100 ON IMPROVING THE BREEDS OF HORSES. 
Physiology, like experience, demonstrates, in a general 
sense, that, for the purpose of making the greatest exertions of 
which he is capable in the shortest possible time, a horse must 
unite in his own body two indispensable requisites, without 
which it is impossible for him to become a turf horse. He 
must, in the first place, possess a nervous, irritable, and highly 
ardent temperament ; and in the second, the construction of his 
locomotive apparatus should be such, in its mechanical relations, 
as suits best the race he is intended to run, even though this be 
at the expense of the strength or the resistance of the apparatus ; 
qualities which are not, in point of fact, required for the speed 
that is demanded. 
Convinced of this, the English, so skilled in the art of modi- 
fying the nature and conformation of animals according to the 
purposes for which they are designed, made choice, in the first 
instance, of Oriental blood, as offering the material ( etoffe ) the 
best adapted for the model they were desirous of forming. Upon 
this admirable canvass they subsequently spread their pure in- 
digenous blood, such as it was, taking advantage of every con- 
dition conducive to the production of the animal they had in view. 
But, to change the nature of Oriental blood, to instil into it 
those generous qualities which distinguish the pure English 
thorough-bred, what acute observation, what study, what per- 
severance, must have been employed in those artificial proceed- 
ings which ought to take the lead in operations so delicate ! It 
not only became requisite to preserve certain qualities of the 
pure primitive blood in a climate little favourable to it, but at 
the same time it was necessary to alter its nature, in order to 
render it, in certain respects, superior to its original condition. 
To accomplish this, recourse was had to crossing and pairing 
alwa}'s with relation to speed, to which every other quality be- 
came sacrificed. 
The produce called for situations of suitable temperature, 
assisted by woollen clothing, soft flannel, cut to fit every part of 
the body. Their stables are kept at a temperature of from 60° to 
70°Fahr. ; are provided with well-distributed apertures; are well 
combined, with convenient appendages; in fact, provided with 
every appurtenance required for the accommodation and comfort 
of horses of every age. Add to this, aliment of the choicest 
quality, a regimen well seasoned and regulated, exercise under 
the direction of men kept for superintendance, diligent cleaning 
and hand-rubbing : in fact, a thousand acts of care, dictated by 
observation practised every hour in the day, have all equally 
contributed to the creation and conservation of the English 
thorough-bred horse. 
Recueil de Med . Vet. de Juin 1850. 
[To be continued.] 
