STOPPERS. 191 



of transcendent speed, I might choose him for a good 

 honest hard-constitutioned four-mile slow mare, under 

 the hope of getting a race-horse ; but I certainly 

 never would use such a horse in breeding hunters : for 

 what is it that stops these flyers ? It can proceed but 

 from one of two causes, or both want of wind, or 

 want of stamina. It may be said such horses may go 

 at such a pace as it is impossible they .can "stay at 

 it." I know they can ; for such velocity produces 

 such increased action of the lungs that a horse would, 

 technically, choke ; and if we tried to get such a horse 

 to do a mile in (say) 56 seconds, we need not wonder 

 if he stops short completely exhausted ; but if he has 

 only led other horses for a mile, however tremendous 

 the pace may have been, and they are within a length 

 or two of him when he stops, and they, or at least 

 some of them, go on, however slow they afterwards go, 

 it is quite clear that want of wind, strength, or con- 

 stitution stopped him. Now, though the perpetuating 

 speed is in no way to be depended upon indeed the 

 chances are very much against it as a general result 

 the perpetuating want of stamina or constitution 

 is much more certain : at all events I should not 

 consider it judicious to put ourselves in the way of 

 perpetuating very great imperfections. I have said 

 what without explanation may appear as somewhat 

 contradictory to this when I stated I did not wish a 

 race-horse to have too hard a constitution : but to 

 explain this, I do not mean that a race-horse or any 

 other horse can have too sound or healthful a constitu- 

 tion ; I merely mean, I would not wish a race-horse to 

 have that kind of hard constitution that tends to 

 throwing up flesh, or rather fat. Some animals will 

 look well and get fat on comparatively anything. 



