38 THE HORSE 



them overrunne by a black hobbie at Salisbury ; yet 

 that hobbie was more overrunne by a horse called Valen- 

 tine, which Valentine neither in hunting nor running 

 was ever equalled, yet was a plain-bred English horse 

 both by syre and dam ? Again for infinite labour and 

 long endurance, which is to be desired in our hunting 

 matches, I have not seen a horse to compare with the 

 English. He is of tolerable shape, strong, valiant, and 

 durable." 



One hundred and fifty years later the opinion of 

 Gervase Markham as to the superiority of English horses 

 on the race-course, was not shared by another very close 

 observer which possibly may be accounted for by the 

 frequent importations that had been made of high-class 

 Arabians during the intervening years, as well as the 

 natural result of stock being bred from imported Barbs and 

 reared in the favourable climate and rich pastures of 

 England. In " A Dissertation on Horses," published in 

 1756, William Osmer makes the assertion, " Now as 

 nothing is more certain than that no Horses but those of 

 blood can race in our days ... I do here lay it down 

 as a certain truth, that no Horses but such as come from 

 foreign countries, or which are of extraction totally 

 foreign, can race. In this opinion every man will readily 

 join me, and this opinion will be confirmed by every 

 man's experience and observation. . . . Such horses who 

 have the finest texture, elegance of shape, and most pro- 

 portion, are the best racers, let their blood be of what 

 kind it will, always supposing it to be totally foreign." 



It is by working on the lines thus indicated that the present 

 magnificent specimens of thoroughbred horses of the highest 

 class have been evolved, but in breeding for speed alone, 

 necessitated chiefly by the prevalence of very short-distance 

 races, and especially the excess of two-year-old contests, 

 many most serviceable qualities are overlooked, to the detri- 

 ment of the breed in general. Before the development 

 of railways, with their easy transit of competitors from 

 their training grounds to the scene of contest, the mere 

 fact of having to travel long distances by road necessitated 

 the employment of hardy, good-constitutioned animals, 



