LETTER II. 



In the Sporting Gazette of September 1869, there 

 is a long dissertation under the head of "Arab Horse." 

 The writer therein quoted, seems to be of opinion that 

 horses in England, have, on the whole, really improved 

 during the last thirty years. If this is correct then I 

 should say that thirty years ago a very large number 

 of blood horses must have hopped on one leg, for 

 certainly there are very few five-year-old thorough- 

 breds now-a-days to be found with two, that is, whose 

 legs and feet can be pronounced satisfactory by any 

 competent judge. 



Keferring to the former celebrated horse 

 " Childers," the writer says, " Fancy a race-horse 

 with a short square dock ! I wonder they didn't clip 

 his ears like those of a fighting dog." A race-horse 

 with a short square dock (I have seen Childers drawn 

 differently) is certainly not at all in unison with good 

 taste, nor with the taste of the present age. Crooked 



