Ill 



CHAPTER VIIl. 



BREEDING. 



After perusing the extracts from the 'Sporting Magazine,' 

 made at an earlier part of this volume, the reader will have a 

 fair idea of the origin of our breed of horses. It seems clear 

 that chance has had a large share in the matter ; but no 

 doubt the two facts which are most salient are these : 



First and foremost, that the quality and beauty of our horses 

 are entirely attributable to the Eastern blood which we have 

 imported j and secondly, that our chmate yields to none in its 

 * inherent capabilities ' for breeding, as proved by the increased 

 size of the produce of Eastern horses when propagated in this 

 country, and by the necessity, which all foreigners experience, 

 of continually replenishing their studs from these islands. The 

 indigenous animal of Great Britain must have been somewhat 

 similar to what we now call a Welsh or New Forest pony, and 

 the increase of size may be traced in the first instance to the 

 importation of the Flemish, Spanish, and German cross, size 

 being the object originally aimed at by the various Acts passed 

 in different reigns. So far as imported Eastern horses are con- 

 cerned, they have never within record been able to compete 

 with those reared amongst us ; but this much may be confi- 

 dently stated, that, whatever indigenous blood may have been 

 originally crossed with Barbs and Arabians by our ancestors, it 

 has not only entirely died out, but at this present time of 

 writing there is no horse whose pedigree can be traced back 

 with a semblance of accuracy to anything but Eastern blood. 



Thus we are brought face to face with the theory expounded 



