S82 
HORSE. 
A pedigree of one fin- 
racer, from an Arabian or Barb. , - , 
gle dei’cent is held fufficient, when the fire and dam aie 
named as reputed and tried racers; otherwife a tot pe- 
dio-ree of three or four defcents would not conftitute a 
horfe thorough-bred; but it might lerve for a humei. 
Although the general charaftenftic of thorough-blood 
is fpeed, yet the final teft is not fpeed, but continuance, 
fince many common or half-bred horfes have been known 
to pofiefs racing-fpeed, but no mftance has ever occuned 
of its continuance in thofe, beyond perhaps half a mile , 
the powers of continuance mcreafe m proportion to the 
quantity of blood: thus, three-part bred horfes will pre- 
fevere longer than half-bred, and thofe got by bred horfes 
out of three-part bred mares, will fometimes equal the 
real racers. Although amongft horfes equally well-hied, 
fuperior external conformation will generally prevail m 
the race, yet racing can in no fort be faid absolutely to 
depend on good fliape; it depends entirely on blood, for 
example, take the worft-lhaped true-bred horfe you can 
find, and the beft-fnaped common horfe ; let the lattei 
have a fine coat, loofe thropple, high and declined fl.oul- 
der, length, fpeed, in fine, all the admired pointss of the 
let them run four miles, and the bred-horfe, al- 
The race-horfe is much ftronger than the cart or com¬ 
mon horfe, weight for weight, his fubltance being of a 
mucli finer, clofer, and more folid, contexture. The bones 
of the two lpecies have been very aptly compared to Heel 
and iron; the finews of the racer are ftronger and more 
capable of extenfion than thofe of the other, in propor¬ 
tion as a rope of fiik is endowed with more ftrength and 
elafticity than a hempen one of the fame bulk or weight. 
Since it hath been fhown that a horfe does not race from 
the excellence of his external form merely, the grand 
principle of blood may be /aid rather to fubfift in the 
flexibility of his finews ; and we may compare the lkin of 
the racer to fiik, his bone to fteel, and his fibrous fyftem 
to folid but ductile gold. See the article Farriery, 
vol. vii. p. 23-5. 
The training of race-horfes is, at prefent, a much 
more iimple and rational procefs than in former days, and 
is certainly making a gradual approach to perfection. It 
was the fafliion of old, to fluff horfes under preparation 
for the courfe with many different kinds of baked bread,- 
to load them with an immenfe burden of clothes, to force 
them to breathe a fuffocating heat within doors, and great¬ 
ly to overdo them with fevere exercife. Breads are now 
jacei, lei rnein iuu wm .VTY’, „ w ; n t p e race. This banilhed the running-ftables, where the heavieft oats, and 
be altoge- the hardieft and fwJLft hay, are found to anfwer in the 
ther impracticable to find a thorough-bred horfe in Eng- fulleft manner every purpofe of nutrition, 
land fufficiently bad to be beaten four mdes by the 
fpeed left and belt common-bred hack. But on tins, fu - 
jeft fee the arguments adduced under the article Farri¬ 
ery, vol. vii. p. 135- 
The ufual trial of fpeed in Englifh racing, is the dif- 
tance of a fingle mile ; of continuance, ftoutnefs, or bot¬ 
tom, four miles. It has been afferted with confidence, 
that Flyino- Childers ran a mile over Newmauet m tie 
fpace of a "minute ; a velocity fo immen.e, that it turns 
one’s ideas to fpeed in the ab ft raft, or ubiquity. It has 
however been reallv performed in a few feconds ovgi a 
minute; an inftance of which, within our own time, is 
that of Firetail and Pumpkin. , .. , • 
The diftance of four miles was run by Childers, m 
3721, carrying nine ftone two pounds, in tne fpace of fix 
minutes forty-eight feconds. This wonderful animal 
leaped ten yards with his rider upon level ground ; and 
is fia pooled to have covered, at every ftnde ? a fpace of 
twenty-five feet, which is more than -orty-mne feet. in 
fecond. Bay Mahon ran four miles over York, in 1763, 
in feven minutes forty-three feconds ana a half. Eclipfe 
Tan the fame diftance over York, m eight numnes wu 
twelve ftone. In general, a horfe which will inn foui 
miles in eight minutes, with eight ftone leven pounds, 
will certainly win plates. „ r 
The fpeed and continuance of race-horfes muft ne -- 
farily be affefledand governed, in certaindeorce^byt 
weight which they have to carry; and, reaxonm^upo 
that pofition, it will be eafily conceived, 4 J at lf ^vvo hoifes 
be equally matched in point of fpeed and ftrengtfc and 
put to their utmoft .exertion tor a confideiable diftanue, 
the horfe which carries the leaft weight, by even only a 
fingle pound, muft infallibly have the a - v ,^. 
ing more fwift, and lafting longer, than * /• fi 
The (wifter the race, and the longer it is continued, t e 
more in proportion will the horfe be affefted by the w* 
lie carries. It is faid, that in running 0U1 hundred 
pounds make the difference ot a diftance, 01 two hundred 
and forty yards, between horfes of equal good nets. I 
SfrSKWb witliScientific “S'” 
the turf, and forms a prime considerationm all gort g 
tranfaiPcions., The weights carried by •’ace-lmrfes va y 
from the maximum twelve ftone, fourteen p , ,1 
ftone, to a feather, which means a boy o the Ughteft 
weight to be found. It would appeal, that hot, -eager, 
and fpeedy, horfes, are fitteft for a fiiort race and that 
fuch are ufuallv beaten by horfes with left bu,t 
ftouter, at the diftance of four miles, or, as it is called, 
over the courfe. 
The ufual length of the exercife-gallop, is from a mile 
to a mile and a quarter ; of the fweat, from four to fivs 
miles. The method of sweating a race-horfe, is to load 
him with a double or triple quantity of clothes, and to 
run him four or five miles upon the turf, keeping him in 
general to a long fteady gallop, or his rate, but making 
occafional burfts of fpeed, which have the effect of acce¬ 
lerating the difeharge of perfpirable matter. After this 
operation, the horfe is taken within doors, and gradually 
uncovered, whilft the fweat is feraped from all parts of 
his body with an edged wooden inftrument; when, be¬ 
ing rubbed perfectly dry, his accuftomed clothing is re¬ 
placed. Sweating is performed in the morning, earlier or 
later, according to the judgment of the groom. 
The following is the general management of the race- 
horfe. His winter is ufualiy fpent in the paddock and 
open ftable, enjoying himfelf at his eafe, until the period 
of phyfic arrives, which muft be lb fixed, that there be at 
leaft an interval of two months between the laft dole and 
the firft race; this interval is of courfe fpent in due exer¬ 
cife. And here it may be fuggefted, that no race-horfe 
can perform, to the full extent of his natural powers, 
without the aid of purgatives. The fpring and fummer 
are ufualiy' palled in exercife and racing, the horfe per¬ 
haps travelling to a number of different courfes round the 
country. 
A remarkable quality in feme race-horfes, is, that which 
is ftyled in the language of the turf, running to the whip ; it 
means anfwerir.g every ftroke of the whip with an additi¬ 
onal exertion, as long as nature lafts. Horfes of this kind 
are termed “honeft,” and “ftout;” but the terms are of¬ 
ten confounded ; for many a horfe is honejl, without being 
endowed with thofe conftitutional powers neceffary to 
produce ftoutnefs, or continuance; and many which pofiefs 
thofe in the ampleft meafure, which they occafionaliy 
evince, are yet never to be depended upon if .whipped. 
It is dangerous to offend thefe laft with the immoderate 
ufe either of the whip or /pur, fince we often lee a win¬ 
ning horfe flopped inftantly by a foul cut under his flanks ; 
and we have known horfes, honeft and ftout as the courfe 
was long, yet with fuch indignant ftomachs, and fuch cri¬ 
tical fkiil in their own powers, that, being convinced in a 
race of the impoffibility of fuccefs, if abufed with the 
whip, they would inftantly fhorten their ftroke ; but if 
encouraged with a pull, the ufe of which every jockey 
knows, would, although beaten, ftrain every nerve to the 
laft.extremity. Tims attentive obfervation has Ihown the 
fallacy of. fevere whipping even in the gift of the race; 
while encouragement by lifting the bridle, and the move¬ 
ment 
