CAVALRY HORSES. 163 



household. It is possible that those physiologists are right who think that 

 domestic animals acquire intelligence in proportion to their association with 

 man ; many anecdotes of unquestionable veracity would at all events support 

 the theory. Be this, however, as it may, the life and needs of the Arab tended 

 in every way to make him solicitous for the improvements of his horses. Tests 

 of speed and power Avere of constant occurrence. There were caravans to be 

 attacked and swift escapes to be made'. A girl with several suitors made them 

 compete on horseback in a race Avith her, the one who first overtook her being 

 the " happy man." Thus the fostest horse gave celebrity to the owner, and 

 was the [iride of his family. This pride is well illustrated by a curious story 

 of an Arab who believed he possessed the fleetest mare in the tribe. One- 

 night she was stolen. He was in despair, but mounted his next best animal 

 and rode in pursuit of the thief. Coming in sight of him, the owner put hia 

 steed to its best pace, and the chase became exciting. The robber cheered on 

 the mare, his pursuer followed like the wind, and finally began to draw along 

 side. At this juncture his pride in the cherished animal, the glory of the fam- 

 ily, got the better of his desire to regain his property. He could not bear to 

 see her beaten by an Inferior horse ; so he cried out, " Touch her in the left 

 flank with your heel !" The thief profited by the secret; the mare redoubled 

 her pace, and soon left her unhappy proprietor to console himself with the 

 knowled<re that, thouo-h he had lost her, she had never been defeated in a race. 



It was a descendant of such stock as this, imported into England by Darley, 

 during Queen Anne's I'eign, that originated the beautiful animals that now 

 contest for the prizes of the British turf. Darley's example was followed by 

 others. Pedigrees were carefully preserved. The English stud book became 

 an institution. Racing was organized and regulated as a test, and the thorough- 

 bred was perfected. It was in 1732 — the ytar of Washington's birth — that 

 the English thorough-bred horse was acknowledged as the best in the world. 

 About this period, or very little later, the matter attracted interest in this 

 country. The cavaliers, then recently settled in Maryland and Virginia, 

 clung to the sports of home, and imported stallions sired by the most famous 

 horses of the Old World, such as the CuUen Arabian, Darley Arabian, Flying 

 Childers, Curwen's bay Barb, and many orhers of high celebrity. 



The offspring of these noble animals made the southern cavalry what it was ; 

 the loss of them has reduced it to what it is. Now that they have no more 

 thoroughbred cavalry steeds, and are compelled to use the northern horses 

 they may capture, we are on nearly equal terms in quality, and far ahead in 

 numbers. — (See " Wilkes's Spirit" of August, 1SG3, on this subject.) Natu- 

 rally, as the Arabian was the original progenitor of the English horse, un- 

 thinking persons claimed him to be superior, without considering the inestimable 

 advantages of organized training and testing. Arabian horses, however, im- 

 ported to England were invariably beaten by the native animals. It was 

 then said that the climate was unfavorable to such high-bred creatures, and 

 that at home, in their own country, they would be found superior. To test 

 this. Fair Nell, an Irish mare of some celebrity, though by no means a first- 

 class racer, was procured by the English merchants of Cairo to run ten miles 

 on the desert sand. She won the race with ease over all the Arabians entered 

 against her. More recently the question being again renewed, Ali Pacha ran 

 the best horse of his magnificent stutl — the finest in Egypt — against a very 

 common English racer. Companion, ajid was badly beaten — Companion win 

 uing the race iu a canter by more than half a mile. Again, last year an Ara 

 bian which had vanquished all the noted horses at home, and Avas brought to 

 England and thoroughly acclimated, in- the contest for the Goodwood cup. a 

 race of two and a half miles, with twenty-iMght pounds allowance in his favor, 

 this distinguished stranger was beaten out of sight, although the pace was so 

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