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bred horse is seen. Is an entire stud of thorough-bred hunters to be met with? Comparatively speaking, how seldom he is found as a hack or riding horse. He is seldom seen as a cavalry charger, and he has not been successful in producing good troopers for our cavalry in India.

Yet the racer ought to be essentially a saddle horse. We ought not to have to raise a class of horses for the saddle, exclusive of the thorough-bred horse. The Arabian is a racer, a war horse, and hunter, a riding horse par excellence.

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CONCLUSION.

IT is evident the original framers of the Stud Book looked upon the Eastern horse, and par excellence the Arabian, as the pure-bred or thorough-bred horse, and among our horses those alone who are descended from Eastern horses, and are registered in the Book, are now considered thorough-bred, an acknowledgment of the superiority of Arabian blood. But another great boon is conferred by the Stud Book. It shows us most conclusively that our horse is not entirely of Eastern, still less of Arabian blood, and, in fact, is not really thorough or true bred. The character of our horse ebbs and flows, rises to comparative excellence, or sinks into mediocrity, as choice, or fashion, or the taste of the breeder may hit upon a selection in sire or dam possessing a larger or less amount of Arabian blood; but it cannot get beyond a certain point of excellence; it is impossible of permanent improvement. The mixed blood from which our horse has sprung will ever prevent him from attaining a permanent standard of excellence. The same cause must always have a tendency to degeneration, even if that should not have taken place— which many good authorities pronounce to be the case— and his altered form and want of stoutness would warrant that assertion. Seeing, then, that pure blood is

essential for the establishment of a thorough good breed of horses, that our own is imperfect and deficient in blood, the only true way of meeting the difficulty, the only effectual one, the least expensive, and the quickest, is to start afresh with pure Arabian blood. Starting from a sure foundation (purity of blood), we have only to educate and develope excellences. There is no doubt horses of pure Arabian blood, bred in this country, would attain to a larger size; and there is every reason to believe the increase would be in due proportion, thereby insuring with the size increase of speed and strength. The increase of size or height obtained by our present thorough-bred horse has not been in proportion; it has led to many exaggerations. The increase of height from 14 hands to 16 hands has been accomplished by greater length of limb. This, again, as a rule, has been owing to a greater length of cannon bone, without a corresponding length of radius or arm. Here is a great mechanical disadvantage. We will suppose two horses of equal height and power; the moral qualities, such as temper, courage, and nervous energy, also equal; but one shall be an inch longer in the cannon bone than the other, although the relative length of the fore legs shall be the same. The horse with the shorter cannon bone, and therefore longer radius, must, of necessity, be a speedier horse, and not only speedier, but, because the one has a great mechanical advantage, he would be a more lasting horse. Increase of height thus obtained may have been one of the causes of an increase of speed in the English racer

over the Arab, but it tells against him over long courses and constant work, which brings him back again below the level of the Arabian. But if we establish a breed of pure Arabians, in which we have increased the size to 15 hands 2 inches, we have every reason to believe, with only proper care and treatment, the perfect form of the original will be retained; we may reasonably expect equal speed to the modern racer, if not greater, but accompanied with lasting qualities and endurance. The course to pursue is the attainment of a certain number of pure-bred Arabian horses and mares: the latter would most likely be in foal. It would be better if the Government would undertake this, and, indeed, engage to form such a national stud, as it could then be carried on in its integrity, without let or hindrance from the whims or fancies of private individuals.

A few well-selected persons, with knowledge of the Arabian horse and where to seek for him, would be the first thing needful. Should the Government not feel able to undertake it as a national scheme, there is a grand opening for private enterprise, or for a combination of gentlemen who have the welfare of the horse at heart. (It does not seem more unreasonable that there should be a stud for the production of horses entirely of pure or Arabian blood, than that companies should be formed for the breeding of racing stock of inferior and mixed blood.) In this the Government might help by granting certain plates or purses to be run for by Arabians and by their pure descendants. While the Middle Park Stud was intact, I abstained from giving

the opinion of the late lamented proprietor, when this Arab scheme was brought to his notice, a few years ago. Mr. Blenkiron acknowledged the correctness of the theory. He said, 'It certainly would have been the only true plan upon which to have started; I can see that plainly. I tell you what; if it had been brought to my notice when I first commenced breeding, I would have done it; notwithstanding I have established my stud and have so much invested in it, were I only a few years younger, I would take it up myself now, and begin breeding again.' To be done at all it must be done well and thoroughly. It would be a great national benefit, for the prosperity of the horse is intimately connected with the welfare of a country:

Effodere loco signum, quod regia Juno

Monstrârat, caput acris equi: sic nam fore bello
Egregiam et facilem victu per sæcula gentem.

ENEIDOS, lib. 1.

'Afterwards Queen of cities, mistress of the seas, Carthage forgot the sign of what was to be her strength, became enslaved by commerce, and fell.'

The English horse is a compound of those found in Britain in Cæsar's time (whether introduced by the Kelt or Belgæ) the Roman horse-also a compound animal, or rather, many compound animals; then the Saxon horse, not unlikely of Persian extraction—even, perhaps, after the Persian had been improved by Arabian blood, but, in all probability, much modified and considerably changed during the progress of the Saxons from the Araxis to Jutland, and their long residence between the

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