OUR SADDLE-HORSES. 23 



been permitted to live in a more natural state ; 

 and I hope before closing this work to adduce 

 facts which will fully bear out this opinion. 



I formerly wished Government to create a 

 great haras, making it directly influence the 

 quality of our saddle-horses ; but, besides the 

 certainty of improper persons being too often 

 placed at the head of such an establishment, it 

 would labour under the disadvantages of being 

 unattended by competition, thus losing the 

 mainspring on which great productive excel- 

 lence depends. 



If, however, we are to continue granting 

 public bounties to the turf, it is surely desir- 

 able to obtain for the public some return. 



The plan I propose rests on a sound prin- 

 ciple — that of sharp competition amongst the 

 breeders of our race-horses to obtain very 

 liberal bounties, but under conditions which 

 should render the outlay one of public utility. 



It is impossible to determine, a priori, or 

 until some trials have been made, the exact 

 amount of bounties that will suffice to secure 

 to the public the object in view. Probably 

 three or four hundred pounds would be about 

 the sum to award to the winners of certain 



