120 THEORY OF FEEDING. 



however, thoroughbreds are raised almost entirely on grass, 

 as we often see in Australasia, the bone below the knees and 

 hocks would as a rule satisfy the majority of Leicestershire 

 middle weights. Such bony development would not be 

 desirable in high class racehorses ; because large bones and 

 great speed are not compatible, as I have tried to show in 

 Points of the Horse. On the other hand, bone of fairly good 

 size is indispensable for weight-carrying purposes. Some 

 superficial observers think that thoroughbred blood is not 

 capable of producing bone sufficiently large for hunting and 

 cavalry requirements ; but we should remember that the 

 physical peculiarities of our racehorses are not due to any 

 racial difference between them and Shire horses, for instance ; 

 but to the process of selection and feeding to which they have 

 been subjected during hundreds of years. Any attempt to 

 obtain " bone " in riding horses by the admixture of com- 

 mon blood, is open to the very serious objection, that even its 

 success would be counterbalanced or more than counter- 

 balanced by the introduction of undesirable points of confor- 

 mation, such as faulty shape of the legs, and heavy shoulders. 

 In a well-built thoroughbred, we have every desirable point in 

 a riding horse, except a sufficiency of bone, which could be 

 obtained by selection and feeding through several generations. 

 If the process of establishing a race of thoroughbreds with 

 sufficient bone for weight carrying hunters and troopers would 

 be too slow for private enterprise, it is eminently worthy of 

 the attention of the State. This suggestion is of course made 

 with reference to military and hunting requirements, and not 

 to those of racing. 



Grass to produce compact and well developed bone, requires 

 to be grown on dry land rich in lime. " A good sound lime- 

 stone soil always produces bone " (Pallin). The soil of Nor- 

 folk is dry and rich in lime. " You rarely see bandy-legged 

 children in Norfolk, and the bones of Norfolk-bred horses are 



