6 4 



was given before the Select Committee on 

 Gaming which was appointed in 1844. Mr. 

 John Day gave it as his opinion that the 

 breed of horses had much improved during 

 the twenty to twenty-five years preceding, 

 the improvement being apparent in riding 

 and draught horses. Mr. Richard Tattersall 

 shared Mr. Day's opinion as regarded im- 

 provement, but thought fewer horses were 

 bred. About 1836 or 1837 farmers were in 

 such a state that they could not, or did 

 not think it worth while to breed ; by 

 consequence the industry had fallen off 

 and there was a scarcity. Railways, in 

 Mr. Tattersall's opinion, had affected the 

 market. " The middling sort does not sell 

 in consequence of railways ; horses that 

 used to fetch ^40 now bring \j or ^18." 

 Riding horses sold better than the middling- 

 class, but hunters did not fetch half the price 

 they did in former years. 



The result of this investigation, as far as 

 the horse question is concerned, was briefly 

 summarised in the following passage of the 

 Third Report of the Lords' Committee. 

 They thought it desirable that this amuse- 

 ment should be upheld, " because, without 

 the stimulus which racing affords, it would 

 be difficult, if not impossible, to maintain 



