THE SADDLE BREEDS OF HORSES 145 



general distribution throughout the civilized world, which 

 took place largely through the agency of the conquests of 

 nations, was made from this center. Such an indefi- 

 nite beginning is given a more satisfactory explanation 

 by the modern researches reported by Ridgeway, which 

 he maintains are strongly suggestive that the Egyptians 

 secured their horses from Libya, where they are thought 

 to have been indigenous. This hypothesis has a striking 

 significance in view of the fact that the Libyan horse of 

 Ridgeway is identical with the subject of this discussion. 



Zoologically, there have been demonstrated three dis- 

 tinct species of horses in the genus Equus besides the 

 various species of asses, zebras and the extinct quagga. 

 To these, Ridgeway adds Equus caballus libycus, held by 

 him to be a distinct species or at least a sub-species. This 

 being the case, we are justified in accepting the Barb as the 

 progenitor of all modern light breeds, the Turk and Arabian 

 being derivatives, and not antecedents of the Barb. It is 

 known that horses existed in Egypt 1500 years before 

 they were in Arabia, a fact that is contrary to the popular 

 belief that the genesis of all good horses was in Arabia. It 

 establishes the Barb as the real origin of the Thoroughbred, 

 the blood influence of which is recognized in all horse- 

 breeding countries. Furthermore, in view of the fact that 

 the Andalusian horse of Spain traces its ancestry across 

 the Mediterranean, the Barb becomes an important 

 factor in the horse population of America. 



173. History in America. The most notable oriental 

 horses brought to America are Grand Bashaw, a Barb from 

 Tripoli, whose immediate descendants founded the Clay, 

 Patchen and Bashaw families ; Zilcaadi, an Arabian from 

 Turkey, and sire of the dam of Gold Dust ; and Leopard, 

 an Arab, and Linden Tree, a Barb, presented to General 



