52 Breeds of Horses 



class of Thoroughbred stallions at an important show. There were 

 some eighteen or more in the class, and amongst them were some 

 horses that had done their share to the making of history. It was 

 before the days of veterinary examinations at shows; at any rate, 

 there was no veterinary examination at this one. The judges did 

 their own veterinary work. They obeyed their instructions to the 

 letter, and took no notice of what any of the exhibits had done or 

 had not done on the turf; and, greatly to the surprise of many good 

 judges outside the ring, they passed over the horses that had helped 

 to make history and placed a horse first that was practically un- 

 known. " Quite right," said an onlooker. " See what legs and feet 

 he has, his legs are as clean as the day he was foaled." So they 

 were, but the enthusiastic admirer of the winner was not aware of 

 the fact that he was never sound enough to stand training. If he 

 had been, perhaps he would have won the Derby. 



I have dwelt upon this the more strongly, because there is 

 scarcely a breed of light horses which the Thoroughbred has not 

 improved, directly or indirectly. The Hunter could not exist with- 

 out him, and the Hackney, the Cleveland Bay, and the Yorkshire 

 Coach Horse get their stamina in no small degree from the Thorough- 

 bred, which it is the fashion in some places to despise in these days. 

 Not only do these bigger horses owe much to the Thoroughbred; 

 the ponies also would be a very different race if it had not been 

 for occasional crosses of Thoroughbred blood introduced into the 

 Forests and Hills. The blood of Marske runs in the veins of 

 many a New Forest pony, and Thoroughbred blood has found its 

 way into the Dartmoor, Exmoor, and perhaps even into the Welsh 

 ponies. 



It is no part of my design to write a history of the Thorough- 

 bred horse or of his evolution, but a few notes on it may be of 

 interest. To begin with, it is well known that in Britain there was 

 an original breed of horses possessed of activity, a certain amount 

 of, speed, and hardy to boot. It is sufficient for our purpose that 

 they were there, and it is needless to enquire into the question of 

 what particular tribes of horses they belonged to. Those who wish 

 to pursue their researches in this direction may be referred to 

 Professor Cossar Ewart's and Professor Ridgeway's writings. It 

 is quite possible that this native breed had been improved before 

 the Roman invasion of Julius Caesar, by the importation of horses 

 by Phoenician traders, but there is no historical record of it. 

 Racing was indulged in in Anglo-Saxon times, and Athelstan 

 received some horses as a present from the King of France. 

 William the Conqueror brought over some Spanish horses, which 



