Only half-bred. 105 



blood, and afterwards breeding from half-bred horses 

 and mares. Consummate skill devoted to breeding-, if 

 it had been applied to drawing- out the excellences of the 

 best stock, must have achieved a higher success and 

 greater results than has resulted from the continued 

 system of breeding from a mixed and half-bred stock. 

 As Eastern blood had been found more than 200 years 

 ago necessary for horses of any degree of excellence, 

 and of all Eastern blood the Arabian is incomparable, 

 even if no more skill and no greater perception and 

 ability than have been displayed in breeding from half- 

 bred stock, had been devoted to the incomparable 

 Arabian blood, must not the results have been far greater 

 than at present ? Even if we allow the horse to have 

 improved upon the form of Eclipse, being now, as in the 

 days of Eclipse, but a half-bred animal, he cannot be 

 compared to Flying Childers, altogether of Eastern 

 blood, and two-thirds Arabian. I must crave indulgence 

 for using the plainest language, and for repeatedly urging 

 the fact of our horse being only half-bred since the days 

 of Childers, which is supported by proof from our Stud 

 Book. What would be thought of a proposal to breed 

 thoroug-h-bred horses (racers) from -what are called half- 

 bred horses and mares now-a-days } But it is the very 

 thing we have been doing for the last 1 50 years ; it is the 

 very thing we are doing now at this very time ! 



Those who may have no knowledge of the history of 

 our horse, may gather some information on the subject 

 by following me so far, and cannot fail to see he is not 



