The large arid regions of the North West Cape Colony com- 

 prising Namaqualand and the districts of Kenhardt and Prieska, 

 some 30,000 square miles, possess large numbers of excellent ponies, 

 and now and then we hear of their extraordinary powers of travel- 

 ling through waterless parts for several days subsisting on the 

 scantiest fare as offered by the few withered yet succulent shrubs, 

 tough dune-grass and water melons. 



Great irrigation schemes are being undertaken in those regions 

 and some are already well established. The districts are becoming 

 more settled and it will therefore be of great value and assistance 

 to the settlers and older established farmers if this excellent type 

 of horses could be improved. The Cape Mounted Police on the 

 borders and in Bechuanaland use Camels at great expense*' and 

 seeing that the water holes are not too far distant from one another 

 there is no reason why these sturdy ponies will not be a success were 

 they procurable in sufficient numbers. 



Such an undertaking will be a step in the right direction and 

 there is no doubt that a few well selected Arab stallions will have 

 the desired effect. 



(c) WHAT TYPE TO BREED. 



The South African war once more called the best attention to 

 the Cape Horse, not only at home but in other parts of the world. 

 His real merit in competition with almost every other breed clearly 

 asserted itself. Since then some of the best writers on the horse 

 have devoted at least some remarks on the Cape Horse in their books 

 and contributions to periodicals.*** 



As remarked before, the question of registration of horses is 

 beset with many difficulties. Several excellent but undefined, un- 

 pedigreed or rather unregistered types existed showing the unde- 

 cidedness in the minds of the people breeding these types ; and 

 even to-day there is a great diversity in the ideals of the great 

 breeders, but since the Thoroughbred is mainly used and since the 

 breeding stock is brought up to the standard of the Hantam type 

 of the forties it seems that matters are pointing to the production 

 of a type as near the Thoroughbred of compactness as possible, 

 with special adaptation to South African conditions. 



(47) Estimates and Expenditures Bluehoolcs 1911- 



(48) Sir Walter Gilbey, Count C. E. Wrangel, Quaddel^lcer and others. 



102 



