14 HORSE-MASTERSHIP 



before you go out to search for your mount 

 for the coming campaign. I myself have a 

 great fancy for the horses that win races. It 

 is said " they win in all shapes." But they 

 don't. You never saw a horse with a really 

 bad shoulder win a race. Therefore, as you 

 can't very often get a good look at the winner 

 — everyone wants to crowd round him — go to 

 the second or third. One of these may have 

 been trying to give the winner 14 pounds, 

 and have been only beaten by a head or a 

 neck ; but nobody looks at him, and you can 

 walk round him and thoroughly study his 

 points. Of course, I only want you to take 

 these points as an ideal, and avoid horses that 

 differ very materially from the type. Look 

 for good long sloping shoulders ; look for 

 horses that stand well and evenly on their 

 fore-legs ; look for something shorter in the 

 leg than Is usually the young thoroughbred ; 

 look for the small graceful head of the race- 

 horse, the good neck, and the long sloping 

 quarters. Indeed, it is almost a case of, in 

 the words of the comic opera : 



