Science from an Easy ChairLankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray), Sir
History
Science from an Easy Chair
Lankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray), Sir
Natural history; Science
The horse of more Southern origin thus recognised as distinct from the
prehistoric European horse, it is now convenient to speak of as the
Southern or Arabian horse. There are certain curious structural features
which seem to mark these horses and their offspring, even when their
strain is blended with that of the more Northern horse. Probably from
the time of the cave-men onward the selective breeding of horses has
been carried on, so that in many breeds size has been vastly increased.
It is an important fact that the English racehorse has never been
selected and bred for “points” (as cattle and sheep are), but always by
performance on the racecourse. Thus it becomes an extremely interesting
matter to see what are the changes which the breeder of thoroughbred
stock has unconsciously produced—what are the differences between the
racehorse of to-day and that of 50, 100, and 150 years ago. This was
pointed out to me by the late Duke of Devonshire as a reason for
supporting my proposal to secure and place in the Natural History Museum
the skulls, limb-bones, hoofs, and other indestructible parts of great
racehorses (and of other breeds), and also for having very accurately
measured reduced models made of such horses, in order that we may after
some years compare the proportions and structure at present arrived at
with the later developments which the continual selection of winner’s
blood in breeding must unconsciously produce. Such a collection was
started by me in the museum, but it needs the assistance of owners of
horses—both as to placing record specimens in the museum and in paying
for the preparation of accurately reduced models by competent artists.
It already comprises the skulls of Stockwell, Bend Or, and Ormonde, and
several carefully made reduced models of celebrated horses. There is no
doubt that the English racehorse has increased in size. He is a bigger
animal to-day than he was 200 years ago, and the opinion of the best
authorities is that he has increased on the average an inch in height at
the withers in every twenty-five years. The racehorse has a much longer
thigh-bone and upper-arm bone (in proportion to the rest of the leg)
than has the cart-horse, and it is probable that this length has been
continually increased by the selection of winners for breeding.
There are other points of scientific interest as to modern horses and
their forefathers which are illustrated by valuable specimens and
preparations placed by me in the Natural History Museum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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