2'2 WON WITHOUT DISTRESS. 



that was being drawn at a gallop before her, whilst each hind leg 

 seemed to reach alternately almost to the back of the sulky which 

 she was drawing entirely by the reins. Still, each mile took a few 

 seconds more than three minutes, and time was still the favourite 

 at the noisy auction mart. This continued until the leading, or 

 rather the restraining sulky, with its exhausted horse, turned out 

 of the course and the mare was left alone. 



Now, for the first time, the sight was a pretty one, the 

 galloping panting horse no longer obstructed the view, and the 

 mare's hind and fore legs were a study as they came i^ast. It was 

 evident that it was the strong hind quarters that were dashing 

 those hind legs so far back, and that the short fore legs had only 

 to plant themselves well out of the way ; whilst the lungs were 

 supplying all that was wanted, as quietly as they had done the 

 first mile. 



39. — She now began to do each mile three or four seconds 

 within the time, so that time went dowai and the mare went up 

 at the noisy pulpit. When seventeen miles had been accomplished 

 she had several seconds in hand, and the owner cried to the 

 driver " Don't harry, you have plenty of time." To which he 

 replied, " I can t hold her any harder, sir." 



40. — The race was won with something to spare, the mare 

 showing no symptom of distress. As she was led through the 

 crowd she snatched a handful of hay that was oflFered her by a 

 bystander, and ate it as if her lungs had nothing particular to do. 

 It must be evident that had the mare been in the slightest degree 

 distressed she could not have continued to improve her pace as 

 she went on. 



41. — On the racecourse the Thoroughbi'ed has been treated 

 chiefly as a gambling machine, and by racing men has been bred 

 with the mere object of getting an animal that could gallop over 

 a mile or two in the least possible time. So long as he could do 

 this his general utility, his size, his power, his temper, his 

 soundness, his beauty, his safety, were all matters of indifference. 

 A horse may excel in all these points and yet not be worth one 

 hundred pounds, whereas if he can run a mile in one second less 

 than any other horse, he is worth ten thousand pounds as a winner 

 of cups and bets. 



