80 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



many that an irreparable injury lias been done to the race in 

 modern times, that is, within the past fifty or seventy-five years, 

 by requiring the greatest possible speed and shorter distances. 

 The structure of the animal has been greatly changed in conse- 

 quence. The modern custom of training him for the course at 

 too young an age, has also led to the same result, and many a 

 horse has been compelled to leave the track broken down and 

 unfit for service before arriving at an age at which the racer of 

 the last century would have been allowed to compete. 



The height of the modern thorough-bred racer is usually from 

 fifteen to sixteen hands, a middling size being preferred to one 

 above the usual height ; his body is light, his limbs rather longer 

 than in other horses, muscular to the knee and hock, chest nar- 

 row but deep — a form which best promotes the power of speed — 

 his shoulders finely formed, oblique, often lower than suits the 

 eye ; the back long, not ribbed up like the snug built roadster ; 

 the croup long ; length and breadth of the hind quarters large ; 

 the muscular development of the back and hind quarters sur- 

 passing that of any other breed. The head is fine, usually 

 small or tapering towards the muzzle, forehead broad, eyes large 

 and brilliant, ears delicate, of medium length, lips thin, nostrils 

 wide, the veins under the skin prominent, more so than in other 

 races ; the neck long, straight and thin ; the legs below the 

 knees thin and flat ; the pasterns long and oblique, and the hoof 

 well formed. 



It will be seen that the whole structure of the body is light, 

 and calculated to serve the purposes of rapid motion. Speed 

 and strength of endurance are the chief requisites in the thor- 

 ough-bred horses, and perhaps other qualities have been sacri- 

 ficed to them. The color of the pure bred racer is usually 

 bright bay or chestnut, with black mane and tail. Eclipse was 

 a rich chestnut. A few have been jet black, but they are rare. 

 A few are gray, but this color is not common. 



If the above enumeration of the prominent points of the thor- 

 ough-bred horse be correct, it is evident that his mechanical 

 structure is different from that most frequently sought for, and 

 most highly prized in New England. His natural pace is that 

 of running, and not that of trotting. But Low, the author of 

 several valuable works on our domestic animals, says: " Foreign 

 nations are desirous to obtain the race horse of England for 



