102 THE DARLE Y ARABIAN 



the belly. If, w^en it is taken out of the water, it at 

 once eats grass, it is proved to be of the pure breed. 

 This is asserted to be the mode in which they prove 

 their mares for breeding. One would be disposed to 

 conclude that most of them must become broken- 

 winded, and there is probably some milder and less 

 cruel test which is more generally used if they possess 

 any sound horses at all. 



In the latter part of the reign of Queen Anne, Mr. 

 Darley had recourse to the hitherto despised Arab, 

 and he had a great deal of prejudice to contend with at 

 first, but at last the Darley Arabian attracted attention, 

 and to him we are indebted for the unrivalled beauty, 

 speed, and strength of our present breed of horses, 

 which we can boast of being the very best in the whole 

 world. 



A great difference of opinion exists as to the origin 

 of our thoroughbred horse. Some writers assert 

 that both sire and dam owe their origin to Eastern 

 parentage. For my own part I am inclined to side 

 with those who affirm that our present thoroughbred 

 horse has been produced by crossing our own native 

 breed with those of Arabia, Turkey and Barbary. 

 The Stud-Book, however, shows all the old racehorses 

 as having sprung from Eastern blood, and traces their 

 pedigree until it disappears in uncertainty at a very 

 early period of breeding. If, therefore, we require a 

 pedigree, we trace it back to a certain point and end 

 with some well-known racehorse. If it is desired to 

 go still further back we find it end with some Eastern 

 horse, or that it is lost in obscurity. Anyhow, our 

 climate agrees with the foreign strain which has been 

 transferred to it, and careful mating and crossing have 



