364 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 May, 1898. 
Horse-brecding. 
CROSS-BREEDING. 
By “ ARAB.” 
Ty previous papers I have drawn attention to the poor styles of horses raised 
throughout Australia. 
T have stated that instead of our horses being improved they are being 
deterioriated by an indiscriminate cross-breeding of formations. 
How common the saying has become amongst us, that it is better to buy 
than try to breed a good horse. The reason for this lies solely in the fact that 
the stock have become so mixed up on formations, that no idea can be formed 
when two animals are mated what the progeny may come like. 
Where, when, and how the Arab’s oblique formation was first perfected 
and fixed, need not bother us—suflicient to us it exists. Still, if it could be 
arrived at with any fair degree of certainty under what auspices or set of 
circumstances this was attained, a valuable object lesson would be given us. 
History goes to show that all improvement of the horse in any country, 
towards Arab lines, has invariably been effected, in the first instance, by the 
intervention of kings and Governments. ‘ 
There is very certain evidence that the straight formation is the most 
ancient. 
The ancient Egyptian horses-are shown on the monuments of Egypt to 
have had this formation, and their early colonies in Hurope must, of necessity, 
have been supplied with this class of stock ; and we find as a consequence, all 
unimproved native breeds of European horses retain this formation. 
in England, improvement of the horse by overlaying with Arab formation 
was the work of its kings. ‘The pity is that they did not complete their work in 
the same thorough manner as Alexander I, in Scotland. 
Several European Governments have in our day taken this duty in hand, 
and English thoroughbreds are being used for this purpose. 
Tn Scotland, Alexander I. systematically set about overlaying the horse 
stock of Scotland with Arab formation on much the same lines as that practised 
to-day by those European Governments, only he employed the organisation of 
the Church and its lands to carry forward his projects. 
The first Arab known in English history came from St. Andrews, in 
Scotland. He belonged to the St. Andrews stud, and was supplied from the 
king’s stables and stud. His appearance in England amounts to a clear case 
of “soldiering”’ on the part of the Bishop of St. Andrews, who, some time 
previous, had been appointed or called from Canterbury to St. Andrews by the 
king. He wished to be consecrated to his office by the Archbishop of 
Canterbury as his superior—to this the king objected. ‘The difficulty was got 
over for the time by the bishop taking the mitre himself. Afterwards, having 
qualms as to the irregularity, he went to Canterbury to confab over the matter, 
taking this Arab with him—he never came back, nor Arab either. Had his 
bishopric been as readily travelled as the Arab, no doubt he would have taken 
tee the one being held in trust for the public good just as much as the 
other. 
That the improvement of the horses of Scotland by Alexander I. has had 
most momentous subsequent influence on the history of the human race (by its 
contributing to the successful issue of the war of independence—it not only 
achieved Scottish freedom, but in doing so it advanced and ultimately 
