CHAPTER IV. 



(a) VARIOUS TYPES OF CAPE HORSE. 



South African horse-breeding extends over two and a half cen- 

 turies. Its history of development is intimately bound with that of 

 the country. Both have passed through many vicissitudes. Both 

 were subjected to outside influences, both harmful and beneticial. 



Running through the chapter on its origin and developbent we 

 see that several strains of blood mingle in the veins of the Cape 

 Horse. 



These strains up to the last decade of last century were with 

 negligible exceptions of Oriental and Thoroughbred blood ; but cer- 

 tainly varied among themselves. It is difficult to write with some 

 authority on this most interesting phase of the Cape Horse when 

 there is absolutely no reliable information to be obtained from 

 stock registers or private stud books, although some of the latter ex- 

 ist with the great breeders scattered all over the land. The first 

 South African Stud Book for the various breeds of farm animals 

 was only published in 1907 and is as yet in its infancy and very 

 elementary as far as the registration of the Cape Horse is con- 

 cerned. 



It is clear that a country cannot do with just one breed of 

 horses. Only to a limited extent can one expect the same breed to 

 supply carriage, riding and racing horses; but this seems to have 

 been the general trend of mind — breeding for a ' ' general purpose. 



It is a well known fact that one stallion and his progeny have 

 frequently been mainly responsible in the establishing of a new 

 breed. This is true in the case of the Hackney, the Standardbre.d 

 Horse, the American Saddle Horse and even the Thoroughbred with 

 the illustrous Trio, and many others. These founders of course 

 were pure-bred and the foundation stock of comparative good gual- 

 ity, and by further selection with a definite aim the breed was intro- 

 duced ; often within half a century. 



The American Saddle Horse is a triumph of breeding for a 

 definite purpose and the breed was established in a comparatively 

 short time although the foundation stock was of longer standing.^*^ 

 (36) M. W. Harper. Management and Breeding of Horses 1913. 



97 



