44 THE HORSE 



Another regrettable cause for the lack of big bony sires, 

 suitable for country stallions, is the prevalent practice of 

 putting aside such animals for cross-country work if they 

 have not sufficient pace for racing on the flat, and previous 

 to teaching them to jump rendering them incapable of 

 propagating their species. There is an idea now that 

 stallions are more cunning and less to be depended on than 

 geldings, and also are more difficult to train, requiring a 

 greater amount of work through the extra development of 

 crest, and being generally more lusty in habit. This used 

 not to be a bugbear in the days when sweating in clothing 

 was the general practice, and an extra hood or two soon had 

 the desired effect of reducing too large a crest. Any one 

 visiting our steeplechase courses may note numbers of fine, 

 powerful, weight-carrying thoroughbreds, which would have 

 been invaluable as sires in country districts, had they not 

 been ruthlessly denied the pleasures of paternity. 



In breeding race-horses it is imperative to choose mares of 

 "running" blood, but it is not absolutely necessary they 

 should have been great winners themselves, although this is 

 very desirable if they have not been subjected too long 

 to the ordeal of severe training, especially as two-year-olds. 

 The late Lord Falmouth frequently expressed the opinion 

 that mares should be sent to the stud after their three-year- 

 old season on the Turf, and his wonderful success entitles 

 his opinion to be considered of the greatest weight. The 

 famous Sir Charles Knightley held as an article of faith that 

 two-year-old racing was most pernicious, stating his con- 

 viction that at a time when the young animal ought to be 

 making its frame — it is most striking how a two-year- 

 old suddenly seems to change into a "horse" in the 

 middle of the summer — and especially developing its internal 

 organs with future hopes of maternity, it is unreasonable 

 to expect it to be able to do so to advantage when every 

 effort is being made in its training to denude it of fat, 

 and to increase its muscles to the greatest extent. The 

 system cannot be trusted to stand a dual strain, and the 

 development of one quality must be at the expense of an- 

 other. It is therefore not a matter for wonder that in 



