[77]CHAPTER V.THE ROAD HACK.I willhere give a brief description of the several classes of saddle-horses required in this country for civil purposes.The Road Hack, worked as he is on hard metal roads, cannot combine speed with durability, as the rate of fourteen to eighteen miles an hour would soon wear out his feet and legs, when he would only be fit for a tradesman’s cart or cab work, therefore a horse of this sort should be a good walker, and be able to trot from eight to twelve or fourteen miles an hour, doing it with good, true, and level action, being neither too high nor too low, for with low action when he has gone some distance and begins to feel tired he will trip over stones or inequalities in the ground, and very possibly fall, and if the[78]action is too high he will soon batter his legs and feet to pieces. With regard to make and shape, he should be as near perfection as possible, for without perfect symmetry no pace can be at the height of excellence, but as perfect conformation is seldom met with, its nearest approach must be sought for.The head should be small and fine, broad between the eyes and between the branches of the lower jaw at their angles, also the distance from the eye to the angle of the lower jaw should be great; the nostrils should be large, wide, clean, and well-defined; the mouth small, with the lips thin and firm; the ears should be small, fine, and pointed, being carried firmly with their tips inclining slightly towards each other; the eye should be large, full, and prominent, with well-developed arch. The neck must be long, thin, and fit well into the space formed between the branches of the lower jaw, longer on its upper than its under surface, as well as convex on its superior border. The head should be well ‘set on’ to the neck, which, if[79]the jaws are wide and the neck of the proper conformation will be the case, and add very materially to the good mouth of the horse. The withers must neither be too fine, thick, or low, whilst a fine wither well clothed with muscle, and yet not loaded, is perfection. The mane should be fine, silky, and not too abundant. The shoulder-blade must be long and oblique, not straight, neither must it be coarse, but blend gradually into the withers and back; a coarse thick shoulder should always be avoided, as also a very fine one, leaving the withers to stand up by themselves like a plough-share, for an animal with such shoulders will soon tire, owing to insufficient muscular development of the parts. The long oblique shoulder gives plenty of space before the rider, the saddle sits well provided the girth is also deep and the action is pleasant, but if the shoulder be straight or short, or a combination of both, the saddle will be too forward, and when the horse stumbles, as he is almost sure to do from defective action due to this malconformation,[80]he runs the chance of falling, breaking his knees, and perhaps the neck of his rider as well. The chest should be deep and moderately broad, both being essential to the full development of the functions of the heart and lungs. The fore-arm must be long in proportion to the leg, that is, the greater length in proportion must be above the knee, and the less below it the better; the muscular development of the fore-arm should be as great as possible. The elbow long and prominent, not ‘tied in,’ but clear of the chest. The knee should be large, wide, and prominent, but should appear more or less flat when examined from in front; the trapezium, or bone behind the knee, should also be long and prominent. Avoid ‘calf’ knees, and those which are bent forward. The cannon or shank bone should be as short and strong as possible, and perfectly straight, being neither curved forwards, backwards, or laterally: the tendons at the posterior aspect of this bone should stand well out from it, which will be the case when the trapezium is well developed;[81]there should be a distinct line of demarcation between the tendons and the bone, but if this is filled up the leg will be more or less round instead of being broad and flat. Such legs are called ‘gummy.’ The fetlock joint should be large and flat laterally, its posterior aspect being well-defined and prominent. The pastern bones should neither be too long, short, oblique, or straight. If the pastern is long it is necessarily oblique, and therefore weak; if short it is upright, and the severe concussion so produced causes ringbones, windgalls, navicular disease, &c., besides causing the horse to be rough and unpleasant to ride. The pastern joint should be well developed and strong. The feet, as regards the size, make and shape, &c., of the horse should neither be too large nor too small; the walls of the foot should form at the toe an angle of about 45° with the ground; the sole should be moderately concave, the frog large and strong, and the whole hoof should be tough, sound, and not brittle. The back should be straight and not too long, a hollow back being[82]objectionable on account of its weakness, whilst a roach back is very strong, although a horse having a back of that conformation will be rough to ride. The ribs should be long and oval, and they should continue to be so up to the very last, and the space between the last rib and the ‘hooks’ should be capable of being covered by the breadth of the hand. The hind quarters must be long, deep, full, and broad, as well as straight from the back to the tail, the distance from the ‘hooks’ to the hocks great, the stifle prominent, and the ‘second thighs’ large and full. The hock should be large and fine, without being coarse or having any puffiness about it; the point of the hock prominent, and the leg below the hock incline a little under the body; it should neither be perpendicular nor deviate laterally from the perpendicular, or in other words, should not be ‘wide behind’ or ‘cow-hocked.’ Those parts below the hocks may be compared with the description of those below the knee. The tail should be carried in a straight line from the[83]spinal chain and then droop in a graceful curve.The Ladies’ Horseshould be cast in a longer mould, or his body will be almost hidden by the habit, therefore his neck must be long, and his back longer than that of a man’s hack, which will also give more elasticity to its paces. He should be perfect in conformation, paces, mouth, and temper, which if one may judge by what one sees of ladies’ mounts in the Row, is very seldom found, by far the greater number being long-legged weeds or thick coarse carriage-horses, as rough as an elephant, and often very lame as well; in fact, they are horses that a man would not ride himself if he possibly could help it, but yet he considers them good enough for his sisters, daughters, or wife. It is quite a treat to see a really good lady’s horse amongst the miscellaneous herd of nags to be found in the Row during the season.The Cover Hackis a cob of from fourteen to fifteen hands high, capable of carrying his rider to the meet at the rate of about sixteen miles[84]an hour, and he must also be able to jump a little so as to go by short cuts if required to do so. If for a heavy weight he must be a stout cob, but for a weight under fifteen stone may be well bred, or for a light weight actually thoroughbred.The Huntermay be quite thoroughbred, nearly thoroughbred, or half-bred. If for a light weight, say under twelve stone, and in such flying counties as Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, a thoroughbred should be ridden, provided the purse be long enough to procure one up to the weight and with the necessary qualities. A nearly thoroughbred will suit a weight of from twelve to sixteen stone, but beyond that a horse with great strength, good action, and a certain amount of breeding—in fact, a well-bred cart-horse—will be required. If the country be an open one with large enclosures, and consequently few fences, the thoroughbred will be the best horse for hunting purposes, speed being the requisite, but for a cramped country, a half-bred horse is the best, being[85]better qualified to get over awkward fences than the thoroughbred, who has for generations and generations been bred for flat racing, and consequently has to some extent lost the knack or power of jumping over a high fence, although he can easily defeat the half-bred over a wide jump. Moreover, the hot, fiery, and eager temper of the thoroughbred is not qualified to negotiate high, frequent, and difficult fences with calmness, and therefore accidents are more liable to happen; whilst the half-bred being of more equable temperament is not flurried to such an extent, and when in any difficulty at a fence is more likely to recover himself and carry his rider safely to the end of the run than the thoroughbred. As a rule, the thoroughbred is not good over rough ground, for although he may not actually have been trained or raced, his parents in all probability have, and of course the training-ground and race-course being smooth and level, they have had no necessity or opportunity of picking their way and regulating their steps to the ground over which they[86]are going; therefore every breeder of horses intended for hunting should run his young stock for a certain period on the roughest ground he can find, having a few open drains, bogs, &c., to assist in the education of the young animals over uneven, broken, and rough ground.A hunter should be as near perfection as regards make and shape as possible, he should be eager, but at the same time his temper must be good, his mouth also should be perfect. It is easy to buy a so-called ‘made hunter’ provided the purse be of sufficient elasticity to meet the demands of the vendor. As a rule, and withveryfew exceptions, this ‘made hunter’ is a good leaper, has a hard mouth, and when in view of a fence clenches his bit in his mouth, and rushes at it at the speed of twenty miles an hour. I should like to know whatpleasurecan be derived by riding such a brute as above described. It takes all a man can do to moderate the animal’s pace, it requires two hands on the reins to turn[87]him from side to side, and the rider has the pleasant prospect in the event of a mistake at a fence, of his horse not being able to recover himself, the almost inevitable ‘spill’ being the result. Besides, his mount requiring all his attention, he is thus unable to enjoy the hunting, that is to say, he is unable to watch the working of the hounds, and thus his day’s hunting (so called) is nothing more than a modified steeplechase with none of its accompanying pleasures.To have a good hunter the best way is to break him in yourself, provided you are competent to do so, having a good seat, good hands, patience, pluck, and above all a liking for the work.I will suppose you have a three-year-old, broken to road work, and that you wish to break him to hounds. The best way to do so will be to ride him to the meets as often as possible, and when he has got accustomed to the excitement of being amongst a crowd of horsemen in gay-coloured coats, the foot-people[88]and the hounds, you may allow him a longer ‘interview’ with them by following them to the covert. Harriers are the best for this purpose, owing to ‘puss’ as a rule running in a circle, where you have the opportunity of showing your colt everything, without ‘taking it out of him.’ Besides, the pace being so moderate you can always get some one to give you a lead over a small fence or two, in fact you are teaching your colt to become used to the crush, excitement, &c., and at the same time giving him a few easy lessons in leaping.‘Can he leap?’ is a common question amongst ‘horsey’ men when alluding to a colt. My answer to this is thatanycolt will jump if in good hands, and provided he has not already been made a fool of by some greater fool than himself. Whether it be a thoroughbred, half-bred, or cart colt, he willnaturallyjump if he has not been previously messed about with. I do not say they will all leap an equal height or an equal width, but that they will do so to the best of their abilities. I have frequently[89]leaped colts over fences in cool blood within a week or fortnight after having first mounted them, and never met with a refusal. I do not mean to say that it is good practice to do so so early, but merely mention the fact. When you first begin to follow hounds with your colt, do not stay with them more than an hour, and if they are running fast leave them before that time has expired, for your object at present is not to gallop after hounds, but to accustom your animal to the bustle and excitement connected with hunting. With a three-year-old no galloping should be done, but if the hounds after the first draw go away, and you think it probable the fox will return to that covert, or to one near it, you may ‘potter’ about a little in the hopes of falling in with them again, but you must be sure to take your colt home before he is tired, for the excitement will carry him through for a time, but on reaching home he may be quite done up, refuse his food, and be anything butA 1for two or three days. All a three-year-old should do, is to go to the meet[90]and trot about with the hounds till they find, and if there is a probable chance of them circling about for a time, as when in a big wood, he may still be kept moving. But when hounds commence to run, the colt should be turned homewards and ridden quietly so as to get him settled down if possible before reaching his stables; he should then be roughly groomed and left to himself with a feed of corn for a time, before his final polish up.A four-year-old may be allowed to follow the hounds when running for a short distance, but at the first check should be ridden home quietly, and if the run is very fast he should be eased off, and when the field is out of sight turned homewards.A five-year-old may do a little more, but must not be ridden in a long or fast run, neither must he be out with the hounds more than three hours, for he is still ababy, having only just shed his milk teeth, and donned his permanent ones. Every hunting man knows[91]that a horse is not fit to go through a run until he is six years old.By the preceding remarks it will be seen that unless a man can forego the excitement of the chase he is not capable of breaking-in a colt with the ultimate view of making him a hunter.To teach the colt to leap, the best way is to take him over small fences every now and then with hounds; but it will be as well to give him lessons in cold blood also, and for that purpose a few artificial fences may be put up in a field, care being taken to vary them. Thus, you may have a plain hedge, a hedge with a ditch on one side of it, and another with a ditch on both sides; some hurdles, and a plain but low post and rail fence. These fences should not be high, three feet six inches to four feet being quite high enough; the hurdles and post and rails should be firmly fixed, otherwise the colt will soon find out that they are easily knocked down, and then will not even try to clear them. A fall or two over timber[92]at the commencement will soon teach the animal that the fences cannot be thrown down, but that to elude a ‘spill’ they must be cleared properly. The colt should be ridden very quietly at his fences, his head should be tolerably slack, and every endeavour on the part of the rider should be brought into play to get the young animal to fence as quietly as he would canter over a field; by these means rushing at fences is overcome, or rather not taught, and in the event of a slip or fall the animal has a good chance of recovering himself, having the free use of his head and the pace being moderate. One constantly hears of such and such a rider being very good, owing to his being able tolifthis horse at his fences. Can a manlifta horse when he is on his back? Could a man—booted and spurred if you like—seated across a form or chair with his feet off the ground,liftit? It is a perfect impossibility for a man to lift his horse at a fence, and those people who are in the habit of using this expression evidently do not think of what they[93]are saying. What they really do mean is, that the rider draws his horse on to his haunches at his fence and then, with whip or spur, sends him over. This is all very well—but, for all that, is bad horsemanship—at an easy, clean fence; but if the leap should be an awkward one, with the taking off or landing (or perhaps both) bad, a horse so ridden would be sure to fall short of his leap, and, through his head being too much confined, when he does come to grief he is unable to help himself. Therefore, make it a rule to give your horse his head and allow him to take his leaps as he thinks best, for depend upon it his instinct will teach him what is required far better than you can. I have seen many a fall in the hunting-field through no fault whatever of the horse, but owing to the meddling of his rider who imagined he was able to lift or assist him. When a horse has over-jumped himself or is in danger of losing his balance, if you pull at the bit it disconcerts him, draws his attention away from his danger, and down he goes as a rule. I[94]will here relate a case in point. The hounds were running when a very high bank stopped the field, who, one by one, were getting through a gap in the fence, when a horseman, being impatient of waiting his turn, backed his horse a few paces and rode him quietly at the bank which was over six feet high. The horse (a four-year-old) landed on the top, but owing to its height wavered, and seemed inclined to fall either backwards or forwards. The rider, with great tact, sat motionless, and allowed the colt the free use of his head, when he soon recovered his balance, and jumping down on the opposite side landed in safety and joined the hunt. Now, supposing an ordinary rider had been in this predicament on the top of the bank, he would have handled the reins and thus either pulled the animal back on the top of him or else have fallen on the opposite side; in either case there would have been broken bones, if not loss of life. There is one exception to allowing a colt to take his leaps as he thinks best, and that is when going over water[95]or over a fence with a wide ditch on one side or a ditch on both sides. When a wide-jump has to be negotiated, the colt must be sent full speed at it, so as to cover it in his stride, being the opposite to high jumping; for the higher the fence the slower should the horse be ridden at it. I was riding a colt to hounds once, when a watercourse came in our way; it was not a wide one, being only about twelve feet across, but it was six or eight feet deep with bricked sides and having very little water at the bottom of it, altogether forming an ugly jump for a young one who had never been over water before. I sent him at it at a good pace, but feeling he wavered on nearing it I swerved him round and put him at it again, when he again slackened speed, and knowing that he would not refuse I allowed him to do as he liked. He looked down at the bottom of it for a second or so, and then gathering himself together leaped over it standing, but fell on the opposite bank with his hind fetlocks hanging over the bank; another three or four inches[96]would have cleared it, but he fell so collectedly that he did not unseat me although I had to dismount to allow him to regain his feet. I always considered this a good lesson, for the colt afterwards, whenever nearing a water-jump, increased his speed of his own accord, having evidently learnt that water could not be crossed standing. Depend upon it, the less you try toteacha colt to go across country the better, for he can do it much better than you can teach him, provided you only leave him alone.In teaching a colt over artificial fences, great care must be taken not to sicken him of his work, but every endeavour should be made to get him to be fond and eager to jump; therefore, if he is ridden once backwards and forwards over the fences three times a week it will be quite sufficient. In the meantime you may give him a leap or two out of one field into another, or take him out with the hounds for a short distance.A perfect leaper is one who takes his fences[97]as a matter of course, just as he would canter from furrow to furrow over a field; nothing can be worse than a horse who, on seeing a fence before him, rushes at itnolens volens; as, owing to the impetus thus gained, if he makes a mistake it is very difficult for him to recover himself. Therefore, take every precaution to teach your colt to leap quietly and without any fuss.When a horse is required to hunt in a bank country, it is a very common practice to attach a cavasson to his bridle and lead him over a few of these fences, but I do not consider this good practice, or indeed for any kind of leaping. For if he is taken over small banks at first he will learn the use of his legs, which in reality is the object required, and if he should by chance fall, the pace being so slow and the height so insignificant, the rider, if he be competent to break-in a colt at all, will not hurt himself: for agoodrider ought to know how tofall wellas well as how to ride well. When you fall try to retain the reins in your[98]hand, but if you see that by so doing you run the danger of the animal rolling over or striking you, you must let them loose, and if you are quickly on your legs again you may regain them before the horse has recovered himself; but if not, it is far better to have a run to catch your steed than undergo the chance of being crushed or maimed by him.High-couraged generous horses are apt to go faster and do more work than they should; therefore they should be kept in check, or their eagerness to do their work will not keep pace with their strength and endurance. On the contrary, sluggish animals require a great deal of work to make them fit to gallop, and they also must be roused up from time to time.Although I feel it is not within the province of this little volume, I wish to draw the attention of my readers to the malpractice of washing horses’ legs and feet, and also of ‘stopping’ the feet. When washing horses’ legs you are almost sure not to dry them thoroughly, thereby inducing cracked heels and the so-called ‘mud fever;’[99]but if on the return of the animal to his stable the worst of the mud is brushed off with a stiff brush, and when dry well brushed again, the increased circulation so produced will excite a healthy action of the skin and prevent all disease. Horses’ feet can very well be cleansed by means of a pick and a cloth without resorting to water, which being absorbed by capillary attraction into the horn-fibres, causes them to dilate; and thus the horn-substance, instead of being hard and compact, is rendered soft and spongy. Again, horses’ feet should not be ‘stopped,’ nor should they be suffered to stand in their excretions, for the ammonia given off from the dung and urine dilates to a great extent the horn-fibres, thus causing the horn to be so soft that ‘thrush’ is the consequent disease. I have lately made microscopic experiments on the healthy horn, the horn soaked with water, and that with ammonia and water, and found the fibres in the horny sole soaked in water to be twice the size of the natural or healthy horn, whilst that in contact with[100]ammonia showed the fibres to be three times the size of those in healthy horn. English racers in Australia are allowed seven pounds because their feet are unable to withstand the hard ground; and, for the same reason, English horses are useless for racing purposes in India. Shoes are nailed to horses’ feet for the very reason that nature did not make themhardenough to stand work on metal roads, therefore why do people put stopping into their horses’ feet to make them softer, thus counteracting to a certain extent the benefit derived from the shoes? Surely if peopledesiresoft feet there is rain enough in this country, puddles enough on the roads, and surface waterad libitumon the fields, to effect their purpose without resorting to such a filthy, beastly thing as cowdung. Horses’ feet get so soaked with water during their work or exercise, that the aim of every horse owner should be tokeep them as dry as possiblewhen in the stable, instead of doing their best to make them rotten and diseased. Horses in dry climates, such as India and[101]Australia, have very hard feet because they are never wet, and for this reason are seldom shod except when used for work on metal roads; but when in the rainy season they get soft they are obliged to be shod, because their feet arenot hard enough.Paring horses’ feet is also a very bad practice. Nature meant the sole to be strong, but when pared it becomes weak, unable to withstand hard substances, and thus gets bruised and subject to corns &c. The knife should, in all cases, be kept off the feet, the rasp being the best instrument with which to shorten the walls, and it is also perfectly able to remove all exfoliated horn from the sole. Is there any sense in paring an animal’s feet, and then having to put on leather soles to protect them?Hunters should not be put to full work until six years of age, for their bones and tendons are unable to stand the continued strain. Until colts have attained their fifth year, they are shedding their milk teeth and cutting others; consequently their mouths are[102]broken, sore, and the system more or less fevered. Owing to the soreness and tenderness of the animal’s mouth, he is unable to feed well, and thus cannot be got into proper condition; besides the colt cannot stand the wear and tear on account of his bones not beingformed, they having more cartilaginous than osseous material in their formation. The adult horse, that is, one that has a full mouth, has ⅔ of osseous to ⅓ of cartilaginous material entering into the composition of his bones, whilst the two-year-old has about half of each; therefore the cartilage predominating over the required quantity of osseous material causes the bones to be soft and unable to withstand the shocks of early work. Some owners of race-horses run their two-year-olds tofind out their weak points. In cases where weak points are observable at that age, if raced, they are sure to develop, and thus cripple the colt perhaps for life, whilst if he had been allowed to lay by until of a maturer age, in all probability this weakness would have disappeared. Again,[103]if a sound colt be trained and raced when two years of age, it is ten to one that his tendons and bones are not able to stand the work, but that in all probability he will get sore shins, splints, or perhaps some worse disease of the legs or feet.A horse is not able to undergo regular hunting until he is six years old, and even then he should not be worked hard. I think all our own countrymen know this, although they do not always bring it into practice. The Americans know it and profit by it. A growing colt does not make internal fat as does the adult, therefore the system not having attained firmness, cannot bear the scraping and sweating necessary to get him into condition for the hunting-field or for the racecourse. If the fat is taken off a colt, his muscular development is interfered with. In the same way prize-fighters cannot stay if trained too young, instances of which are found in Aaron Jones and M‘Cormick, who, although they felt well and fit, were unable to last. Colts are forced to[104]early maturity and worked hard when they ought to be in the nursery, the result being that they are unable to last any time, but become useless (except for stud purposes) before they have attained horsehood. Early maturity means early decay.The Americans break in their trotters, as a rule, at three years of age. They then give them ordinary road work, in the mean time gradually teaching them to trot in form by giving them occasionally a spurt for a quarter of a mile or so. But they do not usually race them until they are from five to seven years old; in fact, they do not consider a horse to be at his best until he is from seven to nine years of age.I will now give a few instances of famous American trotters, who lasted well through not having been worked too young. Topgallant was foaled in 1808; when in his sixteenth year, in 1823, he trotted twelve miles, in harness, in 38 m. In 1829, when in his twenty-second year, he trotted four heats of four[105]miles, against Whalebone, and won, his fastest time being 11 m. 4 s. In 1831, when in his twenty-fourth year, he trotted a race of three-mile heats, which was won in four heats, Topgallant winning the second and running second in the deciding heat. A week afterwards he won a race for three-mile heats.Lady Blanche was foaled in 1829. She first trotted a match in 1835, and when twenty-four years old she won a race of four heats. In 1855 she died, during her training.Dutchman was foaled in 1828, and when five years of age was drawing bricks in a team. In 1836, when eight years old, he trotted, to saddle, four miles in 10 m. 51 s. On August 1, 1839, when eleven years of age, he trotted, to saddle, three miles in 7 m. 32½ s. In 1838, when ten years old, he trotted Rattler for three-mile heats, winning two out of three and the race. In 1846, when eighteen years old, Dutchman won another race, but died in the following year.Ajax, foaled in 1832, when sixteen years[106]of age was matched to trot a mare for twelve miles, and won.Flora Temple was foaled in 1845, was broken-in when five years old, and raced the same year. In 1859 she trotted two-mile heats against Princess, and won in two heats, the fastest being in 4 m. 50½ s., when fourteen years of age. In 1860, when fifteen years old, she trotted three miles in 7 m. 33¾ s. She ran in 1861, since which date I have had no opportunity of finding any record of her running.Lady Thorn was foaled in 1856; she first trotted in 1864, when eight years old, and remained upon the turf until the latter end of 1870, when she got injured through an accident. Her best one-mile time was accomplished in 1869, for four heats, against Goldsmith Maid, American Girl, &c. She won three out of the four heats, her fastest time being 2 m. 18¼ s.Goldsmith Maid was foaled in 1857, and ran wild until she was eight years old. In 1865 she ran her first race. On September 2,[107]1874, when seventeen years of age, she trotted the fastest mile on record, namely, in 2 m. 14 s. Whether her time has since been beaten or not I am unable to state. She is still on the trotting turf.Dexter was foaled in 1858, was not broken-in until he was four years old, and until then had never eaten grain of any kind. He did not trot a race until he was six years old, and was king of the trotting track until 1868, since which date I have no record of him. In 1867, when nine years old, he trotted one mile in 2 m. 17¼ s., and in the same year he won two heats against Lady Thorn, for two-mile heats, the fastest of which was done in 4 m. 51 s.American Girl was foaled in 1862. She appeared on the track in 1867; and I find she was still running in 1874, when twelve years old, and in that year did a mile in 2 m. 16¾ s., and in all probability she is still trotting.Dexter never trotted until he was six years old; Dutchman never trotted until he was six,[108]and underwent no training until he was seven years of age; Goldsmith Maid and Lady Thorn were eight years old before they were introduced to the trotting track.Now having enumerated thesefacts(taken from the celebrities of the American trotting turf), which apply equally to hunting as to racing, may I ask, is it common sense to gallop a colt when a yearling, to train and race him as a two-year-old, and get him screwed and useless except for breeding purposes when he is three or four years old, thus doing away with a long course of excellence and utility? How many colts ever see a race-course after they are three or four years old, whilst those that are able to gallop at five or six years of age are looked upon as wonders? Look at such horses as Flying Childers, Eclipse, Matchem, Goldfinder, Gimcrack, Pot-8-os, Bay Malton, Glencoe, Bay Middleton, St. Albans, Blair Athol, Favonius, &c. &c., who never ran as two-year-olds. Again, look at Macgregor, who won the 2,000 guineas in 1870; and Doncaster, who[109]won the Derby and came in second for the St. Leger in 1873, won the Goodwood Cup in 1874, and the Ascot Cup and Alexandra Plate in 1875, and was sold for 14,000l., the highest price ever paid for a stud horse; both these horses never ran as two-year-olds.On the other hand, look at The Rake, Lady Elizabeth, Queen’s Messenger, Pall Mall, Almoner, Sir William Wallace, and a host of other horses, who were not able to stand the shocks of training. Kingcraft, although he won the Derby in 1870, came out badly afterwards, which is generally attributed to his having run so much as a two-year-old, plainly showing that however great his speed was, he was unable to withstand early training, and thus a good horse was spoilt.We first begin to train them as yearlings, and run them so much as two-year-olds that many become roarers, like Prince Charlie, Belladrum, and Liddington; or rupture their suspensory ligaments, like Student, Crucifix, and Dundee; rupture blood-vessels, like The[110]Rake, Hermit, and Atlantic; whilst others fall down dead whilst at exercise, like Orinoco and Aquilo.Racing now-a-days is a money-making business, carried on under the cloak of improving the breed of our horses, which in reality is quite a secondary consideration, money-making being the chief object. I do not say this out of spite, for I am very much attached to racing: in fact it is, in my opinion, the sportpar excellenceof all others. But I must own I should like to see more attention paid to the improvement of stock than to the accumulation of the almighty dollar. So long as we run two-year-olds, so long will the stamina of our horses diminish, and our two-year-olds run a few times and, as a rule, disappear for ever.
I willhere give a brief description of the several classes of saddle-horses required in this country for civil purposes.
The Road Hack, worked as he is on hard metal roads, cannot combine speed with durability, as the rate of fourteen to eighteen miles an hour would soon wear out his feet and legs, when he would only be fit for a tradesman’s cart or cab work, therefore a horse of this sort should be a good walker, and be able to trot from eight to twelve or fourteen miles an hour, doing it with good, true, and level action, being neither too high nor too low, for with low action when he has gone some distance and begins to feel tired he will trip over stones or inequalities in the ground, and very possibly fall, and if the[78]action is too high he will soon batter his legs and feet to pieces. With regard to make and shape, he should be as near perfection as possible, for without perfect symmetry no pace can be at the height of excellence, but as perfect conformation is seldom met with, its nearest approach must be sought for.
The head should be small and fine, broad between the eyes and between the branches of the lower jaw at their angles, also the distance from the eye to the angle of the lower jaw should be great; the nostrils should be large, wide, clean, and well-defined; the mouth small, with the lips thin and firm; the ears should be small, fine, and pointed, being carried firmly with their tips inclining slightly towards each other; the eye should be large, full, and prominent, with well-developed arch. The neck must be long, thin, and fit well into the space formed between the branches of the lower jaw, longer on its upper than its under surface, as well as convex on its superior border. The head should be well ‘set on’ to the neck, which, if[79]the jaws are wide and the neck of the proper conformation will be the case, and add very materially to the good mouth of the horse. The withers must neither be too fine, thick, or low, whilst a fine wither well clothed with muscle, and yet not loaded, is perfection. The mane should be fine, silky, and not too abundant. The shoulder-blade must be long and oblique, not straight, neither must it be coarse, but blend gradually into the withers and back; a coarse thick shoulder should always be avoided, as also a very fine one, leaving the withers to stand up by themselves like a plough-share, for an animal with such shoulders will soon tire, owing to insufficient muscular development of the parts. The long oblique shoulder gives plenty of space before the rider, the saddle sits well provided the girth is also deep and the action is pleasant, but if the shoulder be straight or short, or a combination of both, the saddle will be too forward, and when the horse stumbles, as he is almost sure to do from defective action due to this malconformation,[80]he runs the chance of falling, breaking his knees, and perhaps the neck of his rider as well. The chest should be deep and moderately broad, both being essential to the full development of the functions of the heart and lungs. The fore-arm must be long in proportion to the leg, that is, the greater length in proportion must be above the knee, and the less below it the better; the muscular development of the fore-arm should be as great as possible. The elbow long and prominent, not ‘tied in,’ but clear of the chest. The knee should be large, wide, and prominent, but should appear more or less flat when examined from in front; the trapezium, or bone behind the knee, should also be long and prominent. Avoid ‘calf’ knees, and those which are bent forward. The cannon or shank bone should be as short and strong as possible, and perfectly straight, being neither curved forwards, backwards, or laterally: the tendons at the posterior aspect of this bone should stand well out from it, which will be the case when the trapezium is well developed;[81]there should be a distinct line of demarcation between the tendons and the bone, but if this is filled up the leg will be more or less round instead of being broad and flat. Such legs are called ‘gummy.’ The fetlock joint should be large and flat laterally, its posterior aspect being well-defined and prominent. The pastern bones should neither be too long, short, oblique, or straight. If the pastern is long it is necessarily oblique, and therefore weak; if short it is upright, and the severe concussion so produced causes ringbones, windgalls, navicular disease, &c., besides causing the horse to be rough and unpleasant to ride. The pastern joint should be well developed and strong. The feet, as regards the size, make and shape, &c., of the horse should neither be too large nor too small; the walls of the foot should form at the toe an angle of about 45° with the ground; the sole should be moderately concave, the frog large and strong, and the whole hoof should be tough, sound, and not brittle. The back should be straight and not too long, a hollow back being[82]objectionable on account of its weakness, whilst a roach back is very strong, although a horse having a back of that conformation will be rough to ride. The ribs should be long and oval, and they should continue to be so up to the very last, and the space between the last rib and the ‘hooks’ should be capable of being covered by the breadth of the hand. The hind quarters must be long, deep, full, and broad, as well as straight from the back to the tail, the distance from the ‘hooks’ to the hocks great, the stifle prominent, and the ‘second thighs’ large and full. The hock should be large and fine, without being coarse or having any puffiness about it; the point of the hock prominent, and the leg below the hock incline a little under the body; it should neither be perpendicular nor deviate laterally from the perpendicular, or in other words, should not be ‘wide behind’ or ‘cow-hocked.’ Those parts below the hocks may be compared with the description of those below the knee. The tail should be carried in a straight line from the[83]spinal chain and then droop in a graceful curve.
The Ladies’ Horseshould be cast in a longer mould, or his body will be almost hidden by the habit, therefore his neck must be long, and his back longer than that of a man’s hack, which will also give more elasticity to its paces. He should be perfect in conformation, paces, mouth, and temper, which if one may judge by what one sees of ladies’ mounts in the Row, is very seldom found, by far the greater number being long-legged weeds or thick coarse carriage-horses, as rough as an elephant, and often very lame as well; in fact, they are horses that a man would not ride himself if he possibly could help it, but yet he considers them good enough for his sisters, daughters, or wife. It is quite a treat to see a really good lady’s horse amongst the miscellaneous herd of nags to be found in the Row during the season.
The Cover Hackis a cob of from fourteen to fifteen hands high, capable of carrying his rider to the meet at the rate of about sixteen miles[84]an hour, and he must also be able to jump a little so as to go by short cuts if required to do so. If for a heavy weight he must be a stout cob, but for a weight under fifteen stone may be well bred, or for a light weight actually thoroughbred.
The Huntermay be quite thoroughbred, nearly thoroughbred, or half-bred. If for a light weight, say under twelve stone, and in such flying counties as Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, a thoroughbred should be ridden, provided the purse be long enough to procure one up to the weight and with the necessary qualities. A nearly thoroughbred will suit a weight of from twelve to sixteen stone, but beyond that a horse with great strength, good action, and a certain amount of breeding—in fact, a well-bred cart-horse—will be required. If the country be an open one with large enclosures, and consequently few fences, the thoroughbred will be the best horse for hunting purposes, speed being the requisite, but for a cramped country, a half-bred horse is the best, being[85]better qualified to get over awkward fences than the thoroughbred, who has for generations and generations been bred for flat racing, and consequently has to some extent lost the knack or power of jumping over a high fence, although he can easily defeat the half-bred over a wide jump. Moreover, the hot, fiery, and eager temper of the thoroughbred is not qualified to negotiate high, frequent, and difficult fences with calmness, and therefore accidents are more liable to happen; whilst the half-bred being of more equable temperament is not flurried to such an extent, and when in any difficulty at a fence is more likely to recover himself and carry his rider safely to the end of the run than the thoroughbred. As a rule, the thoroughbred is not good over rough ground, for although he may not actually have been trained or raced, his parents in all probability have, and of course the training-ground and race-course being smooth and level, they have had no necessity or opportunity of picking their way and regulating their steps to the ground over which they[86]are going; therefore every breeder of horses intended for hunting should run his young stock for a certain period on the roughest ground he can find, having a few open drains, bogs, &c., to assist in the education of the young animals over uneven, broken, and rough ground.
A hunter should be as near perfection as regards make and shape as possible, he should be eager, but at the same time his temper must be good, his mouth also should be perfect. It is easy to buy a so-called ‘made hunter’ provided the purse be of sufficient elasticity to meet the demands of the vendor. As a rule, and withveryfew exceptions, this ‘made hunter’ is a good leaper, has a hard mouth, and when in view of a fence clenches his bit in his mouth, and rushes at it at the speed of twenty miles an hour. I should like to know whatpleasurecan be derived by riding such a brute as above described. It takes all a man can do to moderate the animal’s pace, it requires two hands on the reins to turn[87]him from side to side, and the rider has the pleasant prospect in the event of a mistake at a fence, of his horse not being able to recover himself, the almost inevitable ‘spill’ being the result. Besides, his mount requiring all his attention, he is thus unable to enjoy the hunting, that is to say, he is unable to watch the working of the hounds, and thus his day’s hunting (so called) is nothing more than a modified steeplechase with none of its accompanying pleasures.
To have a good hunter the best way is to break him in yourself, provided you are competent to do so, having a good seat, good hands, patience, pluck, and above all a liking for the work.
I will suppose you have a three-year-old, broken to road work, and that you wish to break him to hounds. The best way to do so will be to ride him to the meets as often as possible, and when he has got accustomed to the excitement of being amongst a crowd of horsemen in gay-coloured coats, the foot-people[88]and the hounds, you may allow him a longer ‘interview’ with them by following them to the covert. Harriers are the best for this purpose, owing to ‘puss’ as a rule running in a circle, where you have the opportunity of showing your colt everything, without ‘taking it out of him.’ Besides, the pace being so moderate you can always get some one to give you a lead over a small fence or two, in fact you are teaching your colt to become used to the crush, excitement, &c., and at the same time giving him a few easy lessons in leaping.
‘Can he leap?’ is a common question amongst ‘horsey’ men when alluding to a colt. My answer to this is thatanycolt will jump if in good hands, and provided he has not already been made a fool of by some greater fool than himself. Whether it be a thoroughbred, half-bred, or cart colt, he willnaturallyjump if he has not been previously messed about with. I do not say they will all leap an equal height or an equal width, but that they will do so to the best of their abilities. I have frequently[89]leaped colts over fences in cool blood within a week or fortnight after having first mounted them, and never met with a refusal. I do not mean to say that it is good practice to do so so early, but merely mention the fact. When you first begin to follow hounds with your colt, do not stay with them more than an hour, and if they are running fast leave them before that time has expired, for your object at present is not to gallop after hounds, but to accustom your animal to the bustle and excitement connected with hunting. With a three-year-old no galloping should be done, but if the hounds after the first draw go away, and you think it probable the fox will return to that covert, or to one near it, you may ‘potter’ about a little in the hopes of falling in with them again, but you must be sure to take your colt home before he is tired, for the excitement will carry him through for a time, but on reaching home he may be quite done up, refuse his food, and be anything butA 1for two or three days. All a three-year-old should do, is to go to the meet[90]and trot about with the hounds till they find, and if there is a probable chance of them circling about for a time, as when in a big wood, he may still be kept moving. But when hounds commence to run, the colt should be turned homewards and ridden quietly so as to get him settled down if possible before reaching his stables; he should then be roughly groomed and left to himself with a feed of corn for a time, before his final polish up.
A four-year-old may be allowed to follow the hounds when running for a short distance, but at the first check should be ridden home quietly, and if the run is very fast he should be eased off, and when the field is out of sight turned homewards.
A five-year-old may do a little more, but must not be ridden in a long or fast run, neither must he be out with the hounds more than three hours, for he is still ababy, having only just shed his milk teeth, and donned his permanent ones. Every hunting man knows[91]that a horse is not fit to go through a run until he is six years old.
By the preceding remarks it will be seen that unless a man can forego the excitement of the chase he is not capable of breaking-in a colt with the ultimate view of making him a hunter.
To teach the colt to leap, the best way is to take him over small fences every now and then with hounds; but it will be as well to give him lessons in cold blood also, and for that purpose a few artificial fences may be put up in a field, care being taken to vary them. Thus, you may have a plain hedge, a hedge with a ditch on one side of it, and another with a ditch on both sides; some hurdles, and a plain but low post and rail fence. These fences should not be high, three feet six inches to four feet being quite high enough; the hurdles and post and rails should be firmly fixed, otherwise the colt will soon find out that they are easily knocked down, and then will not even try to clear them. A fall or two over timber[92]at the commencement will soon teach the animal that the fences cannot be thrown down, but that to elude a ‘spill’ they must be cleared properly. The colt should be ridden very quietly at his fences, his head should be tolerably slack, and every endeavour on the part of the rider should be brought into play to get the young animal to fence as quietly as he would canter over a field; by these means rushing at fences is overcome, or rather not taught, and in the event of a slip or fall the animal has a good chance of recovering himself, having the free use of his head and the pace being moderate. One constantly hears of such and such a rider being very good, owing to his being able tolifthis horse at his fences. Can a manlifta horse when he is on his back? Could a man—booted and spurred if you like—seated across a form or chair with his feet off the ground,liftit? It is a perfect impossibility for a man to lift his horse at a fence, and those people who are in the habit of using this expression evidently do not think of what they[93]are saying. What they really do mean is, that the rider draws his horse on to his haunches at his fence and then, with whip or spur, sends him over. This is all very well—but, for all that, is bad horsemanship—at an easy, clean fence; but if the leap should be an awkward one, with the taking off or landing (or perhaps both) bad, a horse so ridden would be sure to fall short of his leap, and, through his head being too much confined, when he does come to grief he is unable to help himself. Therefore, make it a rule to give your horse his head and allow him to take his leaps as he thinks best, for depend upon it his instinct will teach him what is required far better than you can. I have seen many a fall in the hunting-field through no fault whatever of the horse, but owing to the meddling of his rider who imagined he was able to lift or assist him. When a horse has over-jumped himself or is in danger of losing his balance, if you pull at the bit it disconcerts him, draws his attention away from his danger, and down he goes as a rule. I[94]will here relate a case in point. The hounds were running when a very high bank stopped the field, who, one by one, were getting through a gap in the fence, when a horseman, being impatient of waiting his turn, backed his horse a few paces and rode him quietly at the bank which was over six feet high. The horse (a four-year-old) landed on the top, but owing to its height wavered, and seemed inclined to fall either backwards or forwards. The rider, with great tact, sat motionless, and allowed the colt the free use of his head, when he soon recovered his balance, and jumping down on the opposite side landed in safety and joined the hunt. Now, supposing an ordinary rider had been in this predicament on the top of the bank, he would have handled the reins and thus either pulled the animal back on the top of him or else have fallen on the opposite side; in either case there would have been broken bones, if not loss of life. There is one exception to allowing a colt to take his leaps as he thinks best, and that is when going over water[95]or over a fence with a wide ditch on one side or a ditch on both sides. When a wide-jump has to be negotiated, the colt must be sent full speed at it, so as to cover it in his stride, being the opposite to high jumping; for the higher the fence the slower should the horse be ridden at it. I was riding a colt to hounds once, when a watercourse came in our way; it was not a wide one, being only about twelve feet across, but it was six or eight feet deep with bricked sides and having very little water at the bottom of it, altogether forming an ugly jump for a young one who had never been over water before. I sent him at it at a good pace, but feeling he wavered on nearing it I swerved him round and put him at it again, when he again slackened speed, and knowing that he would not refuse I allowed him to do as he liked. He looked down at the bottom of it for a second or so, and then gathering himself together leaped over it standing, but fell on the opposite bank with his hind fetlocks hanging over the bank; another three or four inches[96]would have cleared it, but he fell so collectedly that he did not unseat me although I had to dismount to allow him to regain his feet. I always considered this a good lesson, for the colt afterwards, whenever nearing a water-jump, increased his speed of his own accord, having evidently learnt that water could not be crossed standing. Depend upon it, the less you try toteacha colt to go across country the better, for he can do it much better than you can teach him, provided you only leave him alone.
In teaching a colt over artificial fences, great care must be taken not to sicken him of his work, but every endeavour should be made to get him to be fond and eager to jump; therefore, if he is ridden once backwards and forwards over the fences three times a week it will be quite sufficient. In the meantime you may give him a leap or two out of one field into another, or take him out with the hounds for a short distance.
A perfect leaper is one who takes his fences[97]as a matter of course, just as he would canter from furrow to furrow over a field; nothing can be worse than a horse who, on seeing a fence before him, rushes at itnolens volens; as, owing to the impetus thus gained, if he makes a mistake it is very difficult for him to recover himself. Therefore, take every precaution to teach your colt to leap quietly and without any fuss.
When a horse is required to hunt in a bank country, it is a very common practice to attach a cavasson to his bridle and lead him over a few of these fences, but I do not consider this good practice, or indeed for any kind of leaping. For if he is taken over small banks at first he will learn the use of his legs, which in reality is the object required, and if he should by chance fall, the pace being so slow and the height so insignificant, the rider, if he be competent to break-in a colt at all, will not hurt himself: for agoodrider ought to know how tofall wellas well as how to ride well. When you fall try to retain the reins in your[98]hand, but if you see that by so doing you run the danger of the animal rolling over or striking you, you must let them loose, and if you are quickly on your legs again you may regain them before the horse has recovered himself; but if not, it is far better to have a run to catch your steed than undergo the chance of being crushed or maimed by him.
High-couraged generous horses are apt to go faster and do more work than they should; therefore they should be kept in check, or their eagerness to do their work will not keep pace with their strength and endurance. On the contrary, sluggish animals require a great deal of work to make them fit to gallop, and they also must be roused up from time to time.
Although I feel it is not within the province of this little volume, I wish to draw the attention of my readers to the malpractice of washing horses’ legs and feet, and also of ‘stopping’ the feet. When washing horses’ legs you are almost sure not to dry them thoroughly, thereby inducing cracked heels and the so-called ‘mud fever;’[99]but if on the return of the animal to his stable the worst of the mud is brushed off with a stiff brush, and when dry well brushed again, the increased circulation so produced will excite a healthy action of the skin and prevent all disease. Horses’ feet can very well be cleansed by means of a pick and a cloth without resorting to water, which being absorbed by capillary attraction into the horn-fibres, causes them to dilate; and thus the horn-substance, instead of being hard and compact, is rendered soft and spongy. Again, horses’ feet should not be ‘stopped,’ nor should they be suffered to stand in their excretions, for the ammonia given off from the dung and urine dilates to a great extent the horn-fibres, thus causing the horn to be so soft that ‘thrush’ is the consequent disease. I have lately made microscopic experiments on the healthy horn, the horn soaked with water, and that with ammonia and water, and found the fibres in the horny sole soaked in water to be twice the size of the natural or healthy horn, whilst that in contact with[100]ammonia showed the fibres to be three times the size of those in healthy horn. English racers in Australia are allowed seven pounds because their feet are unable to withstand the hard ground; and, for the same reason, English horses are useless for racing purposes in India. Shoes are nailed to horses’ feet for the very reason that nature did not make themhardenough to stand work on metal roads, therefore why do people put stopping into their horses’ feet to make them softer, thus counteracting to a certain extent the benefit derived from the shoes? Surely if peopledesiresoft feet there is rain enough in this country, puddles enough on the roads, and surface waterad libitumon the fields, to effect their purpose without resorting to such a filthy, beastly thing as cowdung. Horses’ feet get so soaked with water during their work or exercise, that the aim of every horse owner should be tokeep them as dry as possiblewhen in the stable, instead of doing their best to make them rotten and diseased. Horses in dry climates, such as India and[101]Australia, have very hard feet because they are never wet, and for this reason are seldom shod except when used for work on metal roads; but when in the rainy season they get soft they are obliged to be shod, because their feet arenot hard enough.
Paring horses’ feet is also a very bad practice. Nature meant the sole to be strong, but when pared it becomes weak, unable to withstand hard substances, and thus gets bruised and subject to corns &c. The knife should, in all cases, be kept off the feet, the rasp being the best instrument with which to shorten the walls, and it is also perfectly able to remove all exfoliated horn from the sole. Is there any sense in paring an animal’s feet, and then having to put on leather soles to protect them?
Hunters should not be put to full work until six years of age, for their bones and tendons are unable to stand the continued strain. Until colts have attained their fifth year, they are shedding their milk teeth and cutting others; consequently their mouths are[102]broken, sore, and the system more or less fevered. Owing to the soreness and tenderness of the animal’s mouth, he is unable to feed well, and thus cannot be got into proper condition; besides the colt cannot stand the wear and tear on account of his bones not beingformed, they having more cartilaginous than osseous material in their formation. The adult horse, that is, one that has a full mouth, has ⅔ of osseous to ⅓ of cartilaginous material entering into the composition of his bones, whilst the two-year-old has about half of each; therefore the cartilage predominating over the required quantity of osseous material causes the bones to be soft and unable to withstand the shocks of early work. Some owners of race-horses run their two-year-olds tofind out their weak points. In cases where weak points are observable at that age, if raced, they are sure to develop, and thus cripple the colt perhaps for life, whilst if he had been allowed to lay by until of a maturer age, in all probability this weakness would have disappeared. Again,[103]if a sound colt be trained and raced when two years of age, it is ten to one that his tendons and bones are not able to stand the work, but that in all probability he will get sore shins, splints, or perhaps some worse disease of the legs or feet.
A horse is not able to undergo regular hunting until he is six years old, and even then he should not be worked hard. I think all our own countrymen know this, although they do not always bring it into practice. The Americans know it and profit by it. A growing colt does not make internal fat as does the adult, therefore the system not having attained firmness, cannot bear the scraping and sweating necessary to get him into condition for the hunting-field or for the racecourse. If the fat is taken off a colt, his muscular development is interfered with. In the same way prize-fighters cannot stay if trained too young, instances of which are found in Aaron Jones and M‘Cormick, who, although they felt well and fit, were unable to last. Colts are forced to[104]early maturity and worked hard when they ought to be in the nursery, the result being that they are unable to last any time, but become useless (except for stud purposes) before they have attained horsehood. Early maturity means early decay.
The Americans break in their trotters, as a rule, at three years of age. They then give them ordinary road work, in the mean time gradually teaching them to trot in form by giving them occasionally a spurt for a quarter of a mile or so. But they do not usually race them until they are from five to seven years old; in fact, they do not consider a horse to be at his best until he is from seven to nine years of age.
I will now give a few instances of famous American trotters, who lasted well through not having been worked too young. Topgallant was foaled in 1808; when in his sixteenth year, in 1823, he trotted twelve miles, in harness, in 38 m. In 1829, when in his twenty-second year, he trotted four heats of four[105]miles, against Whalebone, and won, his fastest time being 11 m. 4 s. In 1831, when in his twenty-fourth year, he trotted a race of three-mile heats, which was won in four heats, Topgallant winning the second and running second in the deciding heat. A week afterwards he won a race for three-mile heats.
Lady Blanche was foaled in 1829. She first trotted a match in 1835, and when twenty-four years old she won a race of four heats. In 1855 she died, during her training.
Dutchman was foaled in 1828, and when five years of age was drawing bricks in a team. In 1836, when eight years old, he trotted, to saddle, four miles in 10 m. 51 s. On August 1, 1839, when eleven years of age, he trotted, to saddle, three miles in 7 m. 32½ s. In 1838, when ten years old, he trotted Rattler for three-mile heats, winning two out of three and the race. In 1846, when eighteen years old, Dutchman won another race, but died in the following year.
Ajax, foaled in 1832, when sixteen years[106]of age was matched to trot a mare for twelve miles, and won.
Flora Temple was foaled in 1845, was broken-in when five years old, and raced the same year. In 1859 she trotted two-mile heats against Princess, and won in two heats, the fastest being in 4 m. 50½ s., when fourteen years of age. In 1860, when fifteen years old, she trotted three miles in 7 m. 33¾ s. She ran in 1861, since which date I have had no opportunity of finding any record of her running.
Lady Thorn was foaled in 1856; she first trotted in 1864, when eight years old, and remained upon the turf until the latter end of 1870, when she got injured through an accident. Her best one-mile time was accomplished in 1869, for four heats, against Goldsmith Maid, American Girl, &c. She won three out of the four heats, her fastest time being 2 m. 18¼ s.
Goldsmith Maid was foaled in 1857, and ran wild until she was eight years old. In 1865 she ran her first race. On September 2,[107]1874, when seventeen years of age, she trotted the fastest mile on record, namely, in 2 m. 14 s. Whether her time has since been beaten or not I am unable to state. She is still on the trotting turf.
Dexter was foaled in 1858, was not broken-in until he was four years old, and until then had never eaten grain of any kind. He did not trot a race until he was six years old, and was king of the trotting track until 1868, since which date I have no record of him. In 1867, when nine years old, he trotted one mile in 2 m. 17¼ s., and in the same year he won two heats against Lady Thorn, for two-mile heats, the fastest of which was done in 4 m. 51 s.
American Girl was foaled in 1862. She appeared on the track in 1867; and I find she was still running in 1874, when twelve years old, and in that year did a mile in 2 m. 16¾ s., and in all probability she is still trotting.
Dexter never trotted until he was six years old; Dutchman never trotted until he was six,[108]and underwent no training until he was seven years of age; Goldsmith Maid and Lady Thorn were eight years old before they were introduced to the trotting track.
Now having enumerated thesefacts(taken from the celebrities of the American trotting turf), which apply equally to hunting as to racing, may I ask, is it common sense to gallop a colt when a yearling, to train and race him as a two-year-old, and get him screwed and useless except for breeding purposes when he is three or four years old, thus doing away with a long course of excellence and utility? How many colts ever see a race-course after they are three or four years old, whilst those that are able to gallop at five or six years of age are looked upon as wonders? Look at such horses as Flying Childers, Eclipse, Matchem, Goldfinder, Gimcrack, Pot-8-os, Bay Malton, Glencoe, Bay Middleton, St. Albans, Blair Athol, Favonius, &c. &c., who never ran as two-year-olds. Again, look at Macgregor, who won the 2,000 guineas in 1870; and Doncaster, who[109]won the Derby and came in second for the St. Leger in 1873, won the Goodwood Cup in 1874, and the Ascot Cup and Alexandra Plate in 1875, and was sold for 14,000l., the highest price ever paid for a stud horse; both these horses never ran as two-year-olds.
On the other hand, look at The Rake, Lady Elizabeth, Queen’s Messenger, Pall Mall, Almoner, Sir William Wallace, and a host of other horses, who were not able to stand the shocks of training. Kingcraft, although he won the Derby in 1870, came out badly afterwards, which is generally attributed to his having run so much as a two-year-old, plainly showing that however great his speed was, he was unable to withstand early training, and thus a good horse was spoilt.
We first begin to train them as yearlings, and run them so much as two-year-olds that many become roarers, like Prince Charlie, Belladrum, and Liddington; or rupture their suspensory ligaments, like Student, Crucifix, and Dundee; rupture blood-vessels, like The[110]Rake, Hermit, and Atlantic; whilst others fall down dead whilst at exercise, like Orinoco and Aquilo.
Racing now-a-days is a money-making business, carried on under the cloak of improving the breed of our horses, which in reality is quite a secondary consideration, money-making being the chief object. I do not say this out of spite, for I am very much attached to racing: in fact it is, in my opinion, the sportpar excellenceof all others. But I must own I should like to see more attention paid to the improvement of stock than to the accumulation of the almighty dollar. So long as we run two-year-olds, so long will the stamina of our horses diminish, and our two-year-olds run a few times and, as a rule, disappear for ever.