i6 THE ARAB THE HORSE OF THE FUTURE 



As it was, I should have got in some considerable 

 time before eleven, only I had to go out of the way 

 to a friendly station to borrow a remount for my 

 brother, who was with, me and whose own horse had 

 knocked up. Dr. J. P. Ryan, of Melbourne, told me, 

 that, in August, 1894, the late Mr. Henry Ricketson, 

 a large stock-holder, owner of several stations, some 

 years ago rode a horse, whose sire was an Arab, 

 over 100 miles within the twenty-four hours. He 

 started at half-past two in the morning, to overtake 

 a drover with cattle, and came up to him by nine the 

 same evening. 



Mr. Walter Hickinbotham, a great Australian 

 trainer, recently stated, in a reported interview in 

 Adelaide, that the provincial horses in old days 

 were a lot better stayers and of finer qualities than 

 can be met with in the country towns now ; and he 

 asks how many horses could do to-day what Swiveller, 

 which he bred in 1874, did; Swiveller travelled 800 

 miles, then won three races and ran three seconds. 

 And when pointedly asked if he thought the horses 

 of to-day were as good as they were in the sixties 

 and seventies, replied that they were not so stout, 

 and were not such good stayers, but were faster. 

 Of course they are faster for short distances — they 

 are bred for that, no matter what other quality is 

 lost ; but for the veldt, or the road, or the Bush, a 

 good stout stager, not a sprinter, is wanted. 



In some reminiscences of racing [Express, May 28, 

 1904) it is affirmed that they would be incomplete if 



