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previously to ascertain the genuineness of these? One of the most sure, 

 is to know that the Horses really were bred in those countries, but as the 

 Arabians have also two inferior breeds, our generally-received ideas of 

 form, Avill be indispensable auxiliaries. I have described the character- 

 istic form of the courser, in speaking of the Arabian ; such form we 

 should find in perfection, in the true mountain and desert Horse. Per- 

 haps the most certain indications of blood, may be gathered from the ^ 

 head and the feet. When the former is full of symmetry, and attached 

 to the neck with a considerable curve, and the latter, in the highest de- 

 gree, line and deer-like, the nag is, in all probability, thorougli-bred. A 

 considerable, often even a trifling dash of inferior blood, will impart a 

 coarseness to both head and feet. 



In the early period of racing, the necessity which existed for breeding 

 from foreign stock, is obvious, but it seems to have been continued long 

 beyond the necessit)^ and with far greater success, than has been expe- 

 rienced in modern times. The uncertainty of determining the real 

 breed of a Horse from the name assigned to him, has been adverted to; 

 some have been called Arabians and Barbs, or Arabians and Turks, 

 alternately. It is probable, then, that those purchased in Turkey, have 

 been of the former breeds, or have proceeded from them. Whether 

 this may have been the case with the various Persian Horses imported, 

 one or two of which have got racers, is uncertain. The dam of the fa- 

 mous Bonny Black, in the reign of George I. was called a Persian. There 

 is no doubt, but the old Spanish and Portuguese blood Horses, with 

 most of those bred in the islands of the Mediterranean, were derived 

 from Barbs ; as were also, in the opinion of Dr. Bracken, the Turkish 

 coursers. These last, however, are generally of larger size, and some- 

 what different from the true Barb, granting that race to be their basis. 



As to posterior, or actual proofs of true blood, in a foreign Horse or 

 Mare, the best, doubtless, is, that their immediate produce can run in a 

 high form, as those of the Byerley Turk, Darley, Alcock, and Godolphin 

 Arabians, and some few others; and }eta failure in such respect, is not 

 decisive against the individual, since stallions, the best bred, in number- 

 less instances, have iai led to get good racers, and since so many of the 

 best bred English Horses have been unable to race. 



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