ON RUNNING HORSES, SCC, I73 



horfes in this country, on the ground, that were 

 the fpecies negleded, and fufFered to be indif- 

 criminately blended amongft the whole genus, 

 the Englifh faddle-horfe would, in all proba- 

 bility, become retrograde in quality, and in the 

 courfe of time would degenerate into the round 

 buttock, gummy carcafe, and coarfe head of 

 former days. In fa6l, examples enough of this 

 degeneracy are always to be feen in the fluds of 

 the different breeders, which Mr. Marfhall him- 

 felf allows ; and the neceffity of an occafional 

 recourfe to thorough blood is fully apparent. 

 Nor is the number of well-fhaped half-bred 

 ftallions ever very confiderable, or fuflBcient for 

 the demand of the country. 



The idea with which fome people amufe 

 themfelves, of putting an end to horfe-racing 

 by law, I think filly enough. I fhould be forry 

 to fee the day, when the nobility and gentry of 

 England, attached to that fport, could be fuffi- 

 ciently depreffed in fpirit to affent to fuch a 

 law, or rather trefpafs upon their free agency. 

 On the courfe only, can the worth of this pecu- 

 liar fpecies be effayed, and independently of 

 that objeft, it is fcarcely probable that the breed 

 would be kept diftinft, or that any very minute 

 attention would be beflowed upon pedigree. 

 It is well known, that not only have varieties 

 of a genus of animals been often blended and 

 loft by negleft, but even arts and different 



branches 



