62 Breeds of Horses 



General Stud Book, we shall find some of the 14-hands-and-under 

 racehorses figuring in the latter. That there was some affinity 

 between the racehorse and the Exmoor pony on occasion is, how- 

 ever, undoubted. In the eighteenth century an Exmoor pony was 

 mated with Blank, a son of the Godolphin Arabian. The mare 

 she bred was the direct ancestress of Mrs. Taft, who won the 

 Cesarewitch of 1851. She was the dam of New Oswestry, who 

 was the sire of Zoedone and St. Galmier. So Exmoor may be well 

 said to have a close connection with the Turf 



The modern history of the Exmoor may be said to date from 

 the beginning of the nineteenth century. Mr, John Knight pur- 

 chased about 10,000 acres of Crown land in Exmoor in the year 

 1820, and he also purchased 6000 acres of Sir Thomas Acland. 

 Sir Thomas Acland took his ponies over to Winsford Hill, near Dul- 

 verton, and at this time they had a high reputation. Mr. Knight 

 was not long before he began to experiment on improving the 

 breed, and he first tried some Dongola Arabs. These were not 

 a success. The produce generally grew to 14 hands 2 in., a hand 

 and a half too high — and they lost type in other ways. They also 

 lost their hardy character, and the Arab cross was abandcned. 

 Better success attended the introduction of the Thoroughbred 

 horse Pandarus, whose stock came truer to colour, and did not 

 " run to seed " like the half-bred Arabs, though some of them were 

 too tall. Quicksilver and Old Port, the latter a son of the famous 

 Beeswing, were also horses which Mr. Knight purchased, and which 

 did good service. 



The Exmoor pony is a handsome little fellow. He should 

 average about 12 hands, and should never, under any circum- 

 stances, exceed 13 hands. He is generally dark bay or brown in 

 colour, with black legs; he has a very intelligent head, with broad 

 forehead and wide nostril, a mealy nose, and well-pricked ears. He 

 has good shoulders and back, is short-legged, has capital bone, and 

 has fairly good but not superlative action. Referring to his colour, 

 I have seen a grey or two, but do not remember to have seen a 

 chestnut. 



The Exmoor pony is hardy and untiring. No breed, perhaps, 

 unless we except the West Highland pony, can do so much work 

 on so little meat, and it is astonishing what weight these ponies 

 will carry cheerfully. I have seen many good hunters from the 

 Exmoor pony. Mr. Lowe tells us how that hard rider and good 

 sportsman, Mr. C. Trelawney, said that one of the best hunters he 

 ever rode was a horse named Canopus, who was by one of the 

 Dongola Arabs out of an Exmoor mare. He had run on the 



