the best horses

Upstart Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 36

I have a very snotty earl who breeds horses for sale at his country estate.

*What type of horse would be considered the best - stallions, chargers, etc.?
*And would it depend on what he is selling them for, such as racing?
*Lastly, would an earl even be involved in selling horses for certain interests, such as racing, or would it be considered bad ton?

Thanks, Writers! study

_________________
Writing and Re-Writing,
Grace

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

Horse racing was very fashionable. The owners and breeders and members of the governing body (the Jockey Club) were mostly peers (they were certainly all tonnish). I don’t think your snotty earl would be breeding them simply for sale though, he’d be breeding race horses with an eye towards winning the various races (Oaks, Derby, Ascot Gold, etc.). He might, however, sell off colts and fillies he doesn’t think have “it”.

For racing, you want either stallions or mares (geldings can’t be bred, so racing them is kind of pointless, unless you have a fast one and are just trying to win a purse). Race horses then, as now, were primarily Thoroughbreds (which means Arabian descended, crossed with the native horses of England). The start of the breed was The Byerly Turk, brought to England in 1689. Another extremely important one was Eclipse (foaled in 1764, Owned by the Duke of Cumberland, 80% of all modern Thoroughbreds can trace their line back to this horse).
_________________
-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com

Upstart Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 36

Thanks, Kalen.

You said you don't think an earl would breed horses to sell. So, all these stories I read where a noble man has bought a fine horse at...(can't remember the name of the place right now), are you saying that the nobility wasn't usually the ones selling these horses? I was wanting to go more for something like that but if it wasn't normal I'll probably go with the racing.

Thanks!
_________________
Writing and Re-Writing,
Grace

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

You're probably thinking of Tattersalls.

Obviously people, noble or not, sold and bought horses. My objection is to the idea that an earl would set himself up as a breeder with simple resale in mind. It's too close to being in trade IMO. That an earl would breed horses with an eye towards a specific goal (winning races, having the best string of hunters, etc.) and that he might sell off those not worth keeping or not conforming to his goal is perfectly reasonable.

It's about motivation. See the difference?
_________________
-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

My favortie is blood bay or dapple:

_________________
-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:52 pm Post subject:

Thanks for posting so much information Kalen. And I must agree I absolutely love the dapple grey.
_________________
Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.