ON HORSES.
To define a perfect Horse is almost, and to find one, quite impossible.—Camerariussays, that this useful and beautiful creature is an assemblage of Excellencies—“He should possess Two of the Beauties of a Woman; the Breast must be plump, and the Hips round.—In three things he should resemblea Lion; in ferocity of countenance, in fortitude, and irresistible impetuosity. He must have three things appertaining to aSheep;—the nose, gentleness, and patience;—three of aMule, strength, perseverance, and sureness of foot;—three of aDeer, head, legs, and skin;—three of aWolf, throat, neck, and ears;—two of aFox, tail and trot;—three of aSerpent, memory, sight, and flexibility;—and lastly, three of aHare, running, walking, and perseverance.
“Round hoofed, short jointed, Fetlock shag and long.
“Broad Breast, full Eyes, small Head, and Nostrils wide.
“High Crest, short Ears, strait Legs, and passing Strong.
“Thin Mane, thick Tail, broad Buttocks, tender Hide.”—Shakespeare’s Horse of Adonis.
No man who has witnessed the performance ofMr. Ducrow’sstud in “the Battle of Waterloo” at Astley’s, will deny, that our Poet Pope’s epithet of “half-reasoning” is not quite as justly due to the sagacity of the Horse, as it is to the Elephant.
It would be Injustice not to add, that the energetic and natural acting ofMr. Gomersalin his personation of “Buonaparte,” is as perfect a performance as the English stage can exhibit.
The whole of this Drama is a very extraordinary effort, and does great credit to the ingenious author of it,Mr. J. Amherst.
The figure and symmetry of the Horse is no where more perfectly displayed, than inthe Equestrian Statue of Charles the First, at Charing Cross, which is said to be the most finished piece ofworkmanship of its kind ever produced: that of Marcus Aurelius, or the two Horses on the Monte Cavallo, or Quirino at Rome, not excepted.
Continually, however, in our sight, this “Chef d’Œuvre” is not only disregarded, but neglected.
English Horses, are equally remarkable for their Strength and for their Speed.
“Each seeming want compensated of course,—Here with degrees of Swiftness, there of Force.”
“Each seeming want compensated of course,—Here with degrees of Swiftness, there of Force.”
“Each seeming want compensated of course,—Here with degrees of Swiftness, there of Force.”
“Each seeming want compensated of course,—
Here with degrees of Swiftness, there of Force.”
Pack Horsesin Yorkshire carry, not unusually, loads of 420 Pounds.
ALondon Dray Horsehas been known to move, on a plane surface for a short space, the weight of Three Tons, and to draw half that weight a considerable distance.
On the Turnpike road, one Ton per horse isthe Weight usually allowed for a Journey.
The famousChildersmoved 82½ Feet in one second of time, which is nearly at the rate of a Mile in a Minute; for he ran round a course at Newmarket (little less than four miles) in six minutes and fortyseconds; a degree of Velocity, which no horse has been known to exceed.
Another account avers that he ran over another course at Newmarket (which is 380 yards more than Four English Miles) in 7½ Minutes.
In general, the Racers run round the Four Mile course in about seven minutes and forty seconds, or eight minutes, which gives Forty-four feet six inches in one second of time, and twenty-four English feet at each stretch.
The late Duke of Queensberry, on the 29th of August, 1750, won his wager, that he would produce a machine, with four wheels, which should pass over 19 miles in six minutes. The Carriage was made by Wright, of Long Acre, and was constructed partly of Wood and partly of Whalebone; and for the Harness, Silk was substituted for Leather.
The match was run at Newmarket, and four blood Horses rushing on with a velocity almost rivalling the progress of sound, darted within the appointed time to the Goal.—See an Engraving and particular Account of this Carriage in theGents. Mag.for 1756, p. 440.
It would be happy if a Law were passed to prevent the furious spirit of Gaming which prevails atHorse Races:—this amusement might also be rendered useful, which it is not at present, for Horses of most Speed, are generally of least Use.
IfPremiumswere allotted to those who brought to the field the strongest and most beautiful Horses of the best paces for the Saddle, Coach, or Cart, the Breed of these useful Animals might be really improved.
As managed at present,Horse Racingis but one remove from the barbarous practice of “Bear-baiting,” and “Bull-baiting,” against which that excellent practical philosopher,Montaigne, has protested his honest Indignation, that “Few people are pleased to see Beasts caress, or play together; but many seem delighted to see them lacerate and worry one another.”