26 THE RACE-HORSE. 



joined to the low price of horse food during the last 

 twenty years, and on which there is not much 

 prospect of an advance, occupiers of land cannot 

 turn their attention to a much surer source of pro- 

 fit than that of breeding horses, provided they go 

 judiciously to work. But, unfortunately for the 

 speculators in this branch of rural economics, too 

 much is left to chance and experiment, and thus 

 horse-breeding becomes absolutely a matter of 

 speculation, instead of a matter of judgment. It 

 is true, those noblemen and gentlemen whose studs 

 have become eminent on the Turf, cannot be in- 

 cluded in this charge ; but, even with the benefit of 

 great experience, and various other advantages, the 

 utmost exercise of their judgment is required, to 

 ensure even a prospect of success against such a 

 field as they have to contend with. Having said 

 this, we will lay down a few practical rules for 

 bi>eeding and rearing the various kinds of horses 

 now used in Great Britain, commencing, as before 

 stated, with that of the Kace-Horse. 



In the first place, it may be observed, there has 

 been a great deal of discussion in various publica- 

 tions on Sporting, but to very little purpose, on 

 the much agitated question, " What constitutes 

 full blood, or, what is termed, a thorough-bred 

 horse r' We consider this question as very easily 

 decided ; the term " thorough-bred horse" merely 

 implying one that can be traced through the Stud- 

 Book, by sire and dam, to any Eastern stallion, or 

 to what were called the Eoyal Mares, imported by 

 Charles the Second, as the}^, together with two or 



