THE HORSE. 291 



for it cannot be supposed, that mother nature has 

 cast away the mould from which she formed those 

 rare specimens. The vast importance of the weight 

 carried by a horse, with respect to the speed and con- 

 tinuance he may be able to exert, is quite level with 

 common sense aided by reflection. The ancient 

 writers on matching horses, seemed to think very 

 lightly of the difference which could be made by 

 seven pounds ; but horses being equally matched and 

 jockeyed, three or four pounds, or probably even less, 

 may turn the scale, more especially with young ones. 

 Every trainer knows the great disadvantage to a 

 horse, that from the lightness of his rider, has to 

 carry dead weight, an item that should be present to 

 the mind in making a match. The circumstance, 

 however, that in our racing regulations, weights are 

 always settled according to age, without regard to 

 size, or ability to carry weight, seems to militate 

 against the known general principle in that respect; 

 this must arise from the difficulty of the case, and 

 the uncertainty of handy capping, which I have ob- 

 served, does not always give general satisfaction. 

 Another not uncommon occurrence, has beyond all, 

 imprest me with ideas of anomaly and difficulty in 

 this affair of weight. A small, but capital racer, not 

 apparently master perhaps of more than ien or twelve 

 stone, shall beat over the course, at even weights, 

 one of the same age, able to carry fifteen or sixteen 

 stone, and yet a known good runner. This seems to 

 show the superiority of speed over the effect of 

 weight, and to sanction the general racing regula- 

 tions." I have already adverted to the- barbarous rule 



