In the Southern parts of the Cape Colony the old studs in the 

 Robertson, Montagu and Malmesbury districts, horse-breeders have 

 also reorganized their general breeding stock. In 1905 Dr. Hutch- 

 eon, Chief Veterinary Surgeon for the Cape Colony found that 

 ''there was a marked improvement in all classes, especially in horses. 

 Two helpful features were to be noticed. First, the presence of a 

 fine class of brood mares ; and secondly, the number of promising 

 youngsters. "Whatever the breeders do they should keep as near 

 as possible to the original stock.""* 



There is perhaps no other country where farming is so general. 

 Quite a number of very rich men have taken up land in the great 

 horse-breeding districts and have their studs and racing stables 

 there. Especially in the Colesburg district, which was the recog- 

 nized home of some of the finest equine stock South America could 

 boast. With the advent of men like Sir Abe Bailey, Nourse, Ho- 

 man, Robertson, Rissik and many others the distiet seems to have a 

 future of greater brilliancy than its past in the line of horse-breed- 

 jjjg 105 ]\Jq other district can probably show so many wealthy 

 farmers and land owners — more and more the wealth of the gold 

 and diamond mines is being spent on these studs and the develop- 

 ment and improvement of the Cape horse. The advent of new 

 men with new methods is sure to cause some change in the smaller 

 communities; but the ultimate results will be for the good of the 

 land. 



The methods of management and selection are of the best. The 

 sires are of the best Thoroughbred strains. Fuller will be dwelt 

 upon these important factors in another chapter on private studs. 



From these several remarks we find that the modern tendencies 

 all aim at regaining the glories of the past. A great effort is being 

 made to establish firmly a breed of horses that came as near perfec- 

 tion as any other old established breed ; but it has been rudely in- 

 terfered with by great catastrophes which to-day can be made harm- 

 less, thanks to the advancement of scientific knowledge In checking 

 and overcoming diseases and teaching practical and economic meth- 

 ods which bring progress and wealth in its practice. 



(104) Br. Eutcheon. Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good Hope. Vol. 

 XXVI 1905. 



(105) Rural Cape Colony. Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good Hope. 

 Vol. XXVI. 1905. 



58 



