BEGINNIA'GS OF RACING. 9 



Briefly stated, the growth of the British race- 

 horse has been pretty much as follows. When 

 Britain was invaded by the Romans, Csesar found 

 plenty of horses, such as they were, in the country. 

 As all know, the horse is, and has ever been, 

 widely diffused ; great dubiety, however, exists as 

 to its origin or native land ; its remains have been 

 found in the most unlikely spots, and some 

 naturalists suggest Arabia as the native region of 

 the animal ; but no distinct proof of its being so 

 has been brought forward, nor in ancient history 

 is there any mention of Arabia as being distin- 

 guished for its horses. No matter to what 

 country we are indebted for this useful animal, it 

 is now found in nearly every part of the world. 



Much that is romantic has been written about 

 the Arab horse. The following is one account of 

 its creation : " Allah created the horse out of the 

 wind, as he created Adam out of the mud. When 

 Allah willed to create the horse, he said to the 

 South wind, ' Condense thyself and let a creature 

 be born of thee,' and the wind obeyed. Then 

 came the angel Gabriel and, taking a handful of 

 this matter, he presented it to Allah, who formed 

 it into a horse, dark bay or chestnut. ' I have 

 called thee horse,' said Allah ; ' I have created 

 thee, Arab ; I have attached good fortune to the 

 hair that falls between thy eyes. Thou shalt be 

 the lord of all other animals ; men shall follow 

 thee whithersoever thou goest. Good for pursuit 

 as for flight, thou shall fly without wings.'" 



According to the Venerable Bede, the English 

 people were in the habit of using saddle horses 

 so early as the year 631, but how these animals 

 flrst came upon our island no one has ever said^ 



