90 The English Horse. 



CHAPTER III. 



General opinion that impure stock may become pure in eight descents — A 

 different opinion held by the Arabs — Not achieved in the case of the 

 English horse — The breeding of the Eastern horses imported into this 

 country discussed — Remarks on a review of ' Les Races chevalines de la 

 Russie, par J. Moerder' — Inferences dra^vn therefrom — Remarks on the 

 horses that followed Flying Childers — Not so purely bred — Great size 

 no proof that degeneracy has not occurred — The English thorough-bred 

 horse not of pure Arabian blood — The excellence of the English 

 horse attributable to Arabian blood — False system of breeding pursued 

 after the time of Cliilders discussed — Greater results would have been 

 gained if a different system had been pursued — The necessity of obtain- 

 ing pure stocl-c for the purpose of establishing a standard breed of horses. 



In the first chapter it was shown that in the Darley 

 Arabian's time, and just previously to his importation, 

 there really were racers of entirely Eastern blood and 

 origin ; but that since the days of his son Flying Chil- 

 ders, no such horses have been bred, but all subsequently 

 have only been partially of Eastern blood, and have in- 

 herited many stains of base blood. Had only Eastern 

 blood (instead of pure Arabian) been sufficient to have 

 established a pure race, our horse might have been styled 

 thorough-bred with far more truth then than no\\'. 



From the history of the English racer given in the 

 last chapter, it will be seen that the breeding of our 

 horse is very imperfect — that he is not entirely descended 

 from pure blood. It is very commonly considered that, 



