BHEED1NO OP E ACE HOUSES. 281 



stallion which was yet in possession of those quali- 

 ties. 



It is curious to see the helplessness of our thorough- 

 bred foals, which usually cannot move about for some 

 days after being foaled. On first observing this, I sug- 

 gested to the owner of one that it would be better to 

 destroy the poor little miserable devil : but I soon found 

 it was the pure effect of constitutional weakness in the 

 parent, common to all thoroughbred foals. Notwith- 

 standing the public bounties to our turf for the encou- 

 ragement of a fine and serviceable breed of saddle-horses, 

 suitable either for the hunting field or for the cavalry, 

 we are every year more and more deteriorating the race, 

 and thus obliged to yield to the growing weakness, and 

 give them less to do, with shorter distances to run, and 

 lighter weights to carry. The Jockey Club are content 

 to see our racehorses losing every quality but speed ; 

 for that, and that alone, is the quality required by the 

 racing world under the existing system of running. To 

 the Jockey Club, or to the gentlemen who breed our 

 racehorses, it matters not what is the character of their 

 horses, as a whole, each individual desires only to have 

 the best of that whole. But I do not see what it can 

 matter to these gentlemen, or the racing world, what ia 

 the average speed of their horses. Their sole object is 

 to win money ; but if they would insist on the perform- 

 ance of the old tasks viz., longer distances, with 

 heavier weights, our turf would soon abound with horsei 

 displaying a fine union of constitutional vigour, physical 



