as height and conformation of form which have been lost in sight 

 of in the demand for general efficiency. 



During the years of peace the horses were allowed to run night 

 and day in a natural state; the loss of an occasional foal through 

 the attacks of wild animals was of minor importance ; but the 

 thefts by bushmen was a great torment. During the decades 1710- 

 30 a continual warfare was kept up against these marauding and 

 migratory hordes ; thousands of cattle, sheep and horses were car- 

 ried away into mountain fastnesses.^^ Cory has found that during 

 the ten years (1785-95) 309 horses were killed and 309 taken away, 

 along with thousands of cattle and sheep.^^ It may incidentally be 

 mentioned here that these horses were probably later taken from 

 these hordes by the Zulu nation who in their turn waged war on these 

 tribes and that they ultimately gave rise to the famous "Basuto 

 Pony." 



The plains of the Karroo with its dry air and rolling plains 

 of grass on rich soils with a fair percentage of lime were very 

 adaptable to successful horse-breeding, and large troops often 

 consisting of over 300 mares were quite frequent.^'' In 1719, 

 however, this natural paradise of the horse was rudely disturbed by 

 the appearance of a deadly epizootic disease, which carried off 1700 

 animals within a couple of months. This disease, which is not 

 quite subdued to-day, is known as "Horse-sickness" and is caused 

 by mosquito bites. In 1763 it claimed another 2500, At that time 

 it was found that if the horses were kept on a certain altitude dur- 

 ing the autumn months of April and May the majority of the ani- 

 mals could be saved. After the first frosts have fallen the danger 

 is over. 



In 1769 several recruiting officers in the Indian army, however, 

 found a sufficient number fit for cavalry purposes. Nothing could 

 be ascertained about the quality and size of these horses; but the 

 fact that South Africa became since then a recruiting field of re- 

 mounts for the Indian Army proves that these horses have not cut 

 too sorry a figure among the horses from Persia and Arabia. In 

 1782 the first English stallions were imported, and were followed 

 in the same year by five stud horses from Boston, United States of 

 America. Most of these found their way to the studs in the north- 



(54) George McCall Theal "History of South Africa" 1652-1795. 



(55) G. E. Cory "The Rise of South Africa" 1913. Vol. II. 



(56) Heinreich Litchtenstein. "■ Beisen in Sudlichen AfriTca. Berlin 1811. 



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