28 HORSEMANSHIP. 



Facile prijiceps amongst our pedigree pony breeders stands 

 that critical judge, Mr. Christ. W. Wilson, of Rigmaden 

 Park, Kirkby Lonsdale. The success of his various little 

 model sires. Sir George, Little Wonder, and others, in 

 stamping their mint-mark on the mares of that portion of 

 Westmoreland to which their services have been confined, 

 is strongly in evidence. Many of them come as near 

 perfection as need be, and he who covets the possession of 

 one of these little beauties must be prepared to pay for the 

 luxury. The stallions being closely inbred are very 

 impressive, and transmit the characteristics of the Rigmaden 

 Park blood with undeniable truth. The Exmoors appear 

 to have deteriorated, though not so far back Mr. Knight, 

 of Simons Bath, bred some such as a judge could find little 

 fault with — staunch, sturdy, safety conveyances for whom 

 the longest day with the Devon and Somerset Stag Hounds 

 is but a trifle. Akin to these are the ponies of Dartmoor 

 and Cornwall. 



At the Pony Stud Farm, Pebworth, Gloucestershire, are 

 three small-sized Arabs, sent home by ]\Ir. J. H. B. Hallen, 

 the General Superintendent of the Horse Breeding Depart- 

 ment in India, where, for the object advertised, their services 

 must be thrown away for lack of good pony mares. I have 

 never seen these horses, but, if they be good specimens of 

 the breed, I should have thought a more suitable location 

 might have been selected. Better placed are the two 

 beautiful Nejd high-caste ponies, owned by the Albrightlee 

 stud, in the vicinity of Shrewsbury. North of the Tweed, 

 at Auchenflower, Ballantrae, Ayrshire, ^Ir. Alex. ^Murdoch 

 has the '' right article ; " his mares run in a half wild state, 

 never receive any attention at foaling, and his youngsters 

 after half an hour's experience of this world are to be seen 

 galloping round the fields like deer. With that experienced 



