are still breeding from Hackneys and turn out a serviceable driv- 

 ing horse. Several studs in the Montagu, Robertson and Caledon 

 districts possess high class Hackneys and their horses are of excel- 

 lent quality. With a few other exceptions all the other breeders have 

 taken to the Thoroughbred once more. The foundation stock in all 

 these studs consists mainly of Cape mares. Very splendid types 

 existed in pre-war days and it is a very great pity we do not possess 

 reliable descriptions of them and of the sires used in their founda- 

 tion. Since the war v/e have been busy rehabilitating our horse 

 stock, still the matter is not definitely settled yet, except by those 

 who breed for the race course. It would be of great practical ad- 

 vantage is a collective account could be made of our horse mater- 

 ial and find out just what is wanted and what lines should be fol- 

 lowed, and are being followed throughout the country. 



(b) THE BASUTO PONY. 



Basutoland was first occupied and settled by Chaka in the be- 

 ginning of the 19th Century when it was temporarily occupied by 

 roving bands of natives. The Basuto nation was only unified in 

 1828 under Moshesh.''^ These facts do away with the idea that the 

 Basuto Pony may have originated from the Shetland ponies stolen 

 from British officers and crossed with native mares procured orig- 

 inally from the East Coast and brought down by the Arabs. Horses 

 were not known to the natives in those regions at any time before 

 the 19th Century. . . The first horse seen in Zululand was taken there 

 by Chief Dingiswayo from the Cape Colony towards the beginning 

 of last Century.*" 



Mr. S. Barrett, Assistant Commissioner in Basutoland writes 

 in ''The Field" of July, 1901 that ''The Shetland pony origin of 

 the Basuto Pony is a myth. The first Shetland Pony imported to 

 South Africa, was owned by Mr. Carwood Grahamstown and as 

 much as we know it was never stolen by the Basutos. From talks 

 with the oldest Chiefs and missionaries I find the Shetland Pony 

 theory generally discredited." 



The first horses owned by the Basutos were taken from maraud- 

 ing hordes of Koranna who raided the country when the late Chief 

 Letsie was a young man — probably 1830-35. The Rev. M. Cassalis, 



(39) See McCall Theal's History of South Africa, 



(40) J. W. BowTcer. Racing Calendar 1901. 



99 



