70 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



have often heard mooted. When two horses are 

 brought out and sold, each showing externally 

 every point of thorough breeding and good build 

 in exact equal proportion, and both of equal 

 energy and equal supposed good constitution, how 

 is it that one turns out far superior to the other, 

 and how is it to be distinguished ? To distin- 

 guish at the time of purchase between two so 

 exactly equal is impossible ; but supposing every 

 point was allowed by the best judges to be exactly 

 equal, and we could positively know that the con- 

 stitutions of each were exactly equally good and 

 strong, still, in India we are ignorant of their 

 blood — of their line of descent : and even if we 

 knew that as correctly as they do in England, 

 still the solution of the question is impossible ; 

 but there may exist a closeness of fibre about the 

 one, and a finer cementing together of the dif- 

 ferent parts of the frame, which scientific dissec- 

 tion might detect. The living proof in these 

 cases, although we must wait a short time for 

 it, is nevertheless a true proof, viz., the greater 

 speed and endurance shown on the turf after each 

 has had six months of proper training. Where 

 you have the running build, and every other 

 external visible point in equal good proportion, 

 and the training, riding, &c., equally good, then 

 the turf, and the turf alone, furnishes the only 



