X a GENERAL GRANT'S ARAB IAN STALLIONS. 



understand this argument from selections made by gentlemen fanciers 

 from stock he has bred and raised. It is pretty hard work to tell a 

 gentleman who at first sight "knows it all" that he knows very little; 

 but General Grant was not of that class, to assume knowledge. Since 

 arrival in this country, the superior beauty and grace of Leopard 

 has had a tendency to dwarf Linden in public opinion, encouraged 

 through the influence of printer's ink. He has been credited with 

 being vicious, which the newspapers were very noisy about at one time, 

 in and over a suit brought against General Grant for keeping such a 

 horse. 



During the early spring and summer of 1880, also in 1881, I han- 

 dled the two stallions many times in and out of their boxes at "Ash 

 Hill," at which time I had my mares there to breed, but never at any 

 moment considered Linden vicious. I knew that he was all horse, and 

 that as a stallion his disposition needed watching and nursing with a 

 kind but firm hand. Petulant words, with habitual scolding, makes 

 many a stallion ugly ; and many a groom is more at fault than the 

 brute. Arabian stallions are very sensitive to words, quickly appre- 

 ciates the kind, cheerful eood-morninsi. The human voice has a won- 

 derful influence over the brute, and cross, ugly words they will in time 

 resent. 



As I have remarked, I put these two stallions through their gaits 

 many times, finding Linden the best at walk or at trot, because more 

 even and steady. 



At the " National Horse Show" in New York Gity, I have said 

 Leopard was twice awarded a first premium over Linden, to which by 

 individual comparison he was entitled. 



The judge who would pronounce otherwise before four or five 

 thousand people would be called very incompetent: but looks are 

 deceptive. 



I bred six mares to these two Arabian stallions in 1880 and 1881, 

 getting three horse colts and one filly. I selected kindred blood as 

 found in Old Henry Clay's daughters and inbred granddaughters. I 

 handled the foals from the time they were born. Three were by 

 Linden and one by Leopard. Not one of them is ugly or inclined to 

 be vicious. All are broken, and not one has at any time offered to 

 kick or to strike, although the dams of each one were high-strung, high- 

 tempered mares, two of them particularly so. I found these Arab 

 colts, while very small, required different treatment from mongrels, 

 hence haltered and handled them myself up to this present time, in and 



