184 PUTTING APvMS IN AN ENEMY'S HAND. 



market is a sure one, and at a large price if tlie 

 colour is what they like ; for though we care little 

 about this, some nations make it a very considerable 

 object. The Russians, for instance, will not give a 

 farthing for a horse with much white about hirn, 

 and other nations have their predilections and fan- 

 cies ; but, rich as John Bull boasts himself (and 

 boast he is sure to do if he is so), he is compara- 

 tively parsimonious in the price of horses. This 

 foreign market is certainly a wonderful encourage- 

 ment to breeders of fine horses, and so far does good 

 as an encouragement ; but though I hope I am not in 

 the generality of things illiberal or ill-natured, I am a 

 little so in horses. We have, take them all in all, the 

 finest breed in the world ; and my pride in them is 

 such I should wish to keep them to ourselves. I do 

 not exactly see that letting our best mares and sires 

 go abroad is likely to elFect this ; but as they are per- 

 mitted to be sent, of course I am wrong. 

 - The other great advantage the present breeder of 

 thorough-bred or first class horses possesses is this : — 

 if a good-sized thorough-bred one, cannot race, he 

 may now make a steeple-racer or hunter. A hundred 

 years since a thorough-bred hunter was not seen ; his 

 being thorough-bred would have prevented his being 

 tried as one : consequently in those days a race-horse, or 

 rather a horse bred for racing that could not run, was 

 positively worth nothing to any one, except at a later 

 period to Mr. Tattersall's grandfather : to him they 

 were worth a good deal Avhen he went to Newmarket 

 to sell them ; but now, should a good-sized thorough- 

 bred one not be likely to make even a hunter, if his 

 trotting action is good, he is worth more for harness 

 than our worthy grandfathers gave for their best 



