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esteemed but are not uncommon. They are, as a rule, free and i'ast 

 movers, and extremely good and sound in the limbs and feet. 

 Their conformation, quality, and general appearance, with their 

 small well-set tapering heads, together with their pluck, endurance, 

 and dash, make them an excellent foundation for the highest class 

 of riding or driving ponies, and, in fact, a very large number, 

 probably about 30 per cent., of the best class of polo ponies are 

 known to have Welsh blood in their veins. Welsh ponies have 

 been used with success to mate with other native breeds, notably on 

 Dartmoor and in the New Forest. 



The Welsh Cob. As already suggested, the Welsh Cob ig 

 probably an off-shoot of the Welsh Pony, and the only essential 

 distinction made between them in the Stud Book is one of height. 

 Cobs are entered in Sections C and D, the former perhaps including 

 the typical Cob and being confined to those 13'2 hands high to 

 14'2 hands high. The full history of the development of the breed 

 has been written by Mr. Chas,, Coltman JRogers in the second and 

 succeeding volumes of the Stud Book. Briefly it may be said that 

 Cobs came into prominence with an epoch making sire, Old Welsh 

 Flyer, who traced back on the sire's side to horses of the light 

 cart-horse type, probably the same kind, of animal as the " Equus 

 Operarius " alluded to in the Leges Wallicae of the tenth century. 

 Old Welsh Flyer was by a horse called Trotting Comet who in 

 turn traced back on his sire's side to horses of. the light cart 

 breed. The sire of the dam of Old Welsh Flyer was a half- 

 bred Arab called Cymro Llwyd, who, along with True Briton 

 a horse out of a Thoroughbred mare by a Yorkshire Coach 

 Horse and Alonzo the Brave, who on the sire's side was descen- 

 ded from Shales and on the dam's side from the Thoroughbred 

 Premier, were the only three animals which conspicuously figured 

 as out crosses in the Old Welsh Cob. Of late years Hackneys 

 have been more frequently used, and owing to the fact that no 

 Welsh Stud Book was available till 1902, several noted sires, 

 including Old Welsh Flyer, and their descendants, were entered in 

 the Hackney Stud Book. The introduction of Hackney blood is 

 deplored by many of the best supporters of the breed who say that 

 while the Hackney may impart brilliancy in the showyard, there is 

 a danger of the utilitarian and more intrinsically valuable character- 

 istics hardiness, staying power and all round wearing qualities 

 which characterises the true Welsh Cob, being lost. At the present 

 time there are signs of a revival of the genuine Cob and premiums 

 have been awarded by the Board with a view to the resuscitation 

 of this valuable old breed. 



THE NEW FOEEST PONY. 



The New Forest Pony is another breed which possesses the 

 advantage of an Association (founded in 1888) devoted solely to its 

 improvement. It takes its name from the New Forest, a Crown 

 property of 70,000 acres in extent which was laid out as a Royal 

 Forest by William the Conqueror. It is believed that horses have 

 there found a home for an extended period, although^ the type has 

 been subjected to change by the introduction of 



