POSTSCRIPT. 541 



POSTSCRIPT. 



Mr Wilfrid Scawen Blunt has kindly allowed me to print his very 

 interesting letter to me, regarding his Arab breeding in the country. 



NEWBUILDINGS PLACE, 

 HORSHAM, 



SUSSKX; 



April lith, 1901. 



DEAR GENERAL FITZWYGRAM, 



Since the first edition of your book appeared, I have somewhat 

 altered my ideas on Arab breeding in England. I have found by experi- 

 ence that nothing of value is to be gained by attempting to increase the 

 height of pure bred Arabs beyond what seems to be its natural point, 

 14 hands 2 inches. 



There is no difficulty, by selection and high feeding, in so increasing 

 it, and both on the Continent and in America, Arabs are bred in this 

 way up to 15'2 and even 15- 3 ; but the result is unsatisfactory. The 

 horse loses his compactness, and becomes leggy and less enduring, and 

 his type little by little disappears. I have consequently for the last 

 twelve or fifteen years made it a rule to weed out of my stud everything 

 over 14' 3, and to content myself with a selection for strength and beauty 

 within that limit of height. I weed out also everything under 14*1, and 

 have now got' my breeding stock to a nearly uniform height of 14% 

 which I find the best.^ In this way I have been able to preserve the 

 type unaltered, and with it the best qualities of the breed. The Arab 

 horse at his best is so good a horse that he does not need improving. 



With regard to cross breeding, I have but a limited experience. The 

 late Lord Bradford crossed Arab mares he got from me with first-class 

 thoroughbred ~ stallions, and with fair racing results, even in the first 

 generation; and I still believe that the reintroduction of the best Arab 

 blood would improve the thoroughbred stock of the country for turf 

 purposes. But I have not been rich enough to try the experiment my- 

 self. My only cross breeding has been with Suffolk mares put to Arab 

 stallions. In this cross I entirely believe, as producing a most service- 

 able animal for carriage work. Indeed, I am convinced that, in breeding 

 from cart mares of any kind, a really good Arab stallion of 14*2 can be 

 trusted to get a better average of foals than a big thoroughbred stallion 

 of equal apparent quality. His produce with cart mares will run up to 

 15-2 and 15-3. 



It is as sires for half-bred stock that I consider the Arab of most prac- 

 tical use in this country. 



With regard to your last question, I have no recent statistics as to 

 the racing speed of Arabs, and, indeed, I have ceased to interest myself 

 in this branch of the Arab question. 



Yours very truly, 



WILFRED BLUNT. 



