QUALITIES OF THE BARB 243 



thrust upon them and so were obliged to sell 

 their racing stock for whatever sum it would 

 fetch in the open market. 



In this connection Cromwell, who himself had 

 for many years owned race horses and been very 

 fond of racing, suffered with the rest, though 

 both he and his adherents are said to have de- 

 clared that they willingly gave up their horses 

 " for the good of the cause they had at heart." 



There can be no doubt that many valuable 

 sires were imported into England about the time 

 that Cromwell was practically in power, and one 

 of them, "a south-eastern horse named White 

 Turk," apparently was brought over by Crom- 

 well's own stud groom. 



Several of the early records contain interesting 

 descriptions of the sires that were imported at 

 about this time. Mr William Cavendish, after- 

 wards Duke of Newcastle, writing about the year 

 1658, tells us that the Turkish horse of the period 

 was a tall animal, " but of unequal shape," and 

 that though " remarkably beautiful, very active, 

 with plenty of bone and excellent wind," it rarely 

 had a good mouth. 



"The Barb," he writes elsewhere, "possesses 

 a superb and high action, is an excellent trotter 

 and galloper, and very active when in motion. 

 Although generally not so strong as other breeds, 

 when well chosen I do not know a more noble horse, 

 and I have read strange tales of their courage." 



