232 THE RACEHORSE AS HE WAS AND IS. 



that for stallions at the present date, viz. lOO and even 2oO 

 guineas, each mare. 



I should perhaps remark, in conclusion, upon the fallibility 

 of the time-test to gauge the merits of different horses even 

 with all the accuracy with which it is now kept. The objec- 

 tions to it are obvious. One race may be run fast a part of 

 the way only, whilst another is run the whole distance at the 

 best speed of the animals contending. Thus in a slow run 

 race over a long course, a fast horse may win and beat one 

 that, if the pace were good all the way, would be able to dis- 

 tance his conqueror; and in the two instances the time occu- 

 pied by the same animals in doing the same distance would 

 vary considerably. The state of the ground, too, would 

 tell materially for or against the making of good time. As 

 no mention is made of all these differently operating circum- 

 stances, nor any calculation of the probable effect on either 

 of two animals thus tested by time, I prefer to see horses 

 tried side by side ; or if that cannot be attained, then I would 

 rather they were tried collaterally horse by horse, than rely 

 on information derived from the uncertainty of the time test. 



If more were required to be said on the subject, I think it 

 would be allowed that the superior stamina of the racehorse 

 is even more conspicuous if we observe him under heavy 

 weight, over deep ground — across country a long distance — 

 as a steeplechaser, where he now takes a foremost place. 

 Some twenty or thirty years ago, the half-bred hunters could 

 beat our thoroughbred horses over such courses ; and to start 

 one of the latter would have been deemed an act of insane 

 cruelty on the part of the owner. Though some may argue 

 that the transposition is more owing to the degeneracy of the 

 one than the improvement of the other, yet I think this will 

 not appear to be the case if we consider the high standard of 



