154 VARIETIES OF THE HORSE 



their character and conformation as they are in their adaptation to 

 different purposes. 



The puljlic, however, or at all events a very considerable number of 

 persons, ignore this fact entirely, and though they readily distinguish 

 between the different varieties of large horses, they are very prone to 

 regard anything below a certain height, fixed by themselves, as merely 

 a pony, and unworthy of that careful division ahd classification which has 

 been adopted with such good results towards kindred varieties. This, of 

 course, is altogether wrong, for the equine bantams exist in quite as 

 many varieties as the bigger horses. 



This being so, the consideration of the varieties of the pony becomes 

 extremely difficult, for not only do representatives of old - established 

 breeds appear in strong numbers in some parts of the country, but cross- 

 bred and manufactured animals are still more numerous, the result being 

 that breeding ponies to any particular type or ideal standard is a great 

 lottery, though unquestionably profitable. There is no doubt that the 

 jjony is to a certain extent the survivor of the old English horse which 

 was possessed by the ancient Britons, as there is ample evidence to 

 show that the equine race in those early days was far smaller than 

 now. The increase in size in our general horse stock is a natural result 

 of scientific breeding and attention to the feeding and general welfare 

 of brood stock. Civilization encourages the domestication of animals, and 

 domestication ensures an increased development of frame, and therefore, 

 even were evidence not at hand to prove the fact, it is beyond all doubt 

 that the horses of the Britons were very little taller than many so-called 

 ponies of the present day, though undoubtedly they were stronger in 

 build. 



There appears, however, to have been a desire from the very first 

 to increase the size as well as to improve the quality of the native 

 pony, as, in addition to crossing these animals with others which had 

 been imported from abroad, several rigorous laws were made and enforced 

 against the practice of permitting undersized stallions to run on common 

 land with breeding mares and fillies. These restrictions very naturally 

 contributed to the quasi - extinction of the old-fashioned pony, 

 though it must at the same time be remembered that many long- 

 established breeds still exist in various localities, and that although it is 

 quite possible that their type has a good deal changed, still enough 

 remains behind to connect many of them with their lost ancestors. 



No doubt the principal difficulty that pony-breeders have to contend 

 against is the tendency to increase of size amongst their stock. Improve- 

 ments in regard to shape and make are, comparatively speaking, easy, 



