RACE HORSES. 169 



India, for few indeed out of the many that are imported, 

 prove, either as racers, or as ordinary riding horses, to be 

 worth their passage-money out to this country. Their 

 feet and legs generally go to pieces on our hard ground. 



The style of race horse which will pay out here, is one 

 that is particularly sound, can stay a distance, carry 

 weight, and be at the same time pretty fast qualifica- 

 tions that will ensure a long figure for their possessor in 

 any country. 



The majority of Indian race courses are so hard that 

 they tend to make horses, which are trained on them, 

 go short, and " stilty ; " while even when the track 

 happens to be soft, the " going " is simply heavy without 

 any elasticity, so that the horse is taught to " dwell on 

 his stride." We hardly ever obtain the happy medium 

 afforded by the light springy turf in England. Good 

 legs and feet are the first considerations, and then comes 

 the power of carrying weight and being able to stay. 

 An English horse should be able to race under 11 stone, 

 and a Waler under 7 fts. less, and with these weights up, 

 should be able to travel 1^ miles. If a sound game horse 

 can do all this, his being a little " troubled with the 

 slows," will not prevent him from paying his way. A 

 flashy thorough-bred, that can stagger home in extraor- 

 dinary good time over 5 furlongs with 6 stone up, would 

 be utterly out of place in India, and would only be fit 

 for selling races. 



Race horses cost so much in England, that I strongly 

 suspect, since the time of Morning Star, there has been 

 hardly a single horse sent out here with even third class 

 pretensions. Bridesmaid is the best we have had for 



