42 THE HORSE 



There is no doubt the successful animal of to-day is a 

 slimmer, more elongated animal than in the old road- 

 travelling, heat-racing days, and this is well shown in 

 comparing the admirable series of photographs of the two 

 typical horses of their day, Eclipse and Persimmon, pub- 

 lished by the Field journal. The skeleton of the former 

 shows a round-barrelled animal, with remarkably well- 

 sprung ribs, who must have had a back like a ram, possess- 

 ing a first-rate constitution. The front and side views of 

 his skull also corroborate this, while the width between the 

 eyes gives evidence of a large brain within. Except that 

 his withers are so low, the inference is that he would be 

 likely to be a more useful sire for getting hardy stock than 

 the other, who does not appear in so favourable a light in 

 these respects. All my early acquaintances held the same 

 opinion of the alteration in conformation of the thorough- 

 bred horse during the nineteenth century, and were 

 unanimous that the race-horses of their youth were shorter- 

 legged and more hunter-like ; and while they were probably 

 not so speedy, they were undoubtedly much hardier and 

 stouter than those we have now. Johnny Doyle, the crack 

 jockey of Ireland in his day, who commenced his career at 

 a race meeting held in Sharavogue Park in 1803, was 

 emphatic on this point, especially stating to me in 1873 

 that the horses of his early days were much deeper-bodied 

 than now. The owner of Sharavogue Park, Colonel Hon. 

 J. Westenra, held the same opinion, and he was the breeder 

 of Whim, by Drone, the dam of Chanticleer ; her portrait, 

 which hung in his dining-room, fully bore out his state- 

 ments. He also bred the great Freney, by Roller, the 

 celebrated four-miler of his day. Lastly, the famous old 

 racing judge, Mr. Richard Johnston, who could remember 

 seeing Blacklock win at York in 1819, and who lived almost 

 to the end of the century, therefore being especially 

 qualified to form an opinion, once stated to me that the race- 

 horses of his early days "were much stouter and hardier, 

 though undoubtedly not so speedy. Sixteen-hand horses 

 were quite common then, and I do not see much difference 

 in actual height. The shape and appearance, though, has 



