286 REMARKS ON VARIOUS BREEDS OF HORSES. 



The more an Arab exceeds, say, 14.2 In height, the more 

 indined is he to be long in the leg, light in the loins and 

 flanks, and flat sided. 



East-Indian Horses.— The native horses of India are 

 of the smart, wiry sort. As a rule they are best when they 

 do not exceed 14. i or 14.2 ; for the more they overtop 

 this height, the "weedier" do they become. Having light 

 forehands and well-sloped shoulders, they are clever and 

 jump well. They have excellent feet. Their legs, though 

 capable of standing a great deal of work on hard ground, are 

 often, from errors of breeding and bringing up, misshapen ; so 

 that turned-out toes, calf-knees, cow-hocks, and sickle-hocks 

 are of frequent occurrence among them. Generally, they are 

 flat-sided and light in the loin. Consequently, they are poor 

 weight carriers, and bad stayers at fast paces ; but are 

 marvellously good at enduring fatigue and privation. The 

 best of them make capital light cavalry horses up to, say, 

 13 St. 7 lbs. Although they are not as strong or as good 

 looking as Arabs, they are probably hardier and better suited 

 to endure hunger and thirst. Many of them, especially if 

 they have a dash of English or Arab blood, have a fair 

 turn of speed, and consequently make good pig-stickers 

 and polo ponies. Indian racing ponies, which have a 

 strong infusion of English blood, are, speaking generally, 

 about 14 lbs. worse than Arabs of the same height, and 

 particularly so over long distances. At fourteen hands 

 it would be difficult to "bring them together" with 

 English ponies in a race for, say, a mile. Without the 

 constant importation of fresh blood from England, it is 

 impossible in India to breed horses fit for racing, or for the 



