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CHAPTER XI 



Porter's former views on Turf reform — Early foaling and its evils — 

 Injurious effects of ' sprint ' racing on both horse and jockey — 

 Porter's evidence before the Royal Commission on horse-breeding 

 — Principal points recapitulated— Curious case of a transmitted 

 defect — Racing in France — The French the better system — Con- 

 firmatory evidence respecting ' sprint ' racing and roaring given 

 by other witnesses — Matthew Dawson not amongst the reformers 

 — The great jockey question — Suggested change in the foaling 

 period — Fewer short races and an alteration in the running of 

 two-year-olds suggested— Letter from the secretary of the Royal 

 Commission to Porter — If a March half-bred foal, why not adopt 

 the principle with thoroughbreds ? 



' As I wrote some years before, and as I certainly 

 think now, in dealing with Turf reform the first 

 consideration should be the horse itself. Having 

 got the best blood in the world, the question is, 

 How to produce the best class of animal for racing 

 purposes ? Is early foaling conducive to this result ? 

 I maintain that it is not, for the following amongst 

 other reasons. The three most unfavourable months 

 in the year in which foals can be born are January, 

 February, and March, inasmuch as the young things 

 have to contend with the very worst weather which 

 we experience during the whole course of the year. 

 Mares and foals must be housed, and can only be 

 turned out during rare intervals of sunshine, when 

 the foal naturally gallops about, becomes very hot, 



