PREFACE 



THE scheme of this work is to trace the history of 

 the horse from the earHest Ages ; to continue its 

 evolution to modern times, when the various breeds in Great 

 Britain have been brought to a high state of perfection by 

 the careful supervision and skill of enthusiastic breeders ; 

 and also to give in detail the methods of stable practice 

 and training in vogae at present, as practised in my own 

 stable. 



There are many races of horses, admirable in their way, 

 that have therefore not been touched upon, since they 

 have had no part in the development of British horses. 

 How hardy and useful some of these native breeds are 

 may be gathered from a letter, October 23, 1910, from 

 Mr. J. Tagg, F.E.C.V.S., who had a very prolonged 

 experience in managing an immense Stud in the Tirhoot 

 district of Bengal. 



Referring to the Khirgiz, and the Manchurian ponies, and 

 others of that breed, which are common from the Volga 

 to China, he remarks : " What ripping ponies the Khirgisen 

 are ! When I was at Simbirsh, on the Volga — the town 

 is between Kasan and Samara — I used to drive a Troika. 

 The middle pony, about 13'3, was a dun Khirgis stallion, 

 and the two outspanners were geldings, with a dash of 

 Arab in them. The outspanners, or ' outriggers,' used 

 to gallop as hard as they could pelt on the frozen snow, 

 but the Kirgis would never break. The hardiness of the 

 little brutes was marvellous ! On one occasion night over- 

 took me, and I stayed in a village called Astradam, on the 

 Kama Eiver, and I gave my Ivooschick an extra rouble. 



