56 MY HORSE; MY LOVE 



ance place all compeers in the showyard at a disadvantage. 

 And I must be honest, and say that he owes all these 

 good qualities to the large infusion of Arab blood he 

 possesses.' 



This matter of breeding must be one of very grave 

 importance ? 



'Ah, madam, those who proceed on ignorant and 

 unscientific principles, encourage largely the breeding 

 of mongrels. Many are so prejudiced and carried away 

 by the fashion of the day that they cannot see the 

 harm they are doing, and they will not be warned in 

 time.' 



Have they no other Arabs in Russia than the 

 Orloffs ? 



'There is a stud in Russia where the Azeel Arab has 

 been bred for a century. It began with the purest blood 

 attainable — most likely stolen — and the system of selection 

 has always been carefully carried on. The object has been 

 to produce such a race of superlative hunters, as would 

 mount the owner of enormous estates and his huntsmen, 

 fit to run with his noted pack of wolf hounds. Captain 

 Kerr writes interestingly of his visit to Russia, and of his 

 experience with these Arab hunters and the hounds. He 

 says, "These hounds hunt by scent as do our stag, fox- 

 hounds and harriers. The runs are often fast, and always 

 long. The wolf can travel both fast and far, and the Duke 

 of Beaufort with his crack pack could make little of the 

 gaunt, untiring wolf of Brittany. Over and over again on 

 good, sound, wet ground I have tried to spear a wolf, but 

 on even the fastest racehorse I could never get within 

 striking distance. When I put on a spurt Mr Wolf would 

 just lengthen his stride, seemingly without an effort, and 



