456 



BRITISH AND IRISH HORSES. 



parts are left for these animals to feed on. It has been 

 the custom to sell off the Forest everything that would 

 fetch the most money^ and consequently nothing but 

 the worst animals were left to be bred from. Hence, 

 decrepit and weakly stallions were allowed to run amongst 

 their mothers and sisters, and to gradually deteriorate 

 the race. As far as I could ascertain, the old type, when 



^lioto hy] [C. reid, Wishaw. 



Fig. 471. — New Forest pony mare and foal, the property of Lord Arthur Cecil. 



it appeared, was singularly Hke the Exmoor, in the wonder- 

 fully sharp outlook, clean head and bright eyes, and also, 

 singularly enough, the tanned muzzle and flanks. I tried 

 the experiment of bringing a few Exmoors into the Forest, 

 and everyone of the old commoners were unanimous 

 (not knowing them to be Exmoorsj in saying : ' Ah ! 

 that was the old kind of pony which lived in the Forest.' 

 It seemed to me clear that the best thing to do, was to 

 infuse plenty of fresh blood into the stock, and for the 



