THE AMERICAN SYSTEM CONSIDERED. in 



trainer, 1 think the distance may, in most cases, be curtailed 

 beneficially, and the speed advantageously augmented and 

 kept at a more uniform rate. The clothing, again, is super- 

 abundant, and I should think such a load, in hot weather, 

 must tend to weaken the horse. One thing is quite certain. 

 If the Americans do not use too much, we use too little, and 

 the knowledge of the happy medium would be of service 

 here, as well as in the work done and the way of doing it. 

 We appear to do fast and short work, while they do long and 

 slow. If we made ours a little further and they made theirs 

 a little shorter, probably both systems would be improved, 

 whilst, in other respects, the plans of each might be adhered 

 to. There is one thing pretty clear ; the American horses, 

 in spite of all the long work they do, have never stayed 

 better than our own. This has been shown on many occasions, 

 but never more clearly than in three long distance races, the 

 Goodwood Cup and Stal;es, and the Cresarewitch, under 

 favourable circumstances as regards weights. These I won, 

 beating them very easily with Promised Land, ElcJio, and 

 Dulcibella, Nevertheless, the victory of Prioress in the last- 

 named race, after running a dead heat with El Hakim and 

 Queen Bess, with a large field behind her, is evidence that the 

 Anierican system is hot a bad one. 



But that, as compared with our own, there is something 

 defective either in the system of training, or in their manage- 

 ment, or in some other way, may, I think, be reasonably 

 concluded from the fact that, with a fair opportunity of 

 exhibiting their prowess, they were compelled to beat a 

 retreat ; our horses showing themselves better than theirs, in 

 my opinion, over any course. Mr. San ford has not, up to 

 this point, done much good with his little team, and if he have 

 no better horses than,. so far as v^-e know, he owns at present, 



