A Dissertation on Horses: Wherein It is Demonstrated, by Matters of Fact, as Well as from the Principles of Philosophy, That Innate Qualities Do Not Exist, and That the Excellence of This Animal is Altogether Mechanical and Not in the Blood

In Short

This treatise serves as a mid-eighteenth-century challenge to the prevailing obsession with "high-bred" lineages in the English racing circuit. By applying the principles of anatomy and mechanics to the horse’s body, the author dismantles the notion that noble bloodlines grant an inherent, magical advantage. Instead, he argues that speed and endurance are determined by physical proportion—specifically the length and angle of the limbs—and the quality of the animal’s upbringing. It remains a fascinating historical artifact, marking a transition toward the rational, conformation-based breeding standards used today.

The Story

The narrative begins with a sharp critique of the contemporary racing world, where breeders and jockeys rely on myth and pedigree charts rather than scientific observation. The author identifies a central, erroneous belief: that a horse’s worth is "in the blood," an abstract quality that purportedly carries excellence across generations. To illustrate how this confusion began, he points to Homer, whom he characterizes as a clever but sycophantic poet who solidified these superstitions by flatteringly recording the genealogies of horses belonging to wealthy patrons.

Moving from ancient mythology to the practical reality of eighteenth-century Newmarket, the author describes a culture where horses are valued based on labels rather than anatomy. He introduces a "singular" anecdote regarding three horses—two immortal, high-bred creatures and one common horse of no blood—who all displayed equal speed. This anomaly serves as the catalyst for his entire thesis: if a horse of no blood can match a horse of noble extraction, then the "excellence" attributed to blood is a fallacy. He posits that the speed of these animals was merely a result of their physical equality—their shared proportions and mechanical capacity.

As the argument progresses, the author shifts his focus to anatomy. He defines the horse as a piece of "animated machinery," where the bones act as levers and the muscles and tendons as the power source. He explains that a horse with deep, sloping shoulders can reach further with each stride, while one with upright shoulders is inherently limited. He further argues that the legendary "blood" of imported Arabian or Turkish stallions is often a misinterpretation of their physical potential. He reveals, through a reliable account of an acquaintance who lived among the nomadic Arabs, that many of these imported horses arrived in England malnourished, stunted, or physically deformed by the cruel practice of chaining their legs.

The ending of the argument is a call for a fundamental change in breeding practices. The author asserts that breeders have been "hoodwinked" by the vanity of pedigree. He suggests that if one were to prioritize "propriety of shape"—choosing the best-conformed mates regardless of their ancestry—the result would be a vast improvement in the quality of horses across the entire nation. He concludes by challenging his fellow sportsmen to abandon their "vain chimera" of blood and instead cultivate a rigorous, objective understanding of the mechanical laws that actually govern the animal. He welcomes any rebuttal, provided it is based on reason and fact, inviting his readers to move beyond the ignorance of tradition toward a more enlightened, practical future.

How It Unfolds

The critique of pedigree The author begins by dismissing the authority of ancient and modern genealogies, which he views as products of poetic flattery and social sycophancy. He argues that the obsession with bloodline has blinded breeders to the reality of the individual horse.

The mechanical hypothesis He introduces the horse as an organic machine, asserting that velocity is a product of muscular power and lever-like bone structure. He uses this framework to explain why some horses succeed on flat ground while others struggle, insisting that these differences are purely physical.

The Arabian mystery Through reports of nomadic life, he explains the variable quality of imported stallions. He argues that what looks like a "blood" issue is often just a symptom of poor early nutrition or the permanent physical damage caused by hobbles and restricted movement.

A new standard for breeding He concludes by demanding that breeders stop relying on the "nicking" of bloodlines and start choosing mates based on structural symmetry. He argues that this shift in focus would transform horse breeding from a game of chance into a science of deliberate, superior production.

The People

The author, William Osmer, acts as a rational guide and provocateur who wants to replace superstition with anatomical science. He is frustrated by the "illiterate and unlearned" jockeys who cling to their traditions, and he positions himself as a humble observer who simply trusts his own eyes over the fashionable theories of his day.

Opposing him are the "jockeys" and "breeders," a broad class of men who equate high-breeding with noble status. They are characterized as victims of their own prejudices, constantly switching their allegiances to different bloodlines whenever a particular horse fails to perform. They want easy answers and are easily led by the "ignis fatuus" of pedigree, which the author portrays as a vanity-driven distraction.

He also references specific figures like the Godolphin Arabian, not as a mystical sire, but as an anatomical specimen. For the author, this horse is a living example of his theory: he was a plain, "goose-rumped" animal whose speed was entirely due to his superior, deep-shouldered build, not his ancestry. Finally, the "gentleman of veracity" appears as the crucial informant, a traveler whose eyewitness account of the nomadic Arabs provides the missing link in the author’s explanation of why imported stallions are often so physically inconsistent.

In Its Own Voice

"Whoever supposes that Mess. Heber and Pond, or even Mr. John Cheney, were the first who published accounts of Horse-racing, will find himself much mistaken, for there lived others above a hundred years before them, who not only published accounts of Horse-racing, but acquainted us with the history of the wrestling, backsword-playing, boxing, and even foot-racing, that happened in their days."

This serves as an opening reminder that the obsession with tracking performance and lineage is an ancient, and often biased, human pastime.

"For perhaps it may appear, that the excellence we find in these Horses depends totally on the mechanism of their parts, and not in their blood; and that all the particular distinctions and fashions thereof, depend also on the whim and caprice of mankind."

The author cuts through the jargon of his day to declare that the mystery of the "racer" is nothing more than physical engineering.

"If we consider a Horse as a piece of animated machinery (for it is in reality no other); let us set this piece of machinery going, and strain the works of it; if the works are not analogous to each other, will not the weakest give way?"

This passage encapsulates the core of his mechanical philosophy, viewing the animal’s body as a system of levers and tensions.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an early, impassioned plea for scientific empiricism over traditional authority. It asks whether we define excellence through the lens of romanticized labels or through the cold, hard reality of function. The author probes the nature of "innate qualities," arguing that the belief in the superiority of blood is a form of class-based projection that ignores the biological reality of the creature. By applying the laws of physics to the animal body, the author seeks to liberate the reader from the "mist of error" created by social fashion. It is a work that questions how we assign value to living things, suggesting that true quality is found not in the prestige of a lineage, but in the harmonious, effective design of the individual body.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in the history of science, veterinary practice, or the evolution of breeding will find this book remarkably sharp. It provides a rare, grounded view of the eighteenth-century sporting world, stripped of the romantic gloss usually applied to the era. The author’s voice is remarkably modern in its skepticism; he displays a refreshing, dry wit when describing the "lawyer-like" behavior of the nomadic Arabs or the absurdity of jockeys who believe a horse's heart might be in the "wrong place."

However, the modern reader must be prepared for the dense, period-specific prose. The author uses archaic spellings and a sometimes rambling sentence structure that requires careful attention. He also carries the biases and limited geographical perspective of a mid-18th-century English gentleman. If you can push past the initial hurdle of the language, you will find a mind that is actively fighting to drag his contemporaries out of the dark ages of superstition. What stays with you is the author’s insistence that we owe it to the animal to understand its body as it actually is, rather than how we wish it to be—a lesson that remains as relevant in modern animal husbandry as it was in 1756.