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advantage to themselves. If the backbone is arched downwards they cannot carry weight. If it is arched upwards they cannot draw weight. The horse to carry, should have the arch upwards, and the horse to draw should have the arch gently downwards; in other words, be rather hollow-backed. It took me a great deal of time and trouble to discern this, and I am anxious to impress it forcibly on my readers. I observed that my horses working in harness with low backs, were in good condition, and those with high backs, poor. I saw the fact, but for a long time could not ascertain the cause. What is the cause of this? is a question I put to myself as constantly as I observed it. At last the answer came-" The bridge that was so strong one way, was equally weak the other." I wish to illustrate this more clearly to my readers. The bridge arched upwards will carry almost any weight you can place upon it; turn it upside down and it can carry scarcely any weight at all. If the horse has to carry weight, and the backbone is arched upwards, it is in the position of the greatest strength. On the other hand, if the horse has to draw, the force brought into action will tend to press the spine upwards, and therefore a downward curvature is the most advantageous formation. Horses with high backs can not push heavy weights back for the same reason. The back-bone, already bent up, is forced upward still more, the arch is opened, and the power is lost.* The horse with a low back, if willing, can push back almost any weight, because the weight is pressed against the lower side of the arch, which being bent downwards, is strengthened by the pressure.

Should my explanation not appear clear to my readers, I advise them to put into the plow, side by side, a horse with a high back, and one with a low back, and observe whether the high back does not bend up higher by his work, and whether the low back does not remain in its fixed posi tion. That which bends is weak; it cannot bear the pressure upwards. The horse would say at the end of his day's work, if he could speak, "how my back does ache!" The fixed position of the vertebræ indicates the power of the brute as well as the power of the man; the loose, wabbling back cannot endure in any animal.

The carriage horse is expected to make a fine appearance, carry his head high, his knee well up, and to rely entirely upon his driver where he is to go, to an inch. He is partly blinded by the winkers, and very much prevented seeing his way by the bearing rein. Not so the riding horse—his eyes are unmasked, his head at liberty to pick his way for himself and his master too. While the carriage horse is looking up to the drawing-room window to be admired by the ladies, the riding horse should be looking

• This is a mistake-the back-bone vertebræ, in either case, is usually straight. The curve or depression is occasioned by the different lengths of spinal processes.

T. C. JONES

where his next foot is to be placed upon the ground, to give confidence to the rider. His neck should be lighter, and capable of being easily arched. It is very disagreeable to me to have a high, stand-up harness-neck before me. I prefer a light neck, not very long, and shoulders so long that as when I am on his back and he is a-trot, I can see his knee at work before. This gives the rider a good seat, and places the weight well back upon the horse where he can carry it. The hind legs should be well under him, the fore legs short, feet sound, the hips low and flat-wide, high hips are ugly and objectionable in all horses. It may be accepted as a rule that the horse that walks well can either trot or gallop well, not unfrequently both. The best hacks I have seen have been bred from good strong pony mares and thoroughbred horses. You cannot have too much blood in your riding horse; but less can be done with in the hack than in the hunter, in whom pace and endurance are wanted, besides particularly good wind, and so round action to accommodate himself to ridge and furrow, and carry his master safely home after the sport of the day. The same shape as for the hack is the perfection of shape for the hunter; but a little more length, a little more size, and not less than three parts blood, will be required to go in a good place with hounds, 15.3 to 16 hands is the perfection of size, and quite thoroughbred is the perfection of breeding. The back should be particularly good, the hind legs short and well under the weight to be carried.

The drainage of the stable of the cart horse, carriage horse, hack and hunter, can all be carried out in the same way with advantage to them all alike. The mangers and hay-cribs should be constructed as already described. Instead, however, of dividing the standings with bales, as with cart horses, it is better to have boarded partitions, inclosing stalls six feet or six feet six inches wide and ten feet long. The ventilation should be arranged upon the same principle, with a fixed amount of inlet and outlet, in addition to which another portion, under the control of the head of the stable, may be made available according to the variations of the atmosphere.

Horses doing fast work and light of flesh, will bear more warmth than those working slowly. The stable should never be without a change of air. The temperature should never be above 60° Fahr., except when the external atmosphere is above it. Every hunting establishment should have a hot water apparatus, a plentiful supply of water, and a bath-room to wash the horses in as soon as they return from the field. Loose boxes, sixteen feet square, are absolutely nccessary in every horse establishment, some of which should be separated from the others for sick horses.

I have said something about the necessity of blood in the breeding of

horses, but, knowing what I do, I never think I have said enough. I have hinted at the great difference between the want of care and attention taken by the breeders of horses in their selection of stallions, as compared with that taken by the same class of persons breeding cattle, sheep and pigs, and think I have not overstated the truth. Every person who has seen the great change which has taken place in the quality of the animals produced throughout England, Ireland and Scotland (horses only excepted) will admit that the improvement of them is marvellous; while horses alone have become deteriorated almost in the same degree.

Why is this? It is because they have all had more care bestowed upon them; the production even of pigs has been more actively cared for than the breeding of thorough-bred horses (except by racing men for racing purposes.) It is simply because the breeders of the inferior animals, since the establishment of agricultural societies, have been well rewarded with prizes, while the best thoroughbred horses in England, the most important class to our national welfare, have been very much neglected. The prizes given to every class of bullock, sheep, and pig, male and female, of every age, have so far exceeded those given to thoroughbred horses, that the latter have not been worth competing for. That is not the only reason; there is another important one. It is that formerly the Royal Plates, of £100 each were given for competition, all over England for four year old horses carrying 10 stone 4 lbs.; five years old, 11 stone 6 lbs.; six and aged, 12 stone, and decided in four mile heats.* These prizes were a great inducement to breeders to endeavor to get horses of size and substance, and to keep them when got. As long as these Royal Plates were given to horses carrying these high weights, strong thoroughbred horses were bred and kept, which in the end broke down, and became the most valuable acquisition to breeders of horses in all parts of the country. Having become blemished, they were no longer desired by foreigners, and continued the remaining portion of their lives at home, helping to produce a race of horses with size, substance, blood, and action. From their stock the most valuable hunters, hack, and carriage horses were selected, and from the less well favored the cavalry was especially well mounted. Our horses were then the envy of the whole of Europe. These Royal Plates for high weights and long distances brought up our horses to this point of excellence; so long as they were so given, so long we kept our supremacy; but, by some unfortunate influence, the conditions were altered, and lighter weights and shorter distances allowed. From this point I date, under my own observation, the commencement of the deterioration of our thoroughThis is 14 pounds to the stone.

bred horses, and consequently of those of every day use. I saw the commencement of the evil; I now see the consequence. There was no longer any inducement to breeders to retain their great strong two year old colts; they could not run at that age, neither could they at three years old struggle with moderate sized horses. The best horse ever produced in England could not race at two nor at three years old; he was not only the fastest and the stoutest of any period, but he was one of the most powerful; this horse was Eclipse. If he had been of these days, in all probability his fate would have been sealed at three years old; he would have been sold as a great slow brute to some foreigner coming among us to make such purchases at a small sum, as most of our large sized unfurnished horses have been, till there is hardly one left. Since there is nothing further to run for at four years old, they must be sold. I can speak positively from my own knowledge to this state of things; the alteration of these plates and other turf arrangements have combined to produce quite another class of race horse-a slippery, slender, small horse, that comes quickly to perfection, and as quickly passes away. The adoption of handicaps at all country races is another evil; nearly all the important races are handicaps, instead of weight for age. This tends to make all horses equal, and give to all, good and bad, an equal chance of winning; speed is substituted for substance; horses are tried at two years old for speed; if slow, they are cast, and the expense of training stopped. This promotes sport and produces betting; and therefore answers the purpose of sportsmen, but is ruinous to the national supply of horses. Sportsmen are anxious to make their own game; they do make it by these means, but the national interest is not served. The nation should take care that the nation's horses are not ruined by giving money to produce that end. The Royal Gifts were bestowed expressly with the national object of improving our general breed of horses, which was brought to a high state of perfection by the means used. The conditions of the plates were altered, we have failed in our aim, and now have two classes of horses-blood horses without substance, and strong horses without blood. Both are bad for common purposes. We want the combination of strong blood horses with the country mares of all kinds. We shall get it by retracting our steps and returning to the old plan-the Royal Plates for four year olds, 10 stone 4 lbs.; for five, 11 stone 6 lbs.; six and aged, 12 stone; not four mile heats, as of old, but one four mile race. This, I think, must be the starting point, if we are ever to recover our lost position, for fine strong blood horses. Nothing can be expected from turf arrangements, wretched as the system is, of making good and bad equal, and destructive as it is to the quality of our horses, it does promote sport and it does produce betting

the final object of keeping race horses. It would be a great stimulus to the recovery if His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, (who well knows the value of blood in horses ridden across the country) were to add some Royal Plates for the same high weights, varying the distance to a race of three miles. The money given by lords, lieutenants of counties, members of parliament, and for town plates, should all be given with the national interest in view, and this would assist very much to expedite the improvement. This should be followed up by agricultural societies' prizes for these horses, as though they were of equal importance with cattle, sheep, and pigs; prizes should be given for thoroughbred horses of three, four, five years, and aged horses, such as have served mares during the season as country stallions, at a country price; blemishes should not exclude, but only lame feet, unsound wind, spavins and curbs, all of which may effect the rising generation. Prizes for geldings seem to me to be unnecessary, and can have no effect upon the object required. When a prize of £100 was given by the Royal Agricultural Society at Battersea, the best stallions were brought from all parts of the country, even a Derby winner, to whom was awarded the prize. Nevertheless the object of the society was not obtained. It is not a winner of the Derby or St. Legera horse that will never be taken from his own stable door-that should come to an agricultural show, exhibit himself there, and walk off with the prize; but it is a good strong thoroughbred country stallion that is available for the use of the ordinary mares of the country. The prize did, however, indicate a great fact, a hint suggestive of what may be done by the £100 prizes towards restoring our losses, and bringing us back again to our original position. It has illustrated the great principle that such rewards are highly esteemed by the owners of valuable horses, and will induce them to keep them to show for such prizes; and there surely is great need of them. The country is so ill supplied with thoroughbred horses that it is almost impossible to find a useful short legged thoroughbred horse that can carry 12 stone across the country. This loss is immense; there is no substitute for blood; there is no elegant carriage horse without it, no good quick stepping hack without it, and no fast, enduring hunter without a great deal of it. The anxious breeder, who knows the value of it, will say, "Where am I to find it?" I must admit that this is very difficult now; it was not so a few years since. Blood horses have been getting worse and worse.

Great studs of such animals were formerly kept, and many of them, too, in my recollection, all over Yorkshire, as well as in many other counties: they occasionally won a Derby, and not unfrequently a St. Leger. Those that were not so fortunate, carried their masters with hounds; car

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