30 THE RACE-HORSE. 



of excellence between the running of two full bro- 

 thers or sisters, where it does not arise (a common 

 case we conceive) from some violence or impression 

 on the womb, when the foetus is in a soft state, or 

 from a decline in the constitution of the mare, sub- 

 sequent to her last produce; but when we find the 

 produce of two highly-bred animals, both apparently 

 well formed and sound, and with a proper admix- 

 ture of blood, unable to race, we can attribute it to 

 no other cause than a dissimilitude of parts in the 

 horse and the mare, or a similitude of some parts 

 tending to an extreme in both. Without going so 

 far as to assert that there is no innate quality in 

 blood, w^e may safel}^ pronounce it so far from being, 

 as some have supposed it to be, independent of form 

 and matter, that, unless accompanied with suitable 

 form and action, it is of very little value in a race- 

 horse. " Sometimes," as Sancho says, " we look 

 for one thing and find another ;" but we know of 

 no instance of a bad, misshapen horse and a bad, 

 misshapen mare, however highly bred, producing 

 good runners. 



The first and most important point in the choice 

 of a brood-mare for a racing stud, is the soundness 

 of her constitution and limbs ; although, of course, 

 it is desirable she should be of good size and shape, 

 with substance. How highly soever she may be 

 bred, and however well she may have run, if she 

 have not a sound frame, she cannot be depended 

 upon to breed racers. If she have never been train- 

 ed, of course the risk is increased ; but, in either 

 case, her form and action must not be overlooked, 



