62 



THE HORSE. 



no store was set upon her until she came to be tried; and even on 

 the morning of the race she was not generally thought good enough 

 to win. The celebrated Blink Bonny was a mean-looking mare, and 

 would not have fetched 50 at Tattersall's, from her appearance 



alone, and that wonderful animal Fisherman was never liked till he 

 proved his powers. Still, it cannot be denied that a good judge will 

 select the ten best horses out of twenty, or perhaps out of a hundred ; 

 but he will possibly leave the very best out of his list. The theo- 

 retical rule is simple enough, but it requires great experience, and 

 a good eye to carry it out in practice. It is simply this, that, 

 cseteris paribus, the horse which is formed in the mould most like 

 that of the greatest number of good racehorses, will run the best. 

 Thus, supposing it is found that out of fifty good horses, forty- 

 nine have neat heads, light necks, deep chests, oblique shoulders, 

 long racing hind-quarters, strong hocks, &c., the presumption will 

 be that a horse resembling those forty-nine in shape, will also re- 

 semble them in speed and endurance. On the other hand, it is 



