language, as we could find no one to trust in interpreting, to carry out our plans 

 among the Bedouins. He was in Damascus seven months, studying the language 

 and informing himself as to the best way of getting to that tribe of Bedouins in Arabia 

 which had the type of horse we were seeking. 



"The first horse selected was a stallion from Beni-Zahr. This was a horse of 

 superior form and blood, purchased from one of the Sheikhs of the tribe. Determined 

 to have the best, this horse was afterwards exchanged for the bay horse 'Sacklowie' 

 by giving considerable boot. This l-jst -mportation consisted of the bay 'Sack- 

 lowie,' a chestnut 'Faysal,' supposed to be the best young horse in the Anayza tribe, 

 a grey colt two years old, a mare and two dromedaries. 



"In making both of these importations I determined not to offer the services 

 of any of the stallions to the public until they had shown some evidence of their 

 merits. The colts of two of them having borne off the prizes last fall, over the best 

 thoroughbred stock in Kentucky, I was induced by some friends not to wait longer, 

 but to give the breeders in Kentucky an opportunity to try the cross with some of our 

 fine mares." 



Mr. Richards further remarks : 



•'That the English horse of the present day is inferior to what he was in the days 

 of Eclipse, no one will doubt who examines the performances of that day. The 

 present race of horses are fleet, and many can carry their weights, but how few remain 

 on the turf; and one hard race of four miles would injure the best horse in England. 



"Some English writers contend that a degeneracy is taking place, and that the 

 best Arab blood must be resorted to. In crossing the Arabs upon our stock, we must 

 not expect the first cross to equal such pedigrees as 'Lexington' and 'Bonnie Lassie,' 

 but this cross will not deteriorate, and fine bone with vigorous constitution, free 

 from hereditary defects, will be the result. I have confidence in the result as to 

 the improvement of our fine stock for the turf, for harness and saddle." 



Mr. Richards further remarks : 



"Some of the Arabs in this country have not failed to produce racers, as trot- 

 ters. The grandsire of Pacolet, on the dam's side, was the Lindsay Arabian. The 

 granddam of Sidi Hamet, the sire of Bethune, was an Arab mare, got by an Arabian 

 horse sent to President Jefferson, and out of the Arab mare that came with him. 

 Rhoderic Dhu, a good race horse up to four miles, was out of a Bagdad mare, and 

 many others could be cited. In the fall of 1854, on the Lexington course, Mr. Clay's 

 Raffle, by Yorkshire, grandam by Kochlani, one of the Rhind Arabians, forced 

 Ellen Swigert to the stand in i :46 and i :47/l2- 



"Recent investigations show that the renowned Flora Temple goes back with 

 a few crosses to the Arab; while in Pennsylvania we have that superb race of trot- 

 ters, the Bashaws, descended from an imported Arabian or Barb of that name m- 

 troduced in 1826. 



"The Bagdad stock were in great demand in Tennessee at one time, on account 

 of their legs standing the hard pikes better than any other stock. Massoud, Mokh- 

 ladi and Sacklowie are remarkable in this particular, as their legs did not swell any 

 during their long sea voyages, on different vessels in America. Massoud goes all 

 the fashionable saddle gaits, and Mokhladi has fine action for a trotter The Bed- 

 ouins do not train their horses to three gaits, but some of them are easily broken to 

 pace or rack. The trot of the Arab is so easy and springy that no one who mounts 

 him would care for him to go any other gait. Can this be said of our crack thor- 

 oughbreds? Peytons, or one of the long-striding sons of Melbourne, would be about 

 as pleasant over a rough road as a dromedary or a Brahmin bull. The early English 

 and American horses were far superior under the saddle to the present style of slash- 

 ing-goers'." 



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