26 THE MERRY GEE-GEE 



for your country's good and to improve 

 the breed of horses. Luck has a loud 

 voice in breeding blood-stock (as well 

 as in other pursuits), and will have, in 

 spite of all figure systems, which, as 

 applied to producing race-horses, doubt- 

 less has its merit, inasmuch as it favours 

 breeding from lines of winners or lines 

 which have produced winners. I believe 

 in breeding from winners, and they win 

 in nearly all shapes ; but if you keep on 

 persistently breeding for a few genera- 

 tions from winning mares with weak 

 loins or sickle-shaped hocks, you will 

 very soon perpetuate a breed with backs 

 so narrow that they will cut the man in 

 half who bestrides them, and with hind 

 legs at right angles at the hocks. 



But, after all, what consequence is this 

 to the parvenuBy so long as he owns 

 winners, with the accompanying kudos y 



