1 66 The Arabian Horse. 



is from his performances on the Indian turf There he 

 has met Enghsh racers and his descendants from Aus- 

 traha (thorough-bred as our horse) ; and although his 

 speed has been inferior as a rule, instances are not 

 wanting in which he has been the victor over English 

 horses of racing blood ; and even when beaten, has 

 proved his superiority as a horse ; for after having 

 struggled with unflinching gameness to the end against 

 greater speed, the vanquished has been none the worse, 

 and has come out the next day, and day after day, and 

 won ; whereas the victor or victress has been unable to 

 put in an appearance. But it is argued only second or 

 third-class racers have found their way to India ! Will 

 any man be bold enough to say that the best Arabians 

 have ever appeared on an Indian racecourse either ? 

 Even there he is under as many disadvantages as the 

 English horse ; and his performances, good as they are, 

 can hardly be considered as fair tests of what the speed 

 and running of some Arabians may be ; certainly does 

 not limit what it might be brought to, if they were care- 

 full)^ bred for racers for a generation or two. First of 

 all, in India one is dependent for Arabs upon mer- 

 chants, who import them often without a guarantee as 

 to their antecedents or ancestry ; and although some 

 Arabians do go to India, there are many that are called 

 Arabs which are not Arabs. Besides, many of the best 

 that do get there are never seen on a race-course, or do 

 not appear until well in years and accustomed to other 

 work (and it is well known in England bringing an aged 

 horse out, cv^en if he had previously been a racer, proves 



