34 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



spondence on the comparative merits of tlie English 

 thoroughbred and the Arab. One of the best written 

 letters on the subject is the following, which appeared 

 on July 8, 1865 : 



' I observe in your issue of the 24th ult. a letter 

 on the subject of the endurance of English and Arab 

 horses. As I have owned Arab horses both in India 

 and in Egypt, and made use in India of English-bred 

 horses, Australian, Cape, and Government stud-bred 

 horses, as well as those got by English stallions out 

 of country-bred mares, and even the country-bred 

 horses themselves, I venture to take up my pen on 

 the subject of the comparative merits of the English 

 blood and the Arab, especially at this moment, when 

 the stamina of our horses is called in question, and 

 the public mind is directed thereto. 



' It appears from the match between H.H. Hallim 

 Pasha and Mr. Ross that the English mare never 

 had a chance in the trial, as she showed symptoms 

 of distress soon after starting, and was evidently 

 suffering all the way. I do not consider that this 

 is a fair trial of the superiority of Arab horses over 

 English as regards endurance. Much, of course, 

 would depend upon the relative state of health and 

 condition in which the animals were at starting, and 

 it is also possible that the English mare had some 

 organic defect which, though not apparent in her 

 ordinary work, gave way when put to such a severe 

 test. Another truth is that it is quite impossible to 



