BRITISH TURF. 123 



that a rider on the back of a race-horse (as they 

 are generally better about the chest than horses in 

 common use) , should feel he has some breadth or 

 substance between his legs ; and there should be a 

 good swell of muscle before his knees, or the centre 

 of the flaps of the saddle. The chest, thus spa- 

 ciously formed, gives room for respiration, so that 

 in training, the horse's wind can be brought to the 

 greatest perfection, which enables him to run on in 

 long lengths. The next part to be treated of is the 

 abdomen or belly, or what is commonly called the 

 carcass. It may perhaps appear a little strange, 

 but I have a great aversion to what is commonly 

 called a good carcassed horse, nor am I particu- 

 larly partial to a large sheathed one. I like both 

 these parts to be in the medium, as I do also that 

 of his being w^ell ribbed up. It is true that a horse 

 being well ribbed up denotes strength, and a short 

 close made race-horse is, in running, handy in his 

 turns, and as I have already noticed, he is generally 

 a pretty good one under high weights, over a small 

 round cock-pit course ; but this description of 

 course and sort of running is not now so much 

 practised as formerly, or rather it is a sort of racing 

 that does not exactly suit long-striding horses, 

 as most of those are that run at Newmarket. Ano- 

 ther thing is, that horses with large carcasses are 

 mostly great gluttons ; they put up flesh very 

 rapidly, and are very difficult and troublesome to 

 train, in consequence of their constitution being 



