2 HORSE-BREEDING FOR FARMERS CHAP. 
and naturally I touched upon some of the lessons to 
be learnt from the Arabs amongst‘whom I was so- 
journing. I mention this as an excuse for leaving 
unaltered certain passages which may appear to deal 
with matters somewhat foreign to the subject in hand. 
One of our national faults, due to our insular pre- 
judices and to that self-confidence which has never- 
theless done so much for our race throughout the 
world, has been our slowness to learn lessons from 
abroad. We have for so long been the schoolmasters 
of Europe in all equine matters, that it is difficult for 
us to believe that we can learn anything, or have 
anything to fear from the foreigner. But other 
countries have been learning from us in a few years 
the knowledge we have gained through two centuries 
of experimental experience. Other nations have 
been taking our best blood to put into practice the 
lessons we have taught. Now we are waking up to 
find that in some respects the pupils have beaten 
their masters, and are able to compete successfully 
in many directions with us in the horse markets of 
the world, and we are warned that we must look to 
our laurels. 
It is not too much to say that the French, 
Germans, Belgians, Russians, and Hungarians have 
already flogged us in the general carriage horse, 
omnibus horse, and tram horse trades. Germany 
and France have long devoted attention and public 
money to the production of superior classes of these 
animals, and the great majority of the better bays 
and browns for harness work in London and else- 
where now come from these countries. Many have 
the idea, for instance, that the Frenchman knows 
