124 THE HORSE AND ITS RELATIVES 



or Spanish blood, or whether these features were 

 inherited from a wild ancestor. I believe that 

 the latter was the case." 



Others may, however, be permitted to hold 

 the opposite opinion ; and it is significant that 

 Professor Ridgeway ^ has experienced the difficulty 

 of accepting Professor Ewart's view, and attempted 

 to get over it by suggesting a dual origin for 

 the Celtic pony. That the latter is a recognisable 

 type may be accepted independently of the views 

 taken as to its ancestry and relationship. In 

 connection with the latter point, the reader may 

 be reminded that Dr. Duerst, as stated on page 97, 

 derives the Celtic pony from his "forest-type" 

 {^Equus caballus nehringi)^ in which there appear 

 to be no indications of Arab affinity. Reference 

 may also be again made to the assertion (p. 103) 

 that some Connemara ponies are very like the 

 Mongolian tarpan ; and it may be added that the 

 short hairs on the sides of the base of the tail 

 in the Celtic type may be another indication of 

 relationship to the true tarpan, in which the whole 

 of this region is short-haired. 



Leaving theoretical matters, and resuming the 

 consideration of the leading breeds of the British 

 Isles, other than thoroughbreds, attention may be 

 directed to the special features of the Shetland 

 pony (pi. xi. fig. 2), which is the smallest of all. 



^ The Thoroughbred Horse, p. 421. 



