THE MODERN THOROUGHBRED 85 



From these proportions it appears that the horse was generally long and 

 low, and that he had a remarkably low forehand as compared with his 

 hips, which were considerably higher than his withers. I have already 

 gone into this subject, however, and must refer my readers to page 16 for 

 the particulars of it. The stock of Eclipse won £158,047, being little more 

 than three-fourths of that which fell to the share of that of Herod, and I 

 believe the same proportion would be found to exist in the next remove 

 from each horse. 



As AN INSTANCE of the stoutness of the horse of this period, I shall 

 insert a record of the match against time won by Mr. Shafto, on June 27, 

 1751. The conditions were that he should ride fifty miles, on an unlimited 

 number of horses, in 2 successive hours, and he accomplished the task in 

 1 hour, 49 minutes, 17 seconds, with the ten following horses, using four of 

 them twice. 



Miles. 



1. Merry Bachelor, liy Tartar, which he rode 4 



2. Wildair, by i'ade, dam b}- Steady 4 



3. .Tugglei', by Rib, dam Sister to Reguhis 4 



4. Foi'rester, by Croft's Forrester, dam by Surly o 



5. Rover, by Brother to Bolton 4 



6. Jack o' Xewlmry, by Babraham, dam by Justice 4 



7. Adolphus, by Regulus, out of Miss Layton 3 



8. .Tessamy, by Sjiot, out of Bay Broklesly 3 



9. Prince T'Quassaw, by Snap, out of Dairymaid 3 



Merry Bachek)r (second time) 3 



Wiklair (ditto) 3 



Juggler (ditto) 3 



Rover (ditto) 3 



10. Hambleton, by Swiss 3 



Adolphus (second time) 3^ 



Allowing the odd minutes and seconds for the fifteen changes, this 

 tiiakes the rate exactly two minutes per mile, which was the fastest rate 

 made by Mr. Osbaldeston in any of his four-mile stages when doing his 

 200 mile match, and then only by one horse, Tranby. And thus we get 

 some definite idea of the performance of the horses of those days, which 

 we can by and by compare with those of our own. 



THE MODERN THOROUGHBRED 



To DEFINE the thoroughbred horse of the nineteenth century is easy 

 •enough, because it is only necessary to adduce the law that he must 

 appear in the Stud-book. Without this testamentary evidence no other 

 will be received, nor even theoretically can any other be adduced. By 

 •some it is supposed that he is a horse descended from sires and dams 

 of Eastern blood, that is, either Turks, Barbs, or Arabs ; but this has long 

 been known to be a fallacy, for we find numerous gaps in almost all the 

 old pedigrees, which there is every reason to believe ought to be occupied 

 with the names of native or Spanish mares. But though the Stud- 

 book is thus received as the existing authority on this matter, it is open 

 to a question whether it may not be desirable to amend it by introducing 

 :iuto its pages horses and mares which can be proved to be stainless for a 



