12 A CAUTION. 



as the case may be, and consequently their powers will 

 be diminished. Once more let me advise the inex- 

 perienced to look at the whole fore leg, and not at parts 

 and parcels of it, which are very apt to deceive them ; 

 inasmuch as they hardly know what fault to find, and 

 if they feel the leg cool and hard conclude that they 

 possess a valuable wearing animal. Alas! once round 

 the Ascot course would very soon undeceive them. 

 What secrets, what stable truths, has not this royal 

 course revealed ! How many owners are yearly curs- 

 ing their luck, and yet how few profit by such unto- 

 ward circumstances ! Surely ' experientia docet ' was 

 only meant to be quoted in irony ! 



What is meant by an infirm horse but a bad fore 

 legged one in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred ? 

 A naturally infirm horse, — i.e. one with improperly- 

 formed fore legs, can never pull satisfactorily through a 

 long course when the pace is good ; though a good 

 legged horse which has become infirm from over 

 exertion may do so, when carefully patched up ; though 

 I confess I am dead against the experiment. If, then, 

 there be any truth in these statements, do they not go 

 to prove that, unless a horse has good fore legs to begin 

 with, a man had better throw his money over a bridge 

 than become the possessor of him, however many good 

 points he may have, and, however well the stable may 

 speak of his home performances. Keep him at exer- 

 cise, with his tendons at a gentle tension, and all may be 

 well, and he may show great speed and promise ; but 

 begin to try a weakly strung bow with your fullest 



