liv GENERAL INTEODUCTION. 



were Shetland, Iceland, Norwegian, and Highland ponies, 

 a New Forest pony and her two-year-old mule foal, an 

 Exmoor pony, a half-Arab mare, and a small Clydesdale 

 mare. Four thoroughbred mares were rather the worse 

 than the better of being allowed out during the warmer 

 part of the day. A light cream-coloured, half-bred mare, 

 though apparently well in the evening of the 9th of 

 December, was found dead on the morning of the 10th, 

 apparently from a sudden chill. This mare (in foal to 

 the zebra) was iu good condition, but, though she carried 

 a fairly heavy coat, she was thin-skinned, — very light 

 duns have probably weak constitutions. During the pre- 

 sent autumn (1898) I have had further evidence that 

 the thoroughbred constitution is very delicate. Early 

 in August we liad three cold, wet doys. This was fatal 

 to a zebra-hybrid foal out of a three-year-old, small, 

 thoroughbred bay mare, — none of the other foals suffered 

 from this visitation of the east wind. Later iu the 

 season three thoroughbred mares plainly showed the cold 

 was too mucli for them, a.ud during the last week of 

 October a two-year-old and a yearling thoroughbred 

 completely broke down. So far (November) the three 

 yearling hybrids, the Clydesdale's second hybrid foal, a 

 ten-year-old Iiybrid out of a zebra mare, a hinny foal 

 (born in July), a yearling out of a Now Forest pony bjr 

 an Arab (Benazrek), an Icehmd and a Shetland foal, 

 have all done extremely well, though continuously out 

 night and da}'. I am inclined to think that under 10 per 

 cent, of thoroughbred foals, and under 20 per cent, of 

 yearlings, would survive if exposed throughout the winter 

 in the vicinity of the Peutlands. In more genial sur- 

 roundings a larger number might survive, but they would 

 probably never roach a height of fifteen hands. 



As a matter of fact, the English race-horse, compared 

 with even the Arab, is like a hothouse plant that only 

 manages to hold its own when forced and, nursed Avith 

 unusual care, and after all, except for covering verv short 

 distances at a great speed, the majority of the hundreds 

 annually bred are of comparatively little use. Breeders 



