BRITISH HORSES 395 



rate of eighty-two feet and a half in a second of time. 

 Eclipse was next to him in fame, and nearly his equal 

 in speed, but considerably his superior in conforma- 

 tion, and from whom spring most of the finest horses 

 which this country has produced. 



Long ages of domestication, as well as the variety 

 of climate to which horses have been subjected, has 

 produced the great varieties in size and general con- 

 formation in the horse. Every country possesses 

 horses with a peculiarity of character belonging to 

 itself; and in each country there is great diversity of 

 shape and size. 



SECTION I. OF BRITISH HORSES. 



THE ENGLISH RACE-HORSE. 



The form of the head, in this horse in particular, 

 is like that of the Arabian. His beautifully arched 

 neck is finely set on, and his shoulders are oblique and 

 lengthened ; his hind legs are well bent, his quarters 

 are ample and muscular, his whole legs are flat, and 

 rather short from the knee downwards, although not 

 always so deep as it ought to be, and his pasterns are 

 long and elastic. 



The thoroughbred horse is by no means a safe one 

 to ride on a road, as he seldom lifts his fore-feet high 

 enough to enable him with certainty to clear the in- 

 equalities of the road. His action, in consequence, is 

 much more pleasant ; and he possesses another quality 

 of much importance, namely, that he seldom or never 

 will shy at any object on the road ; two things of 

 valuable consideration to the rider. 



Thoroughbred is a term employed in Britain to in- 

 dicate the descent of a horse from a South-Eastern 



