OF FARRIERY. 



333 



enterprise, or is the result of public spirit, sup- 

 ported by private wealth or influence. Two 

 Princely instances are those before us. There 

 a National business (it is such in fact, because 

 no other country possesses the material, or the 

 knowledge of its use,) which from its nature 

 is not suited to the merely professional man, 

 is conducted with all the care and skill that 

 could be brought to bear upon any under- 

 taking solely embarked in for the purpose of a 

 profitable return. It is this public spirit, not 

 some newly discovered Philosopher's stone in 

 political juggling, but an inheritance descended 

 from father to son through generations of social 

 order and rural uprightness, in which we read 

 the true interpretation of England's prosperity, 

 and the recipe by which alone other lands may 

 hope to resemble her. 



This stud consisted (in 1836) of thirty mares. 

 In loose boxes were some of Mr. Thornhill's 

 yearlings about to be sent to Newmarket. A 

 bay colt, by Emiliui*, out of Mercy, attracted 

 considerable attention on account of his size ; 

 he was a Horse in all but the name. Some 

 Russians who lately visited Riddlesworth, ab- 

 solutely refused to believe it, tiU they looked 

 into his mouth. The second was a chesnut 

 colt, by Sir Patrick, out of Mangle Wurzel, 

 with size and substance for a four-year-old. 

 The third a bay colt, brother to Mendizabel, 

 by Merchant, out of Misnomer's dams. These 

 three yearlings averaged fifteen hands two 

 inches high each ! 



As far as the example of these yearling 

 colts go, there can be no cause for suspect- 

 mg degeneracy, for with their immense 

 growth, they had substance as well as height, 

 one of which might be taken for four years 

 old. If these splendid and gigantic animals 

 flad hat' justice done them, they would not 



! have been put to severe work before five or 

 j six years old ; yet they were going into train- 

 ing at Newmarket, directly. Where there 

 was so much strength and substance de- 

 veloped at so early a period, surely it cannot 

 be unnatural to suppose that if time was given 

 for the consolidation of those powers, instead 

 of racing them at two years old, we should 

 not have to deplore the want of durability in 

 our racing-stock. If we sin against Nature, 

 however, we must take the consequences ; for 

 we can never do that with impunity. 



It may be interesting here to draw a com- 

 parison between the English racer, and tho 

 parent stock as to the difference in size. The 

 difference no doubt arises principally t'trough 

 the stomach, from the superior kind of food 

 which it may receive, which thus increases 

 the structural economy of the animal. To il- 

 lustrate this, we believe, that if the large 

 Friezland Horse were sent to Shetland, and 

 it did not die in the seasoning, it would de- 

 generate in time to the size of the present 

 Shetland poney ; whilst on the other hand, if 

 the Shetland poney was removed to the suc- 

 culent and nourishing pasture of Friezland, its 

 size would become proportionately augmented, 

 and \\ ould in the end become (the representa- 

 tive of w hat it fed on) a large bulky animal. 

 It has been remarked that very small Horses 

 are stronger in proportion to those of a larger 

 make ; this may be true, ^nd yet it may be 

 perfectly necessary to improve their size for 

 our own convenience. It would be impossible 

 to have the hardiness of the Shetland poney 

 and the speed of an Arab united in the same 

 individual, and to gain speed we must be con- 

 tent to sacrifice the hardiness of the northern 

 poney for that of superior speed and size. It 

 is well known that the eastern Horse requires 

 4 V 



