328 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



This influx of very small, poor and none too healthy 

 ponies is by no means an unmixed benefit. Certainly 

 it enables the settler to have a mount — it can hardly 

 be called a pony, still less a horse — at a reasonable 

 figure. That is to the good ; but it must never be 

 forgotten that British East Africa is a small country, 

 and as such must be distinguished by the excellence 

 rather than by the bulk of its productions. I cannot 

 think that even the sight of so many animals of the 

 poorest class is likely to improve the name or prospects 

 of the horse-breeders of East Africa. For export 

 purposes, and more especially for the production of an 

 animal suitable for Army remounts, such as is required 

 in the Indian Army for instance, a larger and superior 

 sire is required. In this direction Mr. Berkeley Cole 

 has very courageously led the way by importing that 

 fine stallion, Bobrinski, who will be remembered as an 

 early favourite for the Derby won by Pretty Polly, 

 but who subsequently failed thoroughly to fulfil his 

 early promise. Size, shape, temperament, and 

 breeding cause this horse to be especially suited to 

 the requirements of the Protectorate. 



This variety of horses and ponies is naturally 

 responsible for a great variety of races. Thus we 

 have three classes, separated by a great gap in the 

 weights ; differing, moreover, so greatly in quality 

 that the weight allowance is year by year increasingly 

 insufficient. These three classes are : English, South 

 African and Australian horses ; Arabs, East Indian and 

 country-bred ; and lowest in the scale Somalis and Abys- 

 sinians. These have each their own races, both on the 

 flat and over jumps, and attempts are also made to 

 bring two classes together. It may, however, be 

 accepted that it would take much more than the 



