76 THE DIFFERENT BREEDS OF ENGLISH HORSES. 



esteemed, and with too much truth, severe and cruel. We might refer to the 

 disgraceful exhibitions of Chateau Margaux, and Mortgage, and Lamplighter. 

 The necessary consequence was that the ground run over in the ordinary 

 matches was lessened a full half. 



And was not this sufficient to convince the man of the turf — the breeder of 

 horses for his own use — was not this sufficient to convince him of the error 

 which he had committed? Perhaps it was, with regard to those who would give 

 themselves the trouble to think. But the error had been committed. The 

 all-important question was, how could it be repaired ? Were they to breed 

 back again to their former stoutness ? There were individuals stout and speedy, 

 but the breed was gone. Beside, the short race had become fashionable. It was 

 determined in two or three minutes. There was not the lengthened suspense of 

 seven or eight rotations of the second-hand of the watch ; and who could resist 

 the omnipotence of fashion? Some harsh expressions have been used with 

 regard to the leading sporting characters of that time ; but what power had 

 they of resistance ? . They had bred for speed. They had obtained it. They 

 had obtained that kind of race that would be popular, for it was short. They 

 had no alternative, except with regard to the king's plates. There they should 

 have made a stand. The interests and honour of the country should not have 

 been sacrificed because they had erred. There should have been something left 

 to encourage the continuance of the old and unrivalled blood — something to fall 

 back upon when the fashionable leaders of the sporting world had discovered 

 their error. This battle, however, must yet be fought. Additional reasons for 

 it will appear when the present state of the hunter and the road-horse are 

 considered. 



There is one circumstance connected with these short races which perhaps 

 has not been sufficiently appreciated. On the old system, the trueness and the 

 stoutness of the horse would generally insure the prize to him that best deserved 

 it ; but with the present young horses and short courses, the actual race being 

 sometimes little more than two or three hundred yards, a great deal depends 

 on the rider. If the cattle are tolerably fairly matched, all depends on him. 

 If he has confidence in the stoutness of his horse, he may distance all his com- 

 petitors ; or he may nurse the fleet but weedy thing to almost the last stride, 

 and dart by the winning post before his rival has been able to gather himself 

 up for the last effort. 



One thing cannot be denied, that the consciousness in the jockeys of their 

 power, and the account which they will probably be called upon to render of 

 the manner in which they have used it, has led to far more cruelty in the 

 management of these races than ever disgraced the records of former times. 

 Habit had given to the older horses of those days a principle of emulation 

 and of obedience. When the race in reality began, the horse understood the 

 meaning of his rider, and it seldom required any cruel application of the whip 

 or the spur to bring him through if he could win. 



Forrester will afford sufficient illustration of this. He had won many 

 hardly-contested races ; but on an unfortunate day he was matched against an 

 extraordinary horse, Elephant, belonging to Sir Jennison Shaftoe. It was a 

 four-mile heat over the straight course. They passed the flat — they ascended 

 the hill as far as the distance post — they were nose to nose. Between this and 

 the chair, Elephant got a little ahead. Forrester made every possible effort to 

 recover this lost ground, until, finding all his efforts ineffectual, he made one 

 desperate plunge — he seized his antagonist by the jaw to hold him back, and 

 could scarcely be forced to quit his hold. In like manner, a horse belonging 

 to Mr. Quin, in 1753, finding his adversary gradually passing him, seized him 

 by the leg ; and both riders were obliged to dismount, in order to separate the 

 animals. 



