198 The Arabian Horse. 



Elbe and the Eider ; then the Spanish horse, followed 

 by that of Flanders ; and upon this heterogeneous mass 

 was engrafted Eastern and Arabian blood. 



Can we wonder, then, at the want of harmony of parts 

 and proportion in the animal, and the great diversity of 

 types to be seen in that select class called thorough-bred 

 (the present standard breed of the country) ? I do not 

 deny great merit in individual animals of mixed blood, 

 but it is not possessed collectively, nor can animals of 

 mixed blood keep up excellences. 



But the advantages of pure blood are the mainte- 

 nance and continuance of certain original good qualities 

 and attributes, both moral and physical ; and by es- 

 tablishing pure Arab blood in this country, with proper 

 care we may expect to attain a degree of excellence 

 hitherto unknown. 



Many think the English horse is more nearly allied 

 to the Barb than to the Arabian, and is more like the 

 former in appearance and character, and argue that for 

 any improvement the Barb should be selected. Beware 

 of doing this. Seek always the pure and parent breed. 

 That the English horse should have a closer resemblance 

 to the Barb and to other Eastern horses, does not show 

 that he has been derived more from such sources ; but it 

 is the natural consequence of his being of mixed blood, 

 and only partly Arabian, and therefore very similarly 

 bred to the Barb, Persian, and Toorkoman horse. The 

 English horse being of a mixed breed cannot have 

 the perfect form and character of the Arabian, therefore 

 has gradually assumed the appearance of those breeds 



