NAMING HORSES. 119 



ion General Peel, which partook of the same racy 

 turn, though it merged historically, by the happen- 

 ing of events, into another and perhaps more 

 pleasing vein. Happily, Lord Glasgow's pet idea in 

 the matter of nomenclature did not assume such 

 proportions as to become a prevailing fashion; thus 

 to a large extent we were spared the derision of our 

 neighbors in not only being a "nation of shopkeep- 

 ers," but that our intelligence did not enable us to 

 provide names for our race-horses. 



There is nothing more easy than to find a pleas- 

 ing, and at the same time a suitable name for a 

 horse intended to be known to the public in the char- 

 acter of a race-horse. In making a selection, it 

 should not be overlooked that, apart from the mat- 

 ter of taste, there is something to be said on the 

 question of culture, and it will not be everybody who 

 will care to pose before a critical audience like the 

 British public as lacking in either of these. To be 

 a suitable name it should never go beyond, except 

 in very rare instances, ten letters in length, whether 

 the name itself is simple or compound — that is, one 

 word or more. 



It would do much for the best interests of racing 

 if a higher standard were inculcated in the names 

 given to horses, and if in some way or other people 

 could be induced to get away from the practice of 



