TRAINING OF THE ENGLISH RACE-HORSE. 
51 
—such a horse as Eclipse was—down to the handful of speed, 
or else into the spiry weed that can run but a mile before his 
powers forsake him ? But this is “ breeding to race”—to run 
half miles and miles with no more than five or six stone of bur¬ 
then ; not to hunt, which would require a horse able to win a 
King’s plate, carrying twelve stone four miles. The thorough¬ 
bred horse, from breeding only, is superior to the cock-tail “ be¬ 
cause he has considerably more power in less compass;” and 
can therefore “ almost always beat the half-bi’ed in a long race, 
provided he be made proper use of early in the running.^’ The 
only chance the cock-tail or half-bred horse has to win is, to wait 
or lie back until he comes wdthin the distance, where—as he is 
very likely to be quite as fast, or, perhaps, a little faster than 
the thorough-bred—he may commence running. On the other 
hand, the thorough-bred must be sure to come off sufficiently 
early in the race to draw the half-breed up to the top of his pace, 
and to keep him at that pace until he is thoroughly beaten; 
w'hich ought to be done before they get too near home, in order 
that the race may be finished to satisfy the crowd.” 
In closing this chapter, let it be understood that there is a 
difference, and that a material one, at least in propinquity to true 
blood, between the half-bred and the cock-tail. The cock-tail 
claims the nearest possible kindred to the racer: “ there is only 
some little stain in his pedigree when traced so far back as the 
great grand-dam or sire, or, perhaps, the great great grand-dam 
or sire; whereas, of the half-bred, either the sire or the dam is 
supposed to possess no blood or breeding at all. As Mr. D. 
aptly observes, therefore, it shews bad judgment to allow a cock 
tail to be entered into a hunting stakes unless with the under- 
standing that he be heavily weighted. Without that, he will not 
only beat all his half-bred competitors, but occasionally obtain 
the victory even over some “ very fair thorough-bred ones.” 
We shall pass over Chap. Ill, containing “ The necessary 
knowledge to be acquired by noblemen and gentlemen of the 
turf,” in order that we may leave ourselves space to notice a 
few “ practical observations” of more interest to us, on the sub¬ 
ject of “ commencing the training of horses.” The principal 
requisites in a racer are “ that he should have good blood, good 
speed, and good temper;” added to which, “ he should not have 
the least tendency to unsoundness, either local or constitutional.” 
“ In training different horses, we are principally to be guided by 
their structure, age, and temper”; as these respectively vary, 
“ so will each horse require a different treatment.” “ It is to be 
observed, that the exercising of race-horses is one thing, and the 
doing of work with them is another. The former is to keep them 
steady, and in health ; and the latter, when properly adminis¬ 
tered, is to bring them clear in their wind, to lighten those that 
