EXTERNAL FORMATION, 61 



Punch, or a pure Clydesdale, or a pure thorough-bred horse. But 

 all these terms arc comparative, since there is no such animal as a 

 perfectly purely bred horse of any breed, whether cart-horse, hack, 

 or racehorse ; all have been produced from an admixture with 

 other kinds, and though now kept as pure as possible, yet they 

 were originally compounded from varying elements ; and thus the 

 racehorse of 1700, was obtained from a mixture of Turks, Arabs, 

 and Barbs. Even the best and purest thorough-breds are stained 

 with some slight cross with the old English or Spanish horse, as I 

 have heretofore shown, and therefore it is only by comparison that 

 the word pure is applicable to them or any others. But since the 

 thorough-bred horse, as he is called, has long been bred for the 

 race-course, and selections have been made with that view alone, 

 it is reasonable to suppose that this breed is the best for that pur- 

 pose, and that a stain of any other is a deviation from the clearest 

 stream into one more muddy, and therefore impure ; the conse- 

 quence is, that the animal bred from the impure source fails in 

 some of the essential characteristics of the pure breed, and is in 

 so far useless for this particular object. Now, in practice this is 

 found to be the case, for in every instance it has resulted that the 

 horse bred with the slightest deviation from the sources indicated 

 by the stud-book, is unable to compete in lasting power with those 

 which are entirely of pure blood. Hence it is established as a 

 rule, that for racing purposes every horse must be thorough-bred; 

 that is, as I have already explained, descended from a sire and 

 dam whose names are met with in the stud-book. 



EXTERNAL FORMATION. 



Next comes the external khate or conformation of the 

 racehorse, which is a subject very much studied by those who have 

 the selection and management of them. Experienced trainers, and 

 those who have watched the performances of the celebrities of the 

 turf for successive years, will tell you that "the horse can run in 

 all forms," and so no doubt he can as an exception, but the rule 

 nevertheless is, that there is a standard which should be regarded 

 as the best suited for the race-course, and this will vary somewhat 

 according to the performance which is required of each individual. 

 There is no doubt that the most skilful selection is not always at- 

 tended with success, and the statistics of the turf do not lead us 

 to believe that £1000 invested under the advice of John Scott or 

 John Day, in the purchase of a yearling, will always bring a re- 

 muneration. Indeed, the contrary has so often been the case, that 

 high-priced yearlings are generally regarded with suspicion, when 

 they make their first appearance on the course. The winner of 

 the Derby of 1860 went a-begging, and was at last bought for a 

 very moderate price. So also with Butterfly, the winner of the Oaks, 

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