LOSING EFFECTS. 107 



will allow that a winner generally does go over the 

 same length of ground in less time than a loser. When 

 he does it, it all arises from stroke. It matters not 

 whether from the extraordinary length of it, or the 

 extraordinary quick repetition of it, or both in a more 

 moderate degree, it is still the stroke : the thing to be 

 ascertained, therefore, is how far we may use a horse 

 to make amends for shortening his strides by the more 

 frequent repetition of them. A person may say such 

 a horse lost such a race from any cause they please : 

 he did not run kindly, or sulked all the way, or a part 

 of it. His sulking, we will say, caused him to lose his 

 race ; that is, it was the primary cause ; but it was 

 the effect of his sulkiness that really lost the race, and 

 that effect was, he would not stride far enough, or 

 would not strike quick enough to win it. In another 

 case, it may be said the ground was too hard for him : 

 here the effect was precisely the same, only in this 

 case fear or infirmity produced what sulkiness did in 

 the other. 



We may say, "the hill beat him." "Why?" 

 Because it diminished his stride in length or rapidity. 



" The weight was too much for him : " the conse- 

 quence of which was, it produced the same effect as 

 the hill. 



In short, whether the cause be temper, hard or 

 soft ground, hilly ground, weight, or fatigue, it all 

 merges into the same thing : the want of length or 

 rapidity, or both, of stroke loses the race. If I am 

 right in this, it certainly follows that next to condition 

 the great thing to be attended to in a race -horse is his 

 style of going. A horse may not carry himself so as 

 to please the eye, yet be a very good goer : he may be 

 like some dancing masters, not graceful or pleasing 



