114 EXCELLENCE MAY BE IMPROVED. 



they make those fit to go that can go, and then will let 

 them go, it is pretty well, for they won't all do that. 



But to return to Eclipse. From the portraits I 

 have seen of him, and from what I have heard of him, 

 it should seem he was by no means a handsome goer, 

 but went very much on his fore-quarters ; and horses 

 that do seldom use their hind legs well, that is, do 

 not bring them well under them. I do not allude to 

 the habit Eclipse had of carrying his head low, 

 for it does not alioays follow that the doing so is 

 occasioned by or the result of throwing the weight 

 on the fore parts, though it mostly is so. Now 

 suppose Sir Sidney saw some defect like this in 

 Eclipse's going, it is not quite impossible or improbable 

 he might have improved him. It may be said, that, 

 go as he might, he went faster than any horse he ran 

 with : granted ; but this in no way proves he might 

 not have gone still faster had he gone better. I 

 allow the experiment would have been too dangerous 

 to have tried ; but supposing I had a colt that went 

 as it seems this horse did, and did 7iot go fast, I should 

 be much obliged by such a man as Sir Sidney taking 

 him in hand : but I am quite sure no trainer would 

 have allowed him to do so. He would say, nothing but 

 training would improve a colt's manner of going; and 

 would say so because he had heard other trainers of 

 the same opinion, and consequently had never tried 

 anything else or ever would try it. 



There are points in a horse's make that may be 

 anything but handsome, but still indicate great speed 

 or stoutness, or both. With such, no man could find 

 fault with a race-horse ; so there is a manner of 

 going neither perhaps very handsome to the eye 

 nor pleasant to the rider, but which indicate the same 



