32 England's horses, 



breeding and education, tliere Avill be beauty of form, and 

 the blood will be adapted to sucli purposes, within the com- 

 pass of the laws of nature, as were aimed at, provided 

 recourse has been had from the hegiyming to select the 

 finest models for the purpose." Well, so it is, no doubt, and 

 that the practice pursued carefully in these kingdoms for 

 numerous years has produced a type of horse, taking him 

 all in all, never before equalled is, likewise, a truism. I 

 shall, therefore, start with the assumption that at some com- 

 paratively recent period, if not now, we had generally the 

 English thoroughbred a representative of blood, substance, 

 bone, power, beauty, action, temper, and fleetness with in- 

 domitable endurance. And we must admit that with the 

 stud use of individual examples, approximating in a reason- 

 able degree to this high standard, our pasturable districts in 

 this kingdom and the " Sister Isle," produced a half-bred 

 stock for the supply of the nation's cavalry and artillery, 

 and for ordinary purposes of saddle and harness, of great 

 excellence and reputation. It is also desirable to note here 

 that from causes which I shall proceed to elucidate in the 

 sequel, the same amount of genuine and desirable attributes 

 are largely absent from this important class of England's 

 horses at the present time ; so much so, indeed, as to have 

 given rise to much discussion on the subject in two leading 

 sporting journals of weekly issue, and to cause the subject 

 to reach important quarters for ventilation and considera- 

 tion. 



I venture, with the utmost diffidence and respectful 

 solicitude, to attempt to tone, if not to educate, the mind of 

 my readers to a harmony with my efforts, by which I would 

 hope for exclusion from the undue weight of preconceived 

 and ineradicable notions arising from strong partiality. I 

 would suggest they calmly received the plaintiff's evidence 

 and his advocate's address, and after weighing all carefully 



