RACE-HOESES.J 



THE HOESE, AND 



y^RACE-HOESES. 



vigour ; and these can only be found in horses 

 which are nearer to a state of nature. So 

 long as individual differences in a race enable 

 us to correct individual defects, we may dis- 

 pense with fresh blood, but no longer, 



A national establishment, having selected 

 horses from amongst a fine race, distinguished 

 by their symmetry, their natural speed, and 

 full amount of muscle, should carefully 

 observe how far the artificial properties 

 afterwards given to the race, diminished its 

 natural ones. A mass of facts would, after 

 some years, be obtained and recorded, calcu- 

 lated to throw, for the first time, a steady light 

 on the distant, as well as proximate, conse- 

 quences resulting from factitious causes. These 

 facts are not likely to be collected under any 

 system less permanent and comprehensive than 

 one under the control of a national establish- 

 ment. Its stock should be divided into two 

 portions; both should be placed under the 

 influence of continued selection for speed and 

 stoutness ; but one should be maintained at a 

 structure as nearly naturalas possible. "With 

 such conflicting properties as speed, vigour, 

 and great structural enlargement, a reserve of 

 more natural animals cannot be dispensed 

 with. The enlarged portion of the stock should 

 again be divided into two classes, one being 

 kept for breeding, the other for working. The 

 size of the former should be allowed to become 

 as large as is required to enable it to produce 

 animals sufficiently powerful for working ; 

 every efibrt should be made to keep down the 

 stature of the breeding animals to that point 

 which suffices, by the aid of rich food, to pro- 

 duce working animals sufficiently powerful ; 

 increasing the stature of the race as little, and 

 that of the individuals as much as possible. 

 In breeding horses of the best race, it might 

 be found desirable to have one portion of less 

 speed, but more muscular, than the other, in 

 order to meet that variety of demand which 

 necessarily exists in a highly civilised nation. 

 There should be a certain amount of foreign 

 blood in the horses of our heavy cavalry ; but 

 foreign horses, having a degree of speed which 

 is incompatible with much muscular power, 

 are not so well calculated for heavy cavalry as 

 such as have less speed, but more muscular 

 and constitutional power. Mambrino, Sweet- 

 william, or Sedbury, were better fitted for 

 58 



producing proper stock for cavalry than Sharke. 

 This animal was more advanced by art than 

 the earlier horses as respects speed ; but he 

 was not so well calculated for enabling us to 

 produce powerful saddle-animals. If a foreign 

 race is to assist in the production of our heavy 

 cavalry horses, it should possess as much 

 structural power as can be combined with a 

 sufficiency of actiou, vigour, and sustaining 

 strength. 



The natural qualities of the horse are found 

 nearest perfection when they are in a condi- 

 tion the least removed from one of nature. 

 Artificial structure is obtained b}' rich food, 

 and artificial speed by continued selection. 

 The course of the breeder is easy, so long as 

 it is in one direction ; that is, in advance. 

 When, however, the form of a whole race has 

 become deteriorated, the symmetry, which is 

 lost, can only be recovered by going back to 

 nature. A national establishment would, in 

 this case, renovate the enlarged portion of its 

 stock by having recourse to the animals whose 

 stature had been little increased. Such an 

 institution should ever be at work, preparing 

 smaller animals, by means of trials and con- 

 tinued selection, for being crossed when re- 

 quired with that enlarged portion of its stock 

 which, from time to time, became deteriorated. 

 The smaller animals, until wanted, should be 

 kept in a state of nature as nearly as possible. 

 They would thus retain their vigour while 

 acquiring all the advantages derivable from 

 continued selection ; they could be maintained 

 at the least possible expense ; at one which the 

 sale of the annual draughts would nearly or 

 wholly repay. 



If a new race were to be formed, under the 

 system we have now recommended, capable of 

 running long distances, and carrying consider- 

 able weight without distress, premiums might 

 be again granted to the winners of certain 

 feats upon the turf. To attempt to make 

 modern racers run longer distances, or carry 

 more weight than at present, would be both 

 cruel and useless. A national establishment, 

 undertaking to form a new race of foreign 

 horses, could not be said to succeed, unless it 

 supplied the country with as swift, stout, and 

 powerful animals as were the earlier racers. 

 Knowing accurately the powers of the new 

 race, it could point out the nature of the 



