lo THE ARAB THE HORSE OF THE FUTURE 



not say it, I deny it. The saying is only a popular 

 way of putting the advice of the Times in favour of 

 much advertising. But when everybody tells the 

 British public to fall down and worship the English 

 thoroughbred, forthwith it does so — at least, it does 

 so in Australia. Why not ? Nobody says anything 

 to the contrary. It does not much concern the 

 public, so it has no call to think. Perhaps, however, 

 some of my Australian fellow-colonists who are 

 breeders of ordinary horses for useful purposes and 

 who may read this little book, may deem it worth 

 while to indulge in a thought or two. If they do, 

 they will have plenty of material gathered in from 

 many of the greatest men of the world. 



I may for convenience' sake mention what I pro- 

 pose to show — viz, : 



1. The general — indeed, almost universal — de- 

 terioration of thoroughbred horses both in England 

 and Australia ; and if in England, necessarily in 

 Australia, because most of the best sires here have 

 come from England. 



2. That the cause of the deterioration is chiefly 

 the breeding for short-race gambling. 



3. That the root of the English thoroughbred 

 and all that is good in him is Arab. 



4. The excellence of the Arab, and that he has 

 not deteriorated. 



5. That the most certain mode of recuperating 

 the breed of saddle and buggy horses, and even of 

 the thoroughbred himself, as a real racehorse, would 



