced, 
 72 ; improvement in the breed, 
 73 ; necessity of selecting a suit- 
 able one for each mare, 134 ; 
 high prices paid for, 138; num- 
 bar of foals produced from fa- 
 vourite ones in 1853, 138, 139; 
 the parent of a superior hunt- 
 ing stock page 148 
 
 Statistics of the horse JO et seq. 
 
 Stature of the horse 118, II9 
 
 Stella, the celebrated racer 80 
 
 Stock, breeding of 110 e^ seq. 
 
 Stomach-staggers, treatment of .. 191 
 
 Stone in the bladder 196 
 
 Strangles, treatment of the 201 
 
 Structure of the horse, prominent 
 
 points of the 93 et seq. 
 
 Studs, the one at Hampton-court, 
 42; one established at RawclifFe, 
 44; at Dudding-hill, ib,; of the 
 
 Duke of Grafton 45 
 
 Stud-book of Messrs. Weatherly, 
 
 returns from the 70, 71 
 
 Stud-horse, management of the .. 131 
 Suffolk punch, distinguishing cha- 
 racteristics of the 61 
 
 Superpurgation, remedy for 193 
 
 Surfeit, treatment of 203 
 
 Swedes, preferable to carrots 188 
 
 Swedish horse, the 17 
 
 Synovial memljranes, disease of . . 199 
 
 Tail, its utility, 107; on docking 
 and nicking the, 100; cruelty of 
 
 the practice '107 
 
 Tastes of the horse 106 
 
 Teeth, deceptions practised with 
 the, 98, 99, 100 ; changes eifected 
 in the, at different ages, 100; 
 their great importance, 96 ; dis- 
 sertation on the 97etseq. 
 
 Tetanus, treatment of 197 
 
 Tnorough-bred, meaning of the 
 term, 29 ; a more highly-bred 
 animal than the Arab, 143 ; com- 
 parison of the, with the cart- 
 horse 156 
 
 Thorough-bred racers, their de- 
 scent from Arabian breeds, 32 ; 
 
 increased size of page 134 
 
 Thorough-pins, treatment of 200 
 
 Throat, inflammation of the 221 
 
 Tip, use of the 212 
 
 Trachea, inflammation of the 193 
 
 Training, early, geneyal remarks 
 on, 88 et seq. ; advantages of .. 110 
 
 Tread, treatment of 206 
 
 Treatment of the horse, general. 
 
 160 etseq., 186, 187 
 Turf, the, encouraged by our sove- 
 reigns, 28, 29, 33, 34, 42, 43 ; 
 
 delinquencies of the 30 
 
 Turkish horse, the 14 
 
 Turnip, nutritive properties of the, 
 
 170, 171 
 
 Venison, the celebrated racer 78 
 
 Ventilation of the stable 161, lti2 
 
 Viovcde, the racer, sale of 43 
 
 Warmth of the greatest importance 167 
 
 Warts, treatment of 196 
 
 Watering of a horse very important, 
 184; prejudice against the horse 
 being fairly supplied with water, 
 185 ; proper quantity to be drunk 185 
 
 Weaning of the foal 1/8 
 
 Weights, custom of carrying, 113, 
 
 114; regulations suggested ... . 115 
 White Turk, a South-eastern horse 28 
 Wild horses, 4j 5 ; numerous in 
 South America, 6; method of 
 
 breaking 13 
 
 William III., a patron of racing. . 29 
 
 IV., his racing stud . . 42, 43. 
 
 Windgalls, treatment of 200, 204 
 
 Windows of the stable 16I 
 
 Windpipe, inflammation of the . . 193 
 Withers, the, an important feature 94 
 
 fistulous, treatment of the ^ 201 
 
 Worms, remedies for 193J 221 
 
 Wounds of the mouth, treatment 
 
 of 192 
 
 Yew, a vegetable poison 192 
 
 THE END. 
 
 PRINTED EY COX (BROS.) AND WYMAN, GREAT QUEEN STREET. 
 
Tufts Ur- - 
 200Westb 
 Worth Grafton, WA 01536 
 
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