232 COMPARATIVE VIEW OF ENGLISH HORSES. 
to this change and deterioration than any one thing besides, is 
the conversion that has been made of the turf from an arena 
where honour and laurels were won, and with pride worn, 
into a circle of gambling and fraud, where only sharpers, and not 
the best horses, can hope to win. For the purpose of further 
elucidating this acknowledged deterioration in our breed of horses, 
the author has introduced into his work a series of well-executed 
lithographic portraits of celebrated racers of the past and present 
day ; and as far as pictorial representations can illustrate points 
of strength and stamina, they appear well adapted to their end. 
Along with the decline in stoutness and vigour of the race- 
horse, we may sensibly enough trace that of the saddle-horse : 
indeed, farmers and breeders of half-bred horses are so com- 
pletely dependent for their progeny on the stallions — which for 
the most part are racers — that the falling off of the hunter and 
hackney is but a natural consequence of the decline of the 
racer. 
In speaking of brood-mares, our author condemns such as are 
large, “ roomy” as they are commonly called ; at the same time 
they should not run too small, but “ exhibit that symmetry, on 
a moderately enlarged scale, which is best in reference to their 
race.” Experience proves that large mares are not absolutely 
necessary to the production of a large produce : pony mares 
produce to full-sized horses an offspring much larger than them- 
selves. “ The material object to look to in a brood-mare, next 
to race, is true symmetry of skeleton, accompanied with a full 
amount of pure muscle.” “If good symmetry denotes vigour, 
bad symmetry denotes a want of it.” 
With a view of amending our breeds of horses, our author 
recommends the formation of “ a national establishment,” 
furnished with “ well-selected ponys” from the East — with 
animals “ as nearly in a state of nature” as could be found, 
having good symmetry, a full amount of muscle, and whatever 
speed the best of them possess. The “first step must be a 
recurrence to nature for those properties which art has destroyed.” 
The objects sought are “a more compact form and greater 
vigour.” “Artificial structure is obtained by rich food, and arti- 
fial speed by continued selection.” He likewise recommends 
the introduction into this national breeding establishment of 
a “ pure race of British ponys,” as being “ strikingly muscu- 
lar when compared with any enlarged horse of equal breeding.” 
We are far from wishing our readers to be satisfied with this 
imperfect outline of the work before us : on the contrary, such 
of them as feel any desire to look into the past and present 
stock of British horses, and indulge in speculations on the 
causes that appear to have led to the acknowledged changes in 
our breeds, cannot do better than peruse it. The subject is 
