52 THE ORANGE COUNTY 



CHAPTER HI. 



VAETETIES OF HORSES. THE RACE-HORSE. 



THE English and American race-horse is undoubtedly the 

 finest animal of his species in the world. In swiftness and 

 energy he surpasses even his Arabian progenitor, though on 

 the burning sands of the desert, to which not being accli- 

 mated, he might not be equal in point of endurance. He 

 is always distinguished by the beautiful head of the class 

 from which his ancestors sprung; this being as finely set on a 

 neck of faultless contour. His oblique shoulders give as 

 good earnest of strength, as do his well-formed hind-legs of 

 speed. By the sculptor, perhaps, the leg from the knee 

 downward might be pronounced unfit for the beau ideal of a 

 perfect animal, yet this, though admitted by judges to be 

 sometimes the case, is, after all, a matter of little conse- 

 quence. Certain it is, that whenever these race-horses have 

 contended on fair grounds with the finest Arabian breeds, he 

 has invariably come off conqueror, even although he may be 

 by no means the finest specimen of his own class. 



The history of the racing-colt in the present day has in it 

 much that is interesting. The first six months of the racer 

 are usually spent happily enough; he is with his dam, well 

 sheltered, well fed, and every want anticipated, in order that 

 his frame and his powers may be fully developed in the 

 least possible time. Then comes the spirit of curiosity and 

 of speculation; the owner is anxious to know whether his 

 stock will be worth the expense of keeping, and they are pre- 

 pared 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 

 training-groom possesses more real knowledge of his busi- 

 ness, 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 obtained 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 



