42 THE HOR8K. 



that, although inferior to tlie Koinans, as barbarians to highly- 

 civilized men, in science, discipline and military skill, they were 

 superior to them individually in equestrian prowess : and, I 

 think it is fair to infer, in the strain of their equine blood, like- 

 wise ; since Ave lind that, although to the end of their real great- 

 ness the Romans constantly preferred the use of native infantry, 

 they as constantly employed foreign, that is to say Gaulisli, Ger- 

 man, Tracian, Spanish and Numidian horse squadrons. 



It is certain, therefore, that all the western provinces of the 

 republic and empire, were at some time or other successively 

 garrisoned by cavalry squadrons of all these nations, and that 

 their native horses were more or less crossed and improved by 

 the blood of all. 



It has always been the fashion to ascribe the excellence of 

 the Spanish, and especially of the Andalusian blood, to the 

 Arabic invasion of Tarick in 710 ; but, although the great 

 benefit derived Trom that strain, and from the wise encourage- 

 ment given by the refined and polished Moors to this branch of 

 national power and greatness, must be allowed, I look much 

 farther back for the source of blood, whence the Spanish horse 

 derived his earliest excellence. , 



It must be remembered that the wonderful Carthaginian fam- 

 ily of Barca, the greatest and last of whom was, in my estimate, 

 the greatest soldier, and only not the greatest statesman, the 

 world has ever seen, was domiciled for years, as conquerors, and 

 ruled, almost as indigenous sovereigns, over all the Mediter- 

 ranean and Atlantic shores of Spain, from Carthagena to Cadiz, 

 at the head of powerful native African armies, accompanied by 

 numerous and incomparable forces of Numidian cavalry, the 

 desert Barbs of the Nomadic Moors and Arabs. 



It is impossible to believe that such a state of things could 

 have existed, among a warlike and equestrian people, without 

 their seeking to improve their own horses by the admixture of 

 the foreign blood, the superiority of which they could not fail 

 to perceive in the shock of battle, even apart from the casual 

 intercourse, which must have occurred, between the indigenous 

 mares and the strange troop-horses. 



This, doubtless, was the first cross of oriental blood upon the 

 Spanish stock ; and the same cross must also have taken place, 



