564 
REVIEW. 
Of the English, considered as Producers and Improvers of the 
Breeds of Horses. 
“At the time that Philip II, King of Spain, launched the 
famed expedition, known as the Invincible Armada, against 
our queen, Elizabeth, she was unable to muster more than 
2000 horses, of all ages, breeds, and sizes. Only contrast 
this with England’s present horse condition ! No doubt this 
scarcity became a stimulant to horse-breeding; though it was 
not until her successor’s (James I’s) time, that the Arabian 
stallions were introduced: an introduction that has been suc¬ 
ceeded by a progressive improvement which has continued up 
to the present age. In Belgium and France, people are too 
much in the habit of trusting to Government for improve¬ 
ment ; whereas the English, on the contrary, supersede all 
state influence by a spirit of association. Aide-toi, Dieu 
f aidera ! is the old axiom so successfully put in practice by 
the British. 
“ Four descriptions of horses carry the lead in Britain:— 
the race-horse, the hunter, the troop-horse, and the harness- 
horse. The race-horse is the product of cross between the 
mare indigenous to the country and the stallion of the East, 
Arabian, Barb, Persian, or Turk. And this (the thorough¬ 
bred horse) becomes a source of profit in two ways—through 
racing and through breeding.” 
Such are passages, taken passim , out of the section of the 
work open before us, which are followed by brief accounts 
of the different racing stations, Newmarket, Epsom, Ascot, 
&c., after which come miniature portraits of the racer, 
the hunter, &c., individually: to which are subjoined these 
compliments to our nation :— 
“ The English, through their indefatigable activity, are 
constantly contriving how they can make the best use of 
their time {utilise?' le temps). And above all, they endeavour 
to effect this by shortening distances, between place and 
place, so as to accomplish journeys in less time. Hence, the 
care and choice they bestow upon their public equipages, 
the excellence and elegance of their harness, the comfort even 
of their (public) carriages, to which there is no approach on 
the continent. In fact, description fails to convey notions of 
the results obtained in England through attention to breed¬ 
ing, crossing, &c. And as for sacrifices of money and time, 
