12 THE HORSE BOOK. 



speed. The Arabian, now said to be of North 

 African origin, is probably the oldest estab- 

 lished type of improved horse, his ancient pre- 

 eminence being due to the military prowess of 

 the peoples erstwhile inhabiting a wide but ill- 

 defined area in Eastern Asia. Westward in 

 Europe horses grew larger and when the 

 Saracenic invasions brought the famous clouds 

 of eastern warriors under the crescent of 

 Islam into France and Spain, the strains in- 

 terlocked and the foundation for the modern 

 equine superstructure was mortised together. 

 From Spain Cortez brought the first horses 

 ever landed on American soil when he began his 

 romantic conquest of Mexico, on March 24, 1519. 

 Conditions proved ideal for their multiplication 

 and to the mounts of the mere handful of Span- 

 ish cavalry which followed the fortunes of the 

 Great Conquistador may be traced the inception 

 of horse breeding on this continent. 



