Ivi GENERAL INTRODUCTION. 



bloodliounds. If Millais's example — whicli seems to have 

 produced the desired result — were followed, a number of 

 new unrelated Barb and Arab sires, or rather Barb and 

 Arab mares, would be imported, and put to our best 

 English thoroughbreds. But breeders hesitate in making 

 a fresh start of this kind, for the simple and obvious 

 reason that the English race-horse is not only larger 

 than modern Arabs and Barbs, but also fleeter. Were a 

 number of three or four mile races substituted for some 

 of the shorter ones so much iu vogue, the introduction of 

 new blood would become imperative, with the result, 

 doubtless, that ere long there would be rejuvenated 

 horses as large and as fleet as the present thoroughbred ; 

 and, in addition, able to gallop as far, and maintain their 

 place as long on the turf, as the giants of bygone days. 

 Failing the introduction of new blood, of say a number of 

 the best mares the desert of Arabia can produce, there is 

 but the alternative of crossing thoroughbreds which have 

 been living under as diflierent conditions as possible, the 

 object being to take advantage of the great good that 

 often results from a complete change of the surroundings 

 or environment. 



Changes affect all the systems, but most of all the re- 

 productive system : they in some cases arrest degenera- 

 tion ; they may even lead to a kind of rejuvenescence. 



In carrying out this limited form of intercrossing, two 

 plans might be followed. In the first place, cai-efuUy 

 selected American or Australian thoi'oughbred mares 

 might be put to equally carefully selected English bred 

 horses having the same form and general characteristics. 

 By this plan the risk of reversion would be reduced to a 

 minimum. In the next place, mares or horses from over 

 the sea might be mated with English thoroughbreds of a 

 distinctly different type, with the view of inducing, or at 

 least courting, reversion. Both plans might give good 

 results, but the second would probably be most effective, 

 more especially if there was reversion to a famous pre- 

 potent ancestor, a famous '' sport " either in the line of 

 the sire or dam. It would, of course, be necessary to re- 



