THE RACE-HORSE. 75 



gained is led away, his flanks cut with the whip, his sides streaming with gore, 

 and every sinew strained ; and it is sometimes an even chance whether he is ever 

 heard of, or, perhaps, thought of again. He has answered the purpose for which 

 he was bred, and he has passed away. 



And by what witchery has all this been accomplished ? How came it that 

 skilful and honourable men should have conspired together to deteriorate the 

 character of the racer, and with him that of the English horse generally ? 

 Why, there was no conspiracy in the matter. It was the natural course of 

 things. The race-horses of the beginning, and even of the middle of the last 

 century were fine powerful animals ; they had almost as much fleetness as could 

 be desired, and they had strength that would never tire. He who bred for the 

 turf might in his moments of reflection be pleased by the conviction that, while 

 he was accomplishing his own purpose, he was breeding an animal valuable to 

 his country. He might be gratified by this reflection, yet it would not influence 

 the system which he pursued. He would breed to win ; and he would naturally 

 try to add a little more speed to the acknowledged power. Thence came the 

 Mambrino and the Sweet Briar, and others who had lost but little of their 

 compactness of form who had got rid of a portion of that which an enemy 

 might call coarseness, but none of the capacity of the chest, or the substance or 

 the power of the muscular system whose speed was certainly increased, and 

 whose vigour was not impaired. 



It is not in human nature to be satisfied even with perfection ; and it was 

 tried whether a little more fleetness could not be obtained. It was so and, some 

 thought, with a slight impairment of stoutness. There were those, and they 

 were not altogether wrong, who saw in Shark and in Gimcrack an evident 

 increase of speed and little diminution of strength. 



It was easy to imagine what would now be the result. The grand principle 

 was speed. It was taken for granted that stoutness would follow or rather, in 

 the selection of the stock, stoutness was a minor consideration. The result of 

 this was a horse with an elongated frame as beautiful as his predecessors, 

 or more so, but to the eye of the scientific man displaying diminished muscles 

 and less prominent sinews, and sharper and less powerful withers. The fleet- 

 ness was all that heart could desire, but the endurance was fearfully diminished. 

 Irresistible proof was soon given of this. They could not run the distances that 

 their predecessors did with ease. Heats became unfashionable they were 



LIVERPOOL. 



The new course, now used for both meetings, is flat, a mile and a half round, and with a 

 straight run-in of nearly three quarters of a mile, and a very gradual rise. 



MANCHESTER 



Is one mile, rather oval, with a hill, and a fine run-in. 



A DISTANCE is the length of two hundred and forty yards from the winning post. In the 

 gallery of the winning post, and in a little gallery at the distance post, are placed two men 

 holding crimson flags. As soon as the first horse has passed the winning post, the man drops 

 his flag ; the other at the distance post drops his at the same moment, and the horse which has 

 not then passed that post is said to be distanced, and cannot start again for the same plate or 

 prize. 



A FEATHER-WEIGHT is the lightest weight that can be put on the back of a horse. 



A GIVE AND TAKE PLATE is where horses carry weight according to their height. Fourteen 

 hands are taken as the standard height, and the horse must carry nine stone (the horseman's 

 stone is fourteen pounds). Seven pounds are taken from the weight for every inch below 

 fourteen hands, and seven pounds added for every inch above fourteen hands. A few pounds 

 additional weight is so serious an evil, that it is said, seven pounds in a mile-race are equiva- 

 lent to a distance. 



A POST MATCH is for horses of a certain age, and the parties possess the privilege of bringing 

 any horse of that age to the post. 



A PRODUCE MATCH is that between the produce of certain mares in foal at the time of the 

 match, and to be decided when they arrive at a certain age specified. 



