426 THE COMMON HORSE. 



proved themselves in any degree equal to these 

 upon the course. The celebrated Horse Childers, 

 in the year 172 1, ran four miles in six minutes and 

 forty-eight seconds, carrying at the same time a 

 weight of nine stone two pounds. In his running, 

 he is supposed to have covered, at every bound, 

 a space of twenty-five feet. Bay Malton, in 1763, 

 ran four miles over Knavesmire, near York, in 

 seven minutes, forty-three seconds and a half. 

 Eclipse ran the same distance in eight minutes, 

 carrying the weight of twelve stone*. As to the 

 number of miles that an English Race-Horse would 

 be able to run in an hour, it is a singular fact, that 

 scarcely any opinion has yet been formed ; since 

 no sportsman, except one, has hitherto had the 

 curiosity to make the attempt. Mr. Hull's Horse, 

 called Quibbler, a middling racer, was once 

 tried, and he ran, within this time, about twenty- 

 two-miles. Little, however, can be inferred from 

 hence, since this rate has been exceeded updn a 

 hard road, by a three-part bred hackf. It is con- 



* It is generally said, that a Horse which will run four miles in 

 eight minutes, carrying a weight of eight stone and a half, must win 

 plates. 



-f In the technical phraseology of Horse-dealers, a bred Horse is 

 understood to be one of the pure racing oriental blood. The de- 

 grees of his commixture with the common blood, or breed, of this 

 country, are signified by the terms three-parts bred, half-bred, blood- 

 horses, or having show of blood. 



sidered 



