Variotcs Horses intromiced. 7 



end of the reign of James II. During the reigns of 

 WilHam III. and Queen Anne a fresh impulse was given 

 to racing and the improvement of horses for the Turt. 

 The horses imported during the reign of Charles II. 

 were principally Barbs and Turks ; indeed, I ex- 

 pect the Duke of Newcastle having so strong a preju- 

 dice against Markham's Arabian was one of the causes 

 why Arabian blood was not more diligently sought for ; 

 but in these latter reigns every variety of Eastern blood 

 would appear to have been introduced, and it showed 

 its superiority over the original stock. By this, I take 

 it, is meant the horse as improved by Eastern blood from 

 the time of James I. to William III., not the stock of 

 the country of an earlier date. This is easily accounted 

 for, as at this period there were some horses not of pure 

 Arab blood, but altogether of Eastern extraction, with- 

 out any admixture of common blood, and these horses 

 showed their superiority over those of mixed origin. 

 Among such were Basto, by the Byerly Turk ; Bay 

 Pigot, by Old Careless ; Blossom, Careless, Leedes, and 

 Sister to Leedes, and Charming Jenny, also sister to 

 Leedes by the Leedes Arabian ; Lord Lonsdale's Coun- 

 sellor, (Dyer's) Dimple, by the Leedes Arabian ; and the 

 two Childers, and Lord Lonsdale's Darley Arabian mare. 

 Those who have expressed the opinion that our horse 

 attained his highest perfection in Flying Childers I 

 believe were perfectly correct. 



Strange to say, from the time of the Childers this 

 system of breeding was neglected ; and instead of pur- 

 suing the plan of carrying on the Eastern blood un- 



