24 BREEDING. 



was amongst the first to reduce horse-racing to a 

 science. 



He was anxious to test the superiority (for of this 

 he had been convinced) of horses with arched knees ; 

 and to effect this he tried several horses over different 

 courses, and the result was that on level and inclined 

 courses there was no perceptible difference ; but over 

 up-hill courses their superiority was most marked. 



ON BREEDING THE RACEHORSE. 



What sort of animal, asks every breeder, am I to 

 choose to ensure successful produce on the turf? This 

 must depend entirely on the description of course over 

 which your produce will have to race. 



If they will have to run principally in flying handi- 

 caps (which pay as well as anything in these days) and 

 are not expected to be sufficiently good for the Derby, 

 Oaks, and Leger; or, Doncaster, Goodwood, Chester, 

 and Ascot Cups, then mere formation must be thrown 

 to the winds, and the character of the blood be care- 

 fully weighed. But if the desired formation with the 

 desired blood can be obtained, then you may be sure 

 that, barring accidents, the produce will be a race- 

 horse ; but the one will never do without the other, nor 

 the other without the one. The breeder must only 

 estimate good looks and formation for just so much as 

 they are worth. The folly of going for looks alone in 

 breeding hunters has been the cause of so many sad 

 disappointments that one wonders people do not turn 



