Si7''es and Brood Mares J 2) 



aud their scarlet nostrils widely distended, it was a sight 

 to be ever remembered, so picturesque, and yet so full of 

 life. Still, for the number then bred at Sledmere, the 

 winners, if numerous, seemed scarcely proportionate, 

 although undoubtedly the animals nurtured there were 

 sound, and hardy to a degree. From a racing point of 

 view, the success could not be compared to that achieved by 

 the late Lord Falmouth with a stud of mares, very small 

 indeed in comparison with the huge one at the Yorkshire 

 Wolds. It was, I believe. Lord Falmouth's theory, that to 

 get the best results from mares, they should not be raced 

 for more than two seasons, and though he occasionally kept 

 an exceptionally good mare in training during her four- 

 year-old season, he invariably relegated her to the stud at 

 the end of it. He preferred to try his mares on the race- 

 course, and to breed from those who came out of the 

 ordeal successfully, but then his racehorses were never 

 abused, and they were trained by that prince of trainers, 

 Matthew Dawson. In thus breeding from mares of proved 

 merit, his practice accorded with the theory, published by 

 Count Lehndorf, that it is not wise to breed from any 

 mare who has not distinguished herself on the racecourse. 

 This, however, may be undoubtedly carried too far, for Count 

 Lehndorf appears to think that every thoroughbred mare 

 in England is trained for racing unless there is something 

 to prevent it, while in all parts of England and Ireland I 

 have met with both gentlemen and farmers in possession of 

 animals of the highest lineage, which have accidentally come 

 into their hands, that have never been trained. Sometimes 

 they have bought them at a yearling sale, or perhaps taken 

 them as a bad debt. There has never been any idea of 

 racing them, and they have passed their lives — and 



