A Dissertation on Horses | Page 6

where they do not, I
hope their paramours will instill the meaning of it, as deeply as they
can into them. But to return to the breeding of Horses.
We pay little regard to the mechanism of the female, or of the Horse to
which we put her, but generally choose some particular Horse for the
sake of the cross, or because he is called an Arabian; whereas, in fact,
every Stallion will not be suited to every Mare, but he who has a fine
female, and judgment enough to adapt her shapes with propriety to a
fine male, will always breed the best racer, let the sort of blood be what
it will, always supposing it to be totally foreign. The truth of this will
be confirmed by our observation, which shews us, that Horses do race,

and do not race, of all families and all crosses.
We find also, that affinity of blood in the brute creation, if not
continued too long in the same channel, is no impediment to the
perfection of the animal, for experience teaches us, it will hold good
many years in the breed of game cocks. Besides, we know that Childers,
which was perhaps the best racer ever bred in this kingdom, had in his
veins a consanguinity of blood; his pedigree informing us, that his great
grandam was got by Spanker, the dam of which Mare was also the dam
of the said Spanker.
If we inquire a little farther into the different species of the creation, we
shall find this principle concerning perfection of shape still more
verified. Amongst game cocks we shall find, that wheresoever power
and propriety of shape prevails most, that side (condition alike) will
generally prevail. We shall find also, that one cock perfectly made, will
beat two or three of his own brothers imperfectly made. If any man
should boast of the blood of his cocks, and say that the uncommon
virtue of this animal, which we call game, is innate, I answer no, for
that all principles, and all ideas arise from sensation and reflection, and
are therefore acquired.
We perceive this spirit of fighting in game chicken, which they exert
occasionally from their infancy; even so it is amongst dunghill chickens,
though not carried to that degree of perseverance.
When arrived at maturity, we see these different birds will still continue
to fight if they meet; if I should be asked why the perseverance of
fighting in one does not continue to death, as in the other, I answer, that
from a different texture of the organs of the body, different sensations
will arise, and consequently different effects be produced; and this will
be proved by instances from the best of those very cocks which are
called game, who (it is well know) when they suffer a variation in their
texture, or as cockers term it, become rotten, run away themselves, and
their descendants also; which sensation of fear could not be produced
by any alteration in the body, if this principle of game was innate.
Amongst men, do we not perceive agility and strength stand forth
confessed in the fabric of their bodies? do not even the passions and
pleasures of mankind greatly depend on the organs of their bodies?
Amongst dogs, we shall find the foxhound prevailing over all others in
speed and in bottom; but if not in speed, in bottom at least I hope it will

be allowed. To what shall we impute this perfection in him? Shall we
impute it to his blood, or to that elegance of form in which is found no
unnecessary weight to oppress the muscles, or detract from his ability
of perseverance? if to blood, from whence shall we deduce it? or from
what origin is it derived? Surely no man means more, when he talks of
the blood of foxhounds, than to intimate that they are descended from
such, whose ancestors have been eminent for their good qualifications,
and have shone conspicuous in the front of the pack for many
generations.
But allowing this system of blood to exist in hounds and Horses, let us
consider how inconsistently and differently we act with respect to each;
with respect to hounds, if when arrived at maturity, we think them ill
shaped and loosely made, we at once dispose of them without any trial,
well knowing they will not answer our expectations: whereas, in
Horses, let the shape be what it will, we are persuaded to train, because
the jockey says thay are very HIGH-BRED. If we now compare the
blood of Horses with that of dogs, shall not we find the case to be
similar? will not the origin be as uncertain in Horses as in dogs? it is
true, in some foreign countries they have