50 ENGLAND S HORSES, 



many and France have devoted judgment, forethought, and 

 lavish expenditure to the economy and improvement of 

 liorse breeding. The lesson taught to other European 

 powers by the glorious exploits of German cavalry in 

 tlie recent Franco-Germanic war, and the great influence 

 brought to bear upon the campaigns by cavalry operations, 

 are too patent and potent to be lost upon any power that 

 may one day be called upon, from any circumstances, to 

 uphold principle, policy, political or individual safety by 

 force of arms. Can England say that she is exempt from 

 such a possibility ? If from the records of the past we do 

 not draw inferences and lessons to be turned to advantage 

 in the present, we can only admit that we have drifted into 

 that apathetic spirit that actuated older and equally great 

 powers in their own time, and that so surely heralded their 

 decadence and fall. Let us hope that the shock of conflict- 

 ing nations still ringing in our ears and appalling our 

 outraged senses, even by memory of the sad events, may be 

 strongly suggestive that the days are not yet come in 

 Avhich a false security, begat by long exemption from the 

 evils of active war, ought to justify the sword being forged 

 into the ploughshare, nor any one thing that can contribute 

 to the strength of the British nation in the time of active 

 strife, being neglected or overlooked. 



If Germany and France have, through our open horse 

 markets and ports, had the cream of our best half-bred 

 mares for many years — the very choicest seed for our own 

 crop* of military horses — their recent quarrel has largely 

 benefited the future of horse breeding in the British Isles, 

 if any prompt steps are taken for the supply of judiciously 

 selected stallions throughout horse breeding districts. 



* Note. — Observe in a quotation from Mb. Edmund Tatteksall, farther on, 

 we have the startling fact that from tn-o ports alone, in this country, 14,000 

 of our best mares have gone to the foreigners in seven years ! 



