THOROUGH-BRED VERSUS HALF-BRED. 75 



signed to cabmen the better, for it is utterly useless to 

 train them on, as bad-heartecl ones generally become 

 worse instead of better the more they have of it. 



BLOOD. 



The thorough-bred horse of five or six years old is 

 the only animal a man would be justified in putting 

 into training as a professional steeplechase horse. 



Time was when the half-bred hunter was supposed 

 to be the only annual capable of carrying high weights 

 over a country. This, however, has been quite upset 

 of late, and we see that a veritable half-bred one is 

 hardly ever placed for a big race. 



There are still some good pseudo half-bred ones, to 

 wit, Medora, Bridegroom, and Wee Nell, being the 

 best of them. If all these three are really half-bred 

 ones, it certainly goes far to establish the theory that 

 a stain in the pedigree is desirable, since no one can 

 deny that at high weights and over long and severe 

 courses it would, at this time, puzzle any one to find 

 three superior horses. Still only in the letter, but not 

 in the spirit, are these to be considered veritable cock- 

 tails, since their pedigrees must be considered about as 

 good as that of Eclipse, if not quite within the pale of 

 the stud book. 



As to the choice of blood, many strains run well — 

 the Tupsleys and Sir Hercules 's being the most success- 

 ful, and the Bay Middletons and Touchstones the 

 least so. 



