40 UNASKED ADVICE. 



head. The Australian stock riders are said to be the best 

 horsemen in the world/ and they need be. We have got 

 a long way wide of the Barb ; but, after all there is little 

 to be said about him, beyond that he is a gentlemanly 

 little horse, with a great deal of good about him, but 

 inferior in all respects, except trotting action, to the true 

 Arab. He is a nice lady's horse, and a nice park hack, 

 and very good in his way. The greater part of the 

 stories which we have so often heard about the wonderful 

 performances of Eastern horses are to be placed in the 

 same category as the tales of the Rhinoceros Major in a 

 certain monthly periodical. As chargers and troopers, 

 in the way of roughing it, Orientals will beat English 

 horses ; but, on the other hand, the best of them that 

 ever went could not get over an " oxer" at the end of 

 three miles, best pace and ridge and furrow. 



THE RACEHORSE. 



HORSE-RACING throughout all ages and in all countries has 

 had professedly for its object improvement in the breed 

 of horses, until lately, when the question has been raised 

 whether racing, as now conducted, does not have the 

 opposite effect, and actually cause our breed of thorough- 

 bred horses to deteriorate. Much has been said for and 

 against this view of matters, and an impartial individual, 

 having heard the arguments on both sides, will be very 

 likely to find himself as regards opinion much where he 

 was when he began. There is, and can be, no doubt that 

 thoroughbred horses of power are the exception; also 

 that the best racehorse is frequently, as a sire of horses 



