xiv PREFA CE 



Since the old days of four-mile-heat races under 

 heavy weights passed away, much has been sacri- 

 ficed to speed over a short distance. The tendency 

 for the past hundred years has been in the direction 

 of shorter races and lighter weights ; and breeders 

 for the turf, regulating their policy accordingly, have 

 succeeded in producing a longer-striding animal, 

 which is much higher than his ancestors. 



This increased height, and the greater speed it 

 implies, has been obtained at the sacrifice of qualities 

 less important to a successful turf career under 

 modern conditions. This point is emphasized by 

 Sir James Boucaut. 



Admiral Rous, writing in the year i860, said that 

 the English racehorse had increased an inch in 

 height in every twenty-five years since 1700. 



As regards the desirability of reverting again to 

 the Arab to improve our modern breeds of horses, 

 whether in Australia or elsewhere, there can hardly 

 be two opinions. The same forces have been at 

 work in Australia as in England to produce de- 

 terioration in the thoroughbred : two-year-old races, 

 short distances, and light weights leave all the best 

 qualities of horse-flesh untaxed. They do more : 

 they tend to develop delicacy of constitution. 



Were the racehorse a breed entirely apart from all 

 other breeds ; were thoroughbreds used only and 

 exclusively for the purpose of racing and of beget- 

 ting racehorses ; did they play no part whatever in 

 the economy of horse-breeding apart from the turf, 



