II 



1 14 HISTORY OF THE 



safely venture to lay down the medium height, 

 about 1 5 hands, 2 inches, "^ as constituting the best 

 size for a race-horse. The prevailing color of the 

 thorough-bred horse is a bright bay,t with black 

 mane and tail, and black legs to correspond, occa- 

 sionally relieved with a small white star on the 

 forehead, or a white heel of the leg. What are 

 commonly termed vulgar colors, such as dun, light 

 sorrel or brown, with a mealy muzzle, are seldom 

 met with ; and we remember but one instance of 

 the pie-bald, and very few roans. J 



Black is also an uncommon color and seldom 

 approved of, although several of our best racers 

 (almost all of the Trumpeter blood) have been of 

 that color. On the other hand the real chesnut 

 is both a favorite and more prevailing color, and 

 is reckoned equal to the bay, in the rich beauty of 

 its hue. The celebrated Eclipse was a rich chesnut, 

 audit is a remarkable fact that a small dark spot 

 on the quarter of this famous horse, has been fre- 

 quently found in his descendants in the fifth and 

 sixth generation. 



The perfection to which the form of the thorough- 

 bred horse has attained, by the efforts of human 

 skill grafted on nature, consists in the following 



* A hand is 4 inclies. % 



t According to Zenophon, the ancients reckoned thirteen colours 

 of horses, holding the bay in the highest favor. 



I See " the Cocker," by W. Sketchley. London, 1814. 



