THOROUGH-BRED HORSES. 177 



thorough-bred, without exception, proving far heavier 

 than was supposed. 



An athlete, we all know, whether boxer, wrestler, 

 pedestrian, cricketer or gymnast, looks smaller in his 

 clothes, and larger when he is stripped. Similarly, on 

 examining in the stable, "the nice little horse" we 

 admired in the field, it surprises us to find nearly 

 sixteen hands of height, and six feet of girth, with 

 power to correspond in an animal of which we thought 

 the only defect was want of size. A thorough-bred one 

 is invariably a little bigger, and a great deal stronger 

 than he looks. Of his power to carry weight, those tall, 

 fine men who usually ride so judiciously and so straight, 

 are not yet sufficiently convinced, although if you ask 

 any celebrated " welter " to name the best horse he ever 

 had, he is sure to answer, " Oh ! little So-and-so. He 

 wasn't up to my weight, but he carried me better than 

 anything else in the stable ! " Surely no criterion could 

 be more satisfactory than this ! 



It may not be out of place to observe here, as an 

 illustration of the well-known maxim, " Horses can go 

 in all shapes," that of the three heaviest men I can call 

 to mind who rode perfectly straight to hounds, the best 

 hunter owned by each was too long in the back. " Sober 

 Robin," an extraordinary animal that could carry Mr. 



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