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CHAPTER V. 

 HORSE-BRIlEDING. 



Clippings from Authors Scrap-book— Horses of the Ancients— Early Horse-breeding- 

 Curious Act of Parliament -Stallions 150 years ago— Origin of the Thoroughbred- 

 Authors Interest in the Subject— His Experience— Theoretical rather than Practical- 

 Irish Horses— Government Stallions— Local Horse Shows— Ball's Bridge Show- 

 Inverse Eatio — Mares— Dams of Great Horses— " Nicking "—La Fleche— Steeple- 

 chasers and Hunters— " Jumping Blood "—Authors Experience of Thoroughbred 

 Hunters— Suitabilit}- of Mare to Horse— Physiology— Suggestions— In-and-out Eun- 

 ning— Malpractice— Breeder to Blame— Xot the Trainer or Jockey— Ciceroues— Dis- 

 organisation of System— A Code for the Farmer— Ould Plan of Training— Grumbling- 

 Old Fairs— Dublin Horse Show— Clonmel and Moy Fairs— ^lagnificent Hunters in 

 Plenty— Irish Dealers— Stud Farms— Good Mares— Mr. Hutton— Increase of Thorough- 

 bred Sires— How to Improve the Mares— List of Stud Farms— All First-class— Fees for 

 Service— Knockany and Bruree— Mr. John Gubbins— A Great Establishment— Captain 

 StamerGubbins — Lucas—Xenophon— Victor— Umpire— Solon— Ireland better off than 

 ever— Lackaday !— Exportation of Good Horses and Mares— Positive Insanity— Free 

 Trade— Protective Measures— Our Horses and the Foreigners— Our Colonies— Stock- 

 well -Other Good Eesults from Stud Farms— A Tribute to great Sportsmen— Their 

 names— A Stud of Horses and a Kennel of Foxhounds -A Bad Example— Strange 

 Notions of an Owner— Everything Bad— Points of a Brood Mare— Author's Opinion- 

 Watercress and La Fleche— Eoyal Dublin Society— Dublin Horse Show— A Short 

 History— Great Irish Institution— Leading Spirits— Samuel Ussher Eoberts— James 

 Talbot Power— James O'Eeilly— The Society and the Show Xon-Political— The Section 

 which Supports them— Real Patriots— Dear Old Ireland 1 



Fkom my scrap-book I take some of the following particulars of the 

 ancient history of our horses. 



The earliest allusion to the horse is where Anak, about 1590 B.C., 

 found mules in the wilderness, the progeny of the horse and the ass. 

 About 1500 B.C. horses were used in warfare. Early in the Christian 

 era we find that Julius Ciesir, when he invaded Britain, was opposed by 

 " immense bodies of horsemen," and later on that Boadicea harangued 

 her army from her war chariot, and in it led her famous charge against 

 the Koman General Suetonius. Unfortunately for my purpose there 

 was no Weatherby in those days, so what breed the horses were or 

 what they were like I can't conveniently state. Doubtless they were 

 good, and answered well their purpose. 



In the reign of Henry VIII. it would appear that horses were beginning 

 to deteriorate in size and strength, owing probably to incestuous 

 breeding, for it was enacted (32 Henry VIII., c. 13) " that no person shall 

 put on any forest, chase, moor, heath, common, or waste any stoned 

 horse above the age of two year not being fifteen hands high." 



It was not until the year 1616 that improvement in the breed 

 of horses began to be systematically pursued in Great Britain. We read 

 that James I. then gave oOOgs. to Mr. Markham for a stallion he 

 had imported from Arabia, but a prejudice set in against the horse 

 because he was not a success as a racer, and he was not much 



