THE THOROUGH-BRED. 



429 



of these horses are better at twenty, than they were at 

 five years of age. Arabs are not subjected to the dete- 

 riorating influence of artificial selection for early maturity. 

 The following table, which is taken from the Racing 

 Calendar, shows the number of races of different distances 

 during the season of 1902 : 



Total 



1,992 



As more than half these races were under one mile 

 and over six furlongs, we may regard seven furlongs as 

 the distance over which the majority of our racehorses 

 can best perform. As the average weight which the winners 

 carried in these races was 8st. 61bs., we may consider 

 it to be about the weight which the average winner can 

 carry. The majority of the losers are evidently not up 

 to such a ponderous burden. 



From the foregoing statistics, we learn that two dis- 

 tinguishing qualities of the English thorough-bred are 

 great speed with a light weight, over a short distance ; 

 and early maturity. We have already seen that the 

 conformation for speed is the opposite to that for strength. 

 Hence, if we require an increase of strength in the thorough- 

 bred, we can obtain it only with a diminution of speed ; 

 and vice versa. A third and very important quality is 

 special suitability for riding purposes, within reasonable 

 limits of weight. Variation and reversion, as in all other 

 forms of evolution, play a large part in the conformation 

 of the thorough-bred. Consequently, we occasionally find 

 thorough-bred horses which are good hght-weight hunters, 

 and great steeplechase horses, such as Manifesto, The 



