1 2 Present Varieties of the Horse. 



moderately high; and the posterior ribs are deep, but 

 the girth appears somewhat light. The croup is high, 

 and the tail forms a graceful arch. The hips are 

 muscular but not heavy, being rounded and well set on 

 to the back. The extremities are full of bone for so 

 light an animal, the tendons and suspensory ligaments 

 being especially well developed. The hocks and knees 

 are large, well formed, and possess a remarkable range 

 and freedom of action ; and the feet are small, being 

 covered by sound firm horn, which enables them to 

 endure more severe strain and concussion than is 

 possible to the ordinary English-bred horse. The con- 

 stitution is strong, and under good management life is 

 greatly prolonged. 



It is said that in the early experience of horse breeders 

 the direct cross between the Arab and the mare of the 

 early English breeds proved too slow for racing purposes. 

 This was greatly overcome by using mares, the produce 

 of Spanish sires, which, being afterwards served by Barb 

 or Arab stallions, produced the breed so highly valued 

 at this day. 



The Barb is an African horse, of smaller size but 

 coarser make than the Arabian, and evidently fed upon 

 more nutritious food. As his name implies, his native land 

 is Barbary; but there is always great doubt about the par- 

 ticular breed to which imported horses belong, because 

 they are carried considerable distances from their native 

 plains, and are also even then much mixed in blood. It 

 has frequently been said that the Barb is the progenitor 

 of one root of our best English stock, and that the Godol- 

 phin Arabian, as he was called, belonged to this blood ; 

 but the disputed point cannot possibly be settled, and 

 there seems only one argument in favour of the supposition, 

 founded upon his enormously high crest ; while his su- 

 perior size, being 15 hands high, argues just as strongly 

 in favour of Arab descent. But the Spanish horse is no 

 doubt descended from the Barb, this breed having been 

 carried into Spain by the Moors when they overran the 

 country ; and, as t'he appearance of the Spanish horse is 

 totally opposed to that of the descendants of Godolphin, 



