tion of the saddle horse, and consequently of employing 

 more than ever the thoroughbred factor. 



Theoretically, the remedy is simple. " Sincere," in his 

 " Etude hippique," clearly indicated it, rearrangement 

 of programmes, increasing the number of distance races, 

 giving them the richest prizes, thus making of them the 

 criterion of quality ; reserving for intermediate distances 

 a modest budget and a consolation budget for short dis- 

 tances ; diminishing the number of tw^o-year-old races and 

 correspondingly increasing the number of races for older 

 horses. 



But, in practice, w^hat difficulties there would be found 

 in the application of this remedy ! What a number of 

 carefully built-up establishments v^ould become useless ! 



If ever the experiment were tried, how much time it 

 would take us to go backwards over the road already so 

 painfully traveled. 



For ten years, at least, it would be necessary to resign 

 ourselves to the painful spectacle of seeing our long dis- 

 tance races run for by animals especially adapted to 

 sprint races.. It would take, perhaps, twenty years more 

 to effect the change, which would make the horses equal 

 to their tasks, that is to say, to bring us back to the start- 

 ing point. 



Is it too much to assume that we would not be in this 

 deplorable situation if the analysis of the galloping stride 

 had been thought of in time. 



Tarbes, March 27, 1909. 



3.S 



