3?.S 



THE MODERIV SYSTEM 



durable, or possess the speed of an Eclipse or 

 a Childers, does that follow that the breed 

 has become degenerate ? Are the circum- 

 stances in other respects so exact, as we have 

 no other alternative but to place it to the 

 score of degeneracy? Has the racing blood 

 of this country so intermixed and assimilated, 

 as to produce the inconvenience and the op- 

 probrium of good breeders ; in short, has oih" 

 racing blood arrived to that pitch of relation- 

 ship, which constitutes what is called breed- 

 ing " in-and-in?" Is the management of 

 racers now as formerly ? 



Both Eclipse and Childers, were six years 

 old, we believe, before they raced ; and at the 

 present day, they race at two and three years 

 old. Is it to be expected that Horses worked 

 at so tender an age can be durable ? We 

 only ask whether the difference of manage- 

 ment between running Horses at five or six 

 years old, and two or three, may not accouut 

 at least for their want of durability ? 



As Government is called upon to move out 

 of its ordinary track in order to influence the 

 quality of our Horses, by a National Estab- 

 lishment, we shall quote the Author's views 

 of the course to be taken in furtherance of such 

 a plan : — 



A National Establishment should commence 

 its functions by obtaining from the east a con- 

 siderable number of well-selected ponies. The 

 better portion would be found to possess much 

 natural npeed, stoutness under severe exertion, 

 with limos and feet peculiarly adapted for 

 moving rapidly on a hard surface. It would 

 be puerile to bring from so great a distance 

 such ill-shapen and attenuated creatures as 

 those now usually imported under the name 

 of Arabians ; or to employ persons to purchase 

 who have «ot had experience of the best 



Horses under severe exertion. They would 

 search in vain amongst Oriental Horses for 

 those properties which are acquired under a 

 system of continued selection. Looking only 

 for natural qualities, they should select animals 

 as nearly in a state of nature as they could find 

 them ; having good symmetry, a full amount 

 of muscle, and whatever natural speed the 

 best animals of the best race are found to pos- 

 sess. 



When brought home a further trial should 

 be made. In this we should be content with 

 a degree of speed which is natural, and an 

 amount of structural power as nearly natural 

 as could be procured. The offspring of these 

 small Horses should be tried in each succeed- 

 ing generation ; and we should be satisfied for 

 a few years to see the natural speed of the 

 race gradually augment ; retaining only for 

 breeding such as went through their trials 

 satisfactorily. 



It would be folly to buy Horses of large 

 structure in the East ; such would be found 

 to have less speed than the small ones, while 

 factitious structure can be given here with only 

 too much facility. 



Whenever the public shall become alive to 

 the deteriorated condition of our saddle-Horses, 

 and anxious to obtain such as are more useful, 

 the first step must be a recurrence to nature 

 for those properties which art has destroyed. 

 It has been shewn that, in the absence of fresfe 

 blood, the elongated skeleton of the moderr 

 racer can only be shortened by a process which 

 would render him a starveling. The charac- 

 ter of the whole race has been reduced in this 

 respect to a common level. Some individuals 

 may be more compact than others, but all havo 

 lost something which fresh blood only caa 

 restore. If we rear them at a roasonable ez- 



