56 The Book of the Horse. 



wound up for intense exertion, over smooth turf, during a period rarely exceeding three minutes, 

 and the steeplechaser or hunter, in a very few effective words : — 



" I. The withers of the steeplechase-horse should be higher, and the shoulders longer. 



" 2. The girth deeper, and the back ribs shorter and lighter. 



" 3. The hips should be wider, and the pelvis broader. 



" In the gallop the steeplechaser should be a dashing, savage goer, bending his knees 

 well. The race-horse should glide along with a straight reach, as smoothly as a cutter through 

 water. 



" The hunter should differ from the steeplechaser in one particular ; his back ribs should be 

 deeper and more expanded, to enable him to go through many hours of severe labour without 

 food." 



A careful consideration of these " points," noted down by the two practical men already 

 named, unembarrassed with the theories which often fetter public writers on the same subject, 

 will show that a race-horse may be first-class in his trade — the trade of winning races at light 

 weights and distances not over a mile — -while wanting in the qualifications essential to make a 

 good hunter or riding-horse of any kind. As for the outlines most admired in the modern 

 Oriental horse, they are detested by English trainers. 



They object to the very small head, and small pointed ears ; " to the high setting-on of 

 tail," which gives so much character to the Arab. On the contrary, as stated in the preceding 

 page, most first-class horses on the racecourse and across country (steeplechasers) have their 

 tails set on low. 



From time to time instances occur in which the type of the far distant Eastern blood is 

 reproduced with curious fidelity. For example, Touchstone, winner of the great St. Leger in 

 1834, was a very famous sire of race-horses. From him, amongst others, are descended 

 Orlando, to whom the Derby was awarded in 1844 under rather curious circumstances; 

 Surplice, winner of the same race and of the St. Leger in 1848 ; and Newminster, winner of the 

 St. Leger in 1851. 



Touchstone's pedigree goes back through six sires to Eclipse, whose descent from Oriental 

 stock is shown in the pedigree set out at page 57. Amongst the numerous sons of Touch- 

 stone was Motley, who never distinguished himself on the turf When Motley was exhibited 

 at Islington in 1865, being then fourteen years old, he received, on the express recommendation 

 of Mr. Weatherby, of Old Burlington Street, an e.xtra prize in consequence of his remark- 

 able reproduction of the type of his remote Oriental and particularly Arab ancestors. His 

 head was the head of a thorough-bred Arab ; his fault — withers lower than his croup — was an 

 Arab fault, which he had in common with his ancestor Eclipse. It was apparently counteracted 

 by his union with hunting half-bred mares with good riding shoulders. At any rate, as soon 

 as his produce came into work, he attained a high reputation as a sire of hunters, which he 

 enjoyed till his death, but he was never sire of a good race-horse. 



Modern race-horses are no longer required to carry twelve stone in races for four or six 

 miles, and in England the barbarity of heats has entirely disappeared. They were common in 

 country racecourses in the middle of the present century, and are still continued in America 

 and France. 



THE COLOURS OF THOROUGH-BRED HORSES. 



The modern thorough-bred horse is most commonly bay, frequontl}' chestnut, less frequently 

 brown, rarely black, aiul still more rarely roan, and scarcely ever grey. Cecil, an authority. 



