HORSES: THEIR POINTS AND MANAGEMENT 



inclies at all, but is readily understood by every horseman 

 who uses the term " He rides like a pony " as the highest praise 

 he can give to a big horse — who is cjuick, compact, and clever, 

 handv and safe, and always has a leg to spare. To infuse this 

 pony character into the thoroughbred horse, he has been mated 

 with pony mares, and the Arab with small mares with more or 

 less thoroughbred strains, and some of the results have been 

 very successful in the show ring. As matured polo ponies we 

 are not now in a position to pronounce on them. I do not think 

 it can be disputed that sex plays a very important part in bring- 

 ing divergent strains together in all breeding, i.e., that the 

 mare and the sire impress themselves on the offspring in a 

 different manner. I have some grounds for the belief that the 

 size, character, temperament, stamina, and soundness of true 

 bred stock is in a far higher degree dependent on the mare than 

 on the sire. In this conviction, I have in my small stud dis- 

 carded all mares except the Arab. I have selected my mares 

 rather under the typical height — which is generally recognised 

 to be about 14. i. The Arab is the most potent and truest bred 

 horse in existence, and is, in my opinion, especially qualified to 

 cross with the English thoroughbred, through the dam. 



I cannot enter here fully into the erroneous ideas which 

 generally prevail as to the modern Arab. I will now only draw 

 attention to the fact that the Arab has always held the first 

 place amongst pig-stickers in India. An English cross-country 

 line is a mere lawn, with regular obstacles, compared with the 

 country over which the wild boar travels in India, and I think 

 this consideration alone will raise some suspicion that the estimate 

 of the Arab in England may be somewhat at fault. So much 

 for his sure footedness and his ability to travel. Again, the 

 Arab is said to be unable to move and turn on soft, slippery 



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