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diff --git a/75401-h/75401-h.htm b/75401-h/75401-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cc54a67 --- /dev/null +++ b/75401-h/75401-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4251 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta charset="UTF-8"> + <title> + Ponies Past and Present, by Sir Walter Gilbey | A Project Gutenberg eBook + </title> + <link rel="icon" href="images/i-cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> + <style> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .51em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .49em; +} +.no-indent {text-indent: 0em;} +.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} +.p4 {margin-top: 4em;} + +.p80 { + font-size: 0.80em; + text-align: center;} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: 33.5%; + margin-right: 33.5%; + clear: both; +} + +hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} +@media print {hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;}} + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} +h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} + + + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +table.autotable td, + +table.toi { + margin: auto; + width:auto; + max-width: 35em;} + +td.cht { + text-align: left; + vertical-align: top; + padding-left: 1.5em; + text-indent: -1em + } + +td.chn { + text-align: right; + vertical-align: top; + padding-left: 0.5em + } + +td.pag { + text-align: right; + vertical-align: bottom; + padding-left: 2em + } + +.tdl {text-align: left;} +.tdr {text-align: right;} +.hang {margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em;} + +div.title-page { + text-align: center; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + padding-left: 0.5em; + padding-right: 0.5em; + max-width: 25em; + page-break-before: always; + page-break-after: always; + border: 6px double black +} + + +.pagenum {/* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; + text-indent: 0; +} /* page numbers */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.left {text-align: left;} + +.right {text-align: right;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.allsmcap {font-variant: small-caps; text-transform: lowercase;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +/* Images */ + +img { + max-width: 100%; + height: auto; +} + +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; + page-break-inside: avoid; + max-width: 100%; +} + +.figright1 { + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 0.3em; + margin-right: 5%; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; + page-break-inside: avoid; + max-width: 100%; +} +/* comment out next line and uncomment the following one for floating figright on ebookmaker output */ +/*.x-ebookmaker.figright1 {float: right;} */ + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnotes {border: 1px dashed;} + +.footnote.label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +/* Transcriber's notes */ +.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; + color: black; + font-size: small; + padding:0.5em; + margin-bottom:5em; + font-family: sans-serif, serif; +} + + </style> +</head> +<body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75401 ***</div> + + +<div class="transnote"> +<h2>Transcriber’s Note</h2> + +<p><a href="#Page_51"> Page 51 — </a>precints changed to <strong>precincts</strong></p> +<p><a href="#Page_72"> Page 72 — </a>atttention changed to <strong>attention</strong></p> +<p> Illustration labelled ‘H. F. Lucas Lucas’<a href="#Page_110"> Page 110 — </a>is left + as printed.</p> +<p>The Footnotes have been changed from alpha to numeric.</p> +</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 600px" id="i-cover"> + <img src="images/i-cover.jpg" alt="" width="1579" height="2560"> +</div> + + +<h1>PONIES +PAST AND PRESENT</h1> + + +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-003"> +<img src="images/i-003.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="650"> +<p class="caption center"><em>Painted by A. Cooper, R.A.</em> <em>Engraved on wood by F. Babbage.</em></p> +<p class="caption center">THE SHOOTING PONY.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<p class="p4"></p> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-titlepage"> +<img src="images/i-titlepage.jpg" alt="" width="421" height="650"> +</div> +</div> + +<p class="p4"></p> +<div class="title-page"> +<p class="center">PONIES +PAST AND PRESENT</p> + +<p class="center">BY +SIR WALTER GILBEY, <span class="smcap">Bart.</span></p> + +<p class="center">ILLUSTRATED</p> + +<p class="center">VINTON & CO., <span class="smcap">Ltd.</span>, +9, NEW BRIDGE STREET, LONDON, E.C.</p> + +<p class="center">1900 +</p> +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</h2> +</div> + + +<table><tr> +<th class="cht"></th> +<th class="pag"><small><small>PAGE</small></small></th> +</tr><tr> +<td class="cht"><span class="allsmcap">INTRODUCTION </span></td> +<td class="pag"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">The New Forest Pony</td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_11">11</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">The Welsh Pony</td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">The Exmoor and Dartmoor Ponies</td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_38">38</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">The Cumberland and Westmoreland Ponies</td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_53">53</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Ireland—The Connemara Pony</td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_63">63</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">The Ponies of Scotland and The Shetland Islands</td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Uses and Characteristics of the Pony</td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_87">87</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Breeding Polo Ponies</td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_97">97</a></td> +</tr> +</table> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="ILLUSTRATIONS">ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> +</div> + +<table class="toi"> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"> The Shooting Pony</td> +<td class="tdr"><a href="#i-003">Frontispiece</a></td> +</tr><tr> +<td class="chn"></td> +<td class="tdr p80"><em>To face page</em></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="tdl">The Pony Hack</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="tdl">Little Wonder <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>. </td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_59">59</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="tdl">Child’s Shetland Pony</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_82">82</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="tdl">“Princess Victoria in her Pony Phaeton” </td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_87">87</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="tdl">The First Leap</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_89">89</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="tdl">Arab “Mesaoud” </td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_104">104</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="tdl">The Polo Pony “Sailor” </td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td> +</tr> +</table> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<em>The increasing attention which during the last few years has been +devoted to breeding ponies for various purposes, more especially for +polo, suggested the collection of facts relating to our half-wild races +of ponies. It will be seen from the following pages that we possess +large supplies of small but strong and sound constitutioned horses +which may be turned to far more valuable account than has been done +hitherto. The Polo Pony Society set the example of drawing attention +to the possibilities of utilising profitably the Moorland and Forest +Mares, and it is hoped that these pages may be of some interest to +those who are giving attention to pony breeding whether for polo or for +any other purpose.</em> + +</div> + +<div class="figright1" id="i-07"> +<img src="images/i-07.jpg" alt="signature of Walter Gilbey" width="65" height="74"> +</div> +<p class="p2"></p> +<div class="blockquot"> +<em>Elsenham Hall, Essex,<br> +August, 1900.</em><br> +</div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[1]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="PONIES_PAST_AND_PRESENT">PONIES PAST AND PRESENT</h2> +</div> + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION.</h2> +</div> + + +<p>In another volume, <cite>Horses Past and +Present</cite>, brief reference has been made to +the early subjugation of the horse in Eastern +countries by man; and it is unnecessary +here to further touch upon that phase of our +subject.</p> + +<p>The early history of the horse in the +British Islands is obscure. The animal is +not indigenous to the country, and it is +supposed that the original stock was brought +to England many centuries before the +Christian era by the Phœnician navigators +who visited the shores of Cornwall to procure +supplies of tin. However that may be, +the first historian who rendered any account +of our islands for posterity found here horses +which he regarded as of exceptional merit. +Julius Cæsar, when he invaded Britain in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[2]</span> +the year 55 <span class="allsmcap">B.C.</span>, was greatly impressed with +the strength, handiness, and docility of the +horses which the ancient Britons drove in +their war chariots; his laudatory description +of their merits includes no remark concerning +their size, and from this omission we may +infer that they were not larger than the +breeds of horses with which Cæsar’s travels +and conquests had already made him acquainted.</p> + +<p>There can be no doubt but that these +chariot horses were small by comparison +with their descendants—the modern Shire +horses;<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> they probably did not often exceed +14 hands, and were therefore much on a par +in point of height with the horses Cæsar had +seen in Spain and elsewhere. It is unlikely +that so shrewd an observer would have +refrained from comment on the point had +the British horses been superior in size, as +they were in qualities, to the breeds he +already knew. It is doubtful indeed +whether the horses of Britain gained in +stature to any material extent until the +Saxons and Danes introduced horses from +the Continent. These being for military +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[3]</span>purposes would have been stallions without +exception, and being larger than the British +breed must have done something to produce +increase of height when crossed with our +native mares.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> See “The Great Horse or War Horse.” By Sir Walter +Gilbey, Bart. 3rd edition, 1899. Vinton & Co., Ltd.</p> + +</div> + +<p>This being the case, we are confronted +with the difficulty of distinguishing between +the horses and ponies of these early times; +the chroniclers do not attempt to differentiate +between “horse” and “pony” as we understand +the terms. The process of developing +a big horse was necessarily a slow one, from +the system, or want of system, which remained +in vogue until the fifteenth century, +and was still in existence in some parts of +England in Henry <abbr title="the eighth">VIII</abbr>.’s time. During +the long period the greater portion of the +country lay under forest and waste, it was +the practice to let those mares which were +kept solely for breeding purposes run at +large in the woodlands, unbroken and unhandled. +Doomsday Book contains frequent +mention of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">equæ silvestres</i>, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">equæ silvaticæ</i>, or +<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">equæ indomitæ</i> when enumerating the live +stock on a manor; and there is evidence to +show that these animals (always mares, it will +be observed) were under a modified degree +of supervision. They were branded to +prove their ownership, and during the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[4]</span> +summer selected mares appear to have been +“rounded up” to an enclosure in the forest +for service. Apart from this they ranged +the country at large, strangers alike to collar +and bridle. It would be unreasonable to +suppose that the mares which were employed +in agricultural work were not also used for +breeding; the surroundings of the farmer’s +mare in those days were not luxurious, but +she undoubtedly enjoyed shelter from the +rigours of winter and more nourishing food +than her woodland sister. Hence it is probable +that the first differences in size, make +and shape among English horses may be +traced to their domestic or woodland ancestry +on the dam’s side.</p> + +<p>The life led by these <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">equæ indomitæ</i> made +for hardiness of constitution, soundness of +limb, surefootedness, and small stature; and +we venture to think that the half-wild ponies +England possesses to-day in the New +Forest, Exmoor, Wales and the Fell country +are (or were, until comparatively modern +endeavours were made to improve them) the +lineal descendants of the woodland stock +which is frequently referred to in ancient +records, and which in 1535 and 1541 Henry +<abbr title="the eighth">VIII</abbr>. made vigorous attempts to exterminate.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[5]</span></p> + +<p>The law of 1535 (26 Henry <abbr title="the eighth">VIII</abbr>.) +declares:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“For that in many and most places of this realm, +commonly little horses and nags of small stature and +value be suffered to depasture, and also to cover +mares and felys of very small stature, by reason +whereof the breed of good and strong horses of this +realm is now lately diminished, altered and decayed, +and further is likely to decay if speedy remedy be not +sooner provided in that behalf.</p> + +<p>“It is provided that all owners or fermers of parks +and enclosed grounds of the extent of one mile in +compass shall keep two mares, apt and able to bear +foals of the altitude or height of 13 handfuls at least, +upon pain of 40s.</p> + +<p>“A penalty of 40s. is imposed on the Lords, +Owners, and Fermers of all parks and grounds enclosed, +as is above rehearsed, who shall willingly +suffer any of the said mares to be covered or kept +with any Stoned Horse under the stature of 14 +handfuls.”</p> +</div> + +<p>This Act applied only to enclosed areas, +and therefore would not affect the wild +ponies in any appreciable degree: but six +years later another Act was passed (32 +Henry <abbr title="the eighth">VIII</abbr>., c. 13) which provided that—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“No person shall put in any forest, chase, moor, +heath, common, or waste (where mares and fillies +are used to be kept) any stoned horse above the age +of two years, not being fifteen hands high within +the Shires and territories of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, +Buckingham, Huntingdon, Essex, Kent, +South Hampshire, North Wiltshire, Oxford, Berkshire, +Worcester, Gloucester, Somerset, South +Wales, Bedford, Warwick, Northampton, Yorkshire,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</span> +Cheshire, Staffordshire, Lancashire, Salop, +Leicester, Hereford and Lincoln. And furthermore, +be it enacted, that if in any of the said drifts there +shall be found any mare, filly, foal, or gelding that +then shall be thought not to be able nor like to grow +to be able to bear foals of reasonable stature or not +able nor like to grow to be able to do profitable +labours by the discretions of the drivers aforesaid +or of the more number of them, then the same driver +or drivers shall cause the same unprofitable beasts +... every of them to be killed, and the +bodies of them to be buried in the ground, as no +annoyance thereby shall come or grow to the people, +those near inhabiting or thither resorting.”</p> +</div> + +<p>This enactment was of a more far-reaching +character than its forerunner. The +“shires and territories” enumerated were +those in which greatest attention was paid +to the breeding of Great Horses; “profitable +labours,” in those times, could only +mean military service, agricultural work, +and perhaps pack transport, for any of +which purposes the woodland ponies were +useless. How far the law proved effectual +is another matter: laws more nearly affecting +the welfare of the subject were less +honoured in the observance than the breach +in the remoter parts of the kingdom in +those times.</p> + +<p>In 1566, when Elizabeth was on the +throne, Thomas Blundeville, of Newton +Flotman, wrote a book on <cite>Horses and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[7]</span> +Riding</cite>; and prefaced it by an “Epistle +dedicatorie” to Robert Lord Dudley, +Master of the Horse, which begins:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“It would be the means that the Queen may not +only cause such statutes touching the breeding of +Horses upon Commons to be put in execution: but +also that all such parks within the Realme as be in +Her Highnesse hands and meet for that purpose +might not wholly be employed to the keeping of Deer +(which is altogether without profit), but partly to the +necessary breeding of Horses for service [<em>i.e.</em>, military +service] whereof this Realme of all others at this +instant hath greatest need.”</p> +</div> + +<p>It would appear, therefore, that Henry’s +laws had become a dead letter, or something +very like it, within twenty-five years of its +finding place on the Statute Book. It +was afterwards repealed in respect of certain +counties by Queen Elizabeth and James <abbr title="the first">I</abbr>. +(for particulars see p. 26 and p. 33, “Horses +Past and Present.”)</p> + +<p>These various early edicts no doubt produced +some result in the more central parts +of England, though, as we gather from +Blundeville’s “Epistle,” those charged with +their administration failed to enforce them in +areas more remote. A certain amount of +driving and killing no doubt was done, but +probably no more than enough to make the +herds wilder than before and send them in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[8]</span> +search of safety to the most inaccessible +districts. The natural result of this would +be to preserve the breeds in greater purity +than would have been the case had they +been allowed to intermingle with horses +which, after the harvest was carried, were +turned out to graze at will over the unfenced +fields and commons. It is worth +glancing at these items of horse legislation +to discover that the half-wild ponies have +survived, not by grace of man’s aid or protection, +but in defiance of his endeavours +to stamp them out.</p> + +<p>Nearly a century later (1658) the Duke +of Newcastle published his work on the +<cite>Feeding, Dressing and Training of Horses +for the Great Saddle</cite> and therein, urged +strongly the desirability of discouraging the +breeding of ponies. The records of subsequent +reigns show occasional endeavour to +improve by legislation the breeds of horses +needed for military purposes, tournaments, +racing and sport, but until we come to the +time of George <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>. we find no <em>positive</em> +attempt to discourage the breeding of +ponies. An Act passed in 1740 was definite +enough in the purpose it sought to attain. +This was the suppression of races by +“poneys” and other small or weak horses.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[9]</span></p> + +<p>Under this law matches for prizes under +£50 were forbidden, save at Newmarket +and Black Hambleton, and the weights to +be carried by horses were fixed at 10 st. +for a five-year-old, 11 st. for a six-year-old +and 12 st. for a seven-year-old horse. This +statute had two-fold intention: it was framed +“not only to prevent the encouragement of +a vile and paltry breed of horses, but likewise +to remove all temptation from the +lower class of people who constantly attend +these races, to the great loss of time and +hindrance of labour, and whose behaviour +still calls for stricter regulations to curb their +licentiousness and correct their manners.”</p> + +<p>During the present century organised +effort to improve these breeds has followed +recognition of their possibilities for usefulness, +and in few localities, if any, does the +original stock remain pure. In Devonshire, +Hampshire, Wales, Cumberland, the +Highlands, Shetland, and in the West of +Ireland, the original strains have been intermingled +and alien blood introduced. Small +Thoroughbred, Arab and Hackney sires +have produced new and improved breeds +less fitted to withstand the rigours of winter +and the effects of scanty food contingent +on independent and useless existence, but<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[10]</span> +infinitely better calculated to serve the interests +of mankind.</p> + +<p>Before the establishment of the Hackney +Horse Society in 1883 the dividing line +between the horse and the pony in England +was vague and undefined. It was +then found necessary to distinguish clearly +between horses and ponies, and accordingly +all animals measuring 14 hands or under +were designated “ponies,” and registered +in a separate part of the Stud Book. +This record of height, with other particulars +as to breeding, &c., serves to direct +breeders in their choice of sires and dams. +The standard of height established by the +Hackney Horse Society was accepted and +officially recognised by the Royal Agricultural +Society in 1889, when the prize list +for the Windsor Show contained pony +classes for animals not exceeding 14 hands. +The altered Polo-rule which fixes the limit +of height at 14 hands 2 inches may be productive +of some little confusion; but for all +other purposes 14 hands is the recognised +maximum height of a pony. Prior to 1883 +small horses were called indifferently galloways +hobbies, cobs, or ponies, irrespective +of their height.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[11]</span></p> + + +<p class="center">THE NEW FOREST PONY.</p> + +<p>The New Forest in Hampshire now cover +some 63,000 acres of which about 42,000 acres +are common pasture, the remaining 21,000 +acres having been enclosed in 1851 for the +growth of timber. The greater portion of +the common land is poor and boggy moor, +and on these areas ponies have been bred +in a semi-wild state from the earliest times. +It is considered more than probable that the +New Forest ponies are the survival of the +stock which, before the time of Canute +(1017-1035), was found in the district formerly +called Ytene, and which was afforested +in the year 1072 by the Conqueror.<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> + +<div class="footnotes"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> Mr. W. J. C. Moens, in a pamphlet printed for private +circulation.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Henry <abbr title="the third">III</abbr>. (1216-1272), on 15th March, +1217, ordered the Warden of the pony +stud kept in the New Forest to give to +the Monks of Beaulieu all the profits +accruing from the droves from that date +till November, 1220, this donation being +for the benefit of the soul of his late +father, King John. Thus it is evident that +the New Forest ponies of the thirteenth +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[12]</span>century were numerous enough to form a +source of revenue to the Crown.</p> + +<p>The remote history of the breed need not +concern us; for it was not until comparatively +recent times that any endeavour was +made towards the improvement of the +“forester,” as it is called. The first infusion +of alien blood likely to be beneficial seems to +have been made about 1766; and the circumstances +under which this fresh blood +was introduced are interesting. In 1750, +H.R.H. the Duke of Cumberland acquired +by exchange a thoroughbred foal from his +breeder, Mr. John Hutton. The animal was +named Marske, and was run at Newmarket: +achieving no great success on the turf, he +was put to the stud, but up to the time of +the Duke’s death his progeny had done +nothing to win reputation for their sire. +When the Duke died, in 1765, his horses +were sold at Tattersall’s, and Marske was +knocked down “for a song” to a Dorsetshire +farmer. The farmer kept him in the New +Forest district, and here Marske the sire +of Eclipse served mares at a fee of half-a-guinea, +till his famous son achieved celebrity. +Eclipse was foaled in 1764, won his +first race on 3rd April, 1769, at Epsom, +and made his name in a single season on +the turf.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[13]</span></p> + +<p>For four years at least, therefore (until +Mr. Wildman ferreted out “the sire of +Eclipse” and bought him for £20 to go to +Yorkshire), the New Forest breed of ponies +were being improved by the very best +thoroughbred blood, the effects of which +continued to be apparent for many years +after Marske had left the district.</p> + +<p>It is at least probable that Marske ran in +the Forest during the lifetime of the Duke +of Cumberland; for that prince was Warden +of the New Forest, and evidence is forthcoming +to show that he made a systematic +attempt to better the stamp of pony.</p> + +<p>For many decades after this infusion of +thoroughbred blood nothing was done to +maintain the improvement made. On the +contrary, the demand for New Forest ponies +increased, and the commoners took advantage +of the higher prices obtainable to sell +the best of their young stock; thus the +breed steadily degenerated, until the late +Prince Consort sent a grey Arab stallion to +stand at New Park. The effects of this +fresh strain of blood were soon evident; +but history, as exemplified by the beneficial +results of Marske’s service, repeated itself; +the commoners were too ready to sell +the pick of the young animals, whereby<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[14]</span> +the benefits which should have accrued were +heavily discounted.</p> + +<p>It must be explained that the large +breeders have running in the Forest a hundred +ponies, or even more; many breeders +possess forty or fifty, while the small +occupiers own as many as they can keep +during the winter. Their sole responsibility +to the Crown in respect of the ponies is the +“marking fee” (raised in 1897 from eighteen +pence to two shillings per head), which +goes to the Verderer’s Court. The marking +system enables the Court to know how +many ponies are running in the Forest, and +the latest census showed about 3,000 animals, +of which it was estimated some 1,800 were +breeding mares.</p> + +<p>From spring to autumn the droves range +the Forest at will, affecting, of course, the +best pasturage, or, in the heat of summer, +the shadiest localities; in winter about 1800 +ponies are taken into pastures, the remaining +1200 being left at large.</p> + +<p>It is to be observed that the most profitable +animals are the hardy ones, which run in +the Forest all the year round. The majority +of the young animals are handled only for +the purpose of marking, and are never, if +possible, driven off their own ground. Thus,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[15]</span> +unless strange stallions are used, it is very +difficult to change the blood, the forest-born +stallion remaining in his own locality and +collecting his own harem around him. “In-and-in” +breeding is therefore inevitable. +Besides these 3,000 it is estimated that +about the Forest neighbourhood some 2,000 +ponies are worked in light carts and other +vehicles, and, as many of these ponies are +used for breeding purposes, it will be seen +what an important source of pony supply we +have in the New Forest district.</p> + +<p>When the influence of the Arab sire sent +by the Prince Consort ceased to be felt, +degeneration again set in, the decreased +prices brought by ponies at the fairs proving +conclusively how the breed was deteriorating. +To combat the evil the Court of Verderers +in 1885 hired four well-bred stallions, which +were kept by the “Agisters,” or markers of +ponies, for the service of commoners’ mares +at nominal fees. Two seasons’ experience +proved that funds would not bear the strain, +and the horses were sold; with the less +hesitation because it was found that in the +absence of any inducement to the breeders +to retain promising young stock, good foals +and bad were alike sent for sale to the fairs. +Moreover, the wild mares were not of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[16]</span> +course covered by these stallions, and the +majority of the New Forest stock obtained +no benefit from their presence in the district. +The “ponies in hand,” nevertheless, were +more than sufficiently numerous to be considered, +and in 1889 it was arranged to +provide the necessary inducement to keep +promising youngsters by giving premiums at +a stallion show in April of each year, winners +of premiums to run in the Forest till the +following August; and this scheme has been +productive of very marked results in the way +of keeping good stock to reproduce their +kind. Her Majesty in 1889 lent two Arab +stallions, Abeyan and Yirassan, for use +in the district, and these, remaining for +two and three seasons respectively, did +much good. A son of the former, out of +a Welsh mare, now stands in the district. +His owner, Mr. Moens, states that his +produce show great improvement, and his +services are in eager demand among the +commoners. The general improvement in +the Forest ponies since 1890 is very striking.</p> + +<p>Lack of funds has seriously handicapped +the New Forest Pony Association in its +work, and the burden of carrying out the +programme has fallen upon the shoulders +of a few. Conspicuous among those who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[17]</span> +have borne the lion’s share of the task is +Lord Arthur Cecil, who now turns out no +fewer than twenty-two stallions for the +benefit of the commoners generally. For +many years past Lord Arthur has interested +himself in the improvement of the breed; +he has been using with much success +stallions of a distinct and pure breed from +the Island of Rum off the West coast of +Scotland. These are the original Black +Galloways which were found in a wild state +on the island in 1840 by the late Marquis +of Salisbury, and were always kept pure. +Lord Arthur secured the whole stock in the +year 1888. I cannot do better than give, +practically in its entirety, his interesting +letter on the subject of the ponies which for +the last ten years have been increasingly +used in the New Forest so much to the +advantage of the breed:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“The Rum ponies which were much thought of +by my father seem to be quite a type of themselves, +having characteristics which would almost enable +one to recognise them anywhere. Every one of those +I bought in 1888 had <em>hazel</em>, not <em>brown</em> eyes; and +though only a small boy in 1862, when six or seven +of those ponies came to Hatfield, I can remember that +they also had the hazel eye. They have, almost +without exception, very good hind-quarters, with the +tail well set up; and it is in this respect that I hope +they will do good in the New Forest. On the other<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[18]</span> +hand, they have big plain heads which are not liked +by the commoners. This defect, however, is rapidly +disappearing with good keep, as it does with all +breeds of ponies.</p> + +<p>“After I bought the ponies in 1888 and began +breeding I was at a loss to know how to continue +the breed, as I could not well use the stallion which +accompanied the mares to his own progeny. I +remembered having seen at the Highland and Agricultural +Society’s Show, in 1883, a stallion which +had interested me very much, being exactly like the +ponies I remembered coming to Hatfield. I enclose +... copy of a letter<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> received from his breeder.</p> +</div> + +<div class="footnotes"> +<p><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="label">[3]</a> “The pony, Highland Laddie ... was bred by us at +Coulmore, Ross-shire; being the youngest, I think, of seven foals +thrown by the black mare, Polly, to Allan Kingsburgh (Lord +Lovat’s stallion) ... and, as far as I know, Polly was +never covered by any other horse. Most of her foals, if not all, +were shown by us and won prizes at country and the Highland +Agricultural Society’s Meetings in the North. Her third foal, +Glen, a jet-black stallion, took 2nd prize in his class at the +Aberdeen Show in 1880 (I think), and again took the medal for +pony stallions at Perth in 1881 or 1882. At the same show Polly’s +second foal, Blackie, took second prize in the gelding class, and +her fourth foal (the eldest of the bay mares), shown at Inverness by +McKenzie of Kintail, would easily have taken a prize in her class +but for an accident on the railway or ferry ... which +lamed her for the meeting. Your pony has, of course, the same +pedigree as those.... The Rum ponies were always supposed +to be pure, as the Marquis of Salisbury was known to take a +great interest in the breed ... though not sure, I believe +a pony stallion of another strain, a dun with black mane and tail +(Lord Ronald) was sold by my father to go to Rum.... Allan +Kingsburgh and Polly were both bred by my father.... Allan’s +dam was a bay mare, Polly’s was a grey named Maria. I know +the stock from which both came: it was brought long ago from +Glenelg and bred and kept pure by my grandfather and ancestors +who lived in Glenelg when that Barony belonged to the MacLeod +of MacLeods. I am not sure of the sires of either Allan or Polly, +but know they were both pure Highland. One, I think, was Lord +Ronald which I formerly mentioned, and the other a pony belonging +to a Mr. Stewart in Skye (a known breeder of Highland +cattle).”</p> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[19]</span></p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p class="no-indent"> ... It is curious that I should have thus dropped +on to exactly the same kind of thing that my father +is supposed to have used; he used the same blood +years ago in Lord Ronald.</p> + +<p>“I think what first interested me so much in these +ponies was that, as long ago as I can remember anything, +I heard my father describing them to old Lord +Cowley and the Duke of Wellington. He told them +how like the Spanish horses he had thought the +ponies in 1845; and mentioned how he had turned +down a stallion on the island and a Spanish jackass—some +of the mules are still (1889) at Hatfield. He +also said that he saw no reason why they should not +be descended from some of the Spanish Armada +horses which were wrecked on that coast. When +the ponies—most of them stallions—came to Hatfield +in 1862, I remember some of them broke out of the +station; it took several days to catch them again. +They were almost unbreakable, but my brother, +Lionel, and I managed to get two of them sufficiently +quiet for <em>us</em> to ride, though they would not have +been considered safe conveyances for an elderly +gentleman. We were never quite sure of their age, +but they must have been nearly thirty when they +died. I believe my father had intended these ponies +to be kept entire, but they were so hopelessly savage +they had to be cut. They could trot twelve miles +in fifty-five minutes after they were twenty years old, +and could gallop and jump anything in the saddle.</p> + +<p>“My father’s theory about the Spanish Armada +receives curious corroboration in the well-known fact +that a galleon lies sunk in Tobermory Bay; while, in +the “Armada” number of the <em>Illustrated London News</em> +which was published in 1888 (the same year that I +bought the ponies), there was a small map which +showed the storms off the North and West of Scotland, +which are almost exactly coincident with the +occurrence of this particular type of pony, though no +place was so favourable for breeding a type as a +remote island like Rum.</p> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[20]</span></p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“When my mother visited Rum the people of the +adjacent island of Canna gave her a pony mare which +I also remember, very old, at Hatfield. She was a +rich cream colour; she threw a foal which had all +the characteristics, the hazel eye, long croup and big +head.</p> + +<p>“I have noticed all the deer-stalking ponies I +could see on the look-out for some of these characteristics; +but, with the exception of the hazel eye and +a somewhat strong inclination towards blackness in +colour, I cannot say that I have seen much trace of +the same kind of pony on the mainland in Scotland. +This, however, is no doubt rather through crossing +with other strains than because they have not some +of the original blood; and I feel sure that the Galloway +of olden days was of the same type, though +that term has now come to mean something quite +different and in no way connected with the district +on the West Coast of Scotland.</p> + +<p>“The hazel eye is not uncommon on Exmoor, and +occurs in the Welsh pony. It would be a very interesting +study to try and trace the tendency to show +that colour; it would, I think, throw light on the +ancestry of many horses and ponies; or, at least, it +would reveal many curious instances of <em>reversion</em>.”</p> +</div> + +<p>Lord Arthur, in conclusion, deprecates the +susceptibility of pony breeders generally to +the influence of fashion; he is of opinion +that efforts made in some districts to increase +size, while efforts elsewhere are directed to +its reduction, cannot in the long run be +beneficial; whereas, if Nature were allowed +to determine the size of pony suitable for +each locality, valuable results might be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[21]</span> +obtained by crossing the different breeds. +It is quite certain that the perpetuation of +a breed larger than the character of the +country and pasture can support can only be +secured by the constant introduction of alien +blood, which in course of time will completely +alter the local stamp, and not +necessarily for the better.</p> + +<p>The Hon. Gerald Lascelles, Deputy +Surveyor of the New Forest, has said of +this locality: “You have a magnificent run +for your ponies. Your mares might breed +from ponies of almost any quality.... +Ponies running out all winter in the mountains +of Ireland and of Wales, on Exmoor, +in Cornwall, and on the Cumberland and +Yorkshire fells, have a far worse climate to +face than that of the New Forest, and no +better pasture. Such ponies would laugh +at the hardships of the New Forest.” The +New Forest pony is perhaps less hardy than +some of the hill breeds, but his constitution +is quite robust enough to be one of his most +valuable attributes; and opinions are not +unnaturally divided as to the desirability of +increasing his size, if gain of inches mean +sacrifice of hardiness. Thirteen hands was +the height the Forest breeders formerly +admitted to be the maximum desirable; but<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[22]</span> +of recent years their views on this point have +been somewhat enlarged.</p> + +<p>The close resemblance of the Rum ponies +to the native of the New Forest marks +out these stallions as peculiarly suitable for +crossing purposes. For this reason, and also +because their number must exercise strong +and speedy influence upon the wild Forest +mares, the foregoing particulars have been +given in detail.</p> + +<p>Lord Arthur believes that the Welsh +pony stallion of about 13·1 or 13·2 would +be as good a cross for the New Forest pony +as any now obtainable.</p> + +<p>Lord Ebrington, who bought Exmoor and +the Simonsbath stud of improved Exmoor +ponies, lent one of his stallions to the New +Forest Association in the summer of 1898, +and this sire has done good service among +the wild mares.</p> + +<p>When broken the New Forest ponies are +generally far more spirited than the ordinary +run of British ponies. The practice of using +the “ponies in hand” for driving the wild +mobs to be branded, &c., teaches them to +turn quickly and gallop collectedly on rough +ground; they thus acquire great cleverness.</p> + +<p>As regards their market value, the following +letter from Mr. W. J. C. Moens, a most<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[23]</span> +energetic member of the Council of the +Association, gives the best idea.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“At the last Ringwood Fair, December 11th, 1897, +there was a larger outside demand for suckers than +ever experienced; buyers coming from Kent, Sussex, +Surrey, Essex, Somersetshire and Dorsetshire. The +prices ran from £4 to £6 10s.; the larger dealers +buying about fifty to sixty each, which they trucked +(25 to 30 in a truck) away by rail. One lot of +about 55 were sold at once by auction at Brighton, +and realised £6, £7 and £8 each, one fetching £10. +The foals improve enormously on good keep. Our +Forest feed is hardly good enough; on richer lands +the ponies grow nearly a hand higher and get more +substance. Since our Association has improved the +breed, of late years, very many have gone to the Kent +Marshes, where they are highly thought of, very +much more so than the Dartmoor ponies. Yearlings +at last Lyndhurst Pony Fair, in August, fetched +£5 to £8, but the average was spoiled by two large +sales by auction of ‘lane haunters’—old mares and +other cast-offs—which realised small prices.... +I have seen some of our improved ponies at Hastings +and elsewhere, broken in, and about five years old. +They are much valued and sell for about £25.... +The general improvement since 1889 or 1890 is very +marked; and, though there was some opposition +to the idea of bettering ‘the real Forester’ at first, +now all admit the benefit of the work.”</p> +</div> + +<p>For the information of those interested +in this breed, the following description, furnished +to the Polo Pony Society for their +Stud Book (vol. v.) by the New Forest +Local Committee, may be quoted:</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[24]</span></p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p><em>For the New Forest pony it is difficult to give any exact +description, but the best class of them are from 12 hands to +13 hands 2 inches high according to the portion of the +Forest on which they are reared. If taken off the Forest +when they are weaned and well kept during the first two +winters, they are said very often to attain the size of 14 +hands 1 inch. There is sometimes an apparent deficiency of +bone, but what there is should be of the very best quality. +The feet are wide and well formed. They are often considered +goose-rumped, but their hocks should be all that could +be desired. In colour they may be said to range through +every variety, though there are not many duns, and few if +any piebalds left. The flea-bitten greys which are still very +numerous on the Forest show strong traces of an Arab cross. +The shoulders, though not always what might be desired in +point of depth, are almost invariably fine and well laid. It +is a great characteristic of the New Forest pony to be always +gay and alert, and, though they are extremely good-tempered +and docile when fairly broken, they are quite indomitable +until they are completely cornered. The true Forester is +never sulky.</em></p> +</div> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-034"> +<img src="images/i-034.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="530"> +<p class="caption center">A PONY HACK.</p> +<p class="caption right"><em>Engraved on wood by F. Babbage.</em></p> +<p class="caption center">A pony well-known on Newmarket Heath and North Country +racecourses about 1828.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[25]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_WELSH_PONY">THE WELSH PONY.</h2> +</div> + + +<p>At the period when Wales was an independent +kingdom live stock was protected +by a singularly comprehensive series of laws. +These were originally codified by Howel +Dda (the Good), a prince who reigned +from <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 942 to 948, and at a somewhat +later period they were embodied in three +distinct legal codes, the Venedotian, Dimetian +and Gwentian, applicable respectively to +North, South and South-eastern Wales, conforming +to the local customs which prevailed +in each area. Under these laws no Welsh +serf was permitted to sell a stallion without +the permission of his lord. The value of a +horse (or, accurately speaking, pony, as the +hill ponies were the only equine stock the +country possessed in those days) was laid +down without regard to individual merit till +he reached his third year. A foal until a +fortnight old was worth four pence; from the +fifteenth day of his age till one year old, 24 +pence; when a year and one day old he was +worth 48 pence, and stood at that value till +he began his third year when he was valued +at 60 pence. When in his third year he was +broken in, and his value depended on the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[26]</span> +work he was fitted for. A palfrey or sumpter +horse was valued at 120 pence, and a working +horse to draw cart or harrow 60 pence. It +was not permissible to use horses, mares or +cows for ploughing for fear of injury; oxen +only might be employed for such labour. +Any entire male animal was worth three +females; thus a wild stallion was worth nine +score pence to the mare’s value of three +score pence.</p> + +<p>If a horse were sold he was to be +warranted against staggers for three nights, +against “black strangles”<a id="FNanchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> for three months, +and against farcy for a year. He was to +be warranted against restiveness until the +purchaser should have ridden him three +times “amid concourse of men and horses;” +and if he proved restive the seller had to +refund one third of the price he had received.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_4" href="#FNanchor_4" class="label">[4]</a> The commentators believe the disease so termed to be +glanders; but inasmuch as the warranty against farcy held +good for twelve months, perhaps we should accept this +reading with reserve.</p> + +</div> + +<p>The value of each part of the horse was +strictly specified by these laws; the worth +of his foot was equal to his full value; each +eye was esteemed worth one third of his +full value. For every blemish in a horse +one third of the total worth was to be +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[27]</span>returned, his ears and tail included: a not +obscure hint that cropping and docking were +practised in Wales at this period, and that +opinions varied concerning the desirability +of the operations. That docking was in +vogue is certain, for a special clause makes +the “tail of a filly for common work” worth +the total value of the animal. The peculiar +value of the tail of a “filly for common +work” lay in the fact that the harrow was +often secured to the tail, as was the practice +in parts of Ireland and Scotland until near +the end of the last century. In Wales, as +in other parts of Britain, the mare was +preferably used for draught and pack work, +horses being reserved for military service. +The mane and bridle were worth the same +amount, viz., four pence; the forelock and +halter were also coupled as worth one penny +each.</p> + +<p>Howel Dda’s “Law of Borrowing” was +equally comprehensive. The man who +borrowed a horse and fretted the hair on +his back was to pay four pence; if he broke +the skin to the flesh eight pence; and if skin +and flesh were broken to the bone sixteen +pence. Borrowing without the owner’s leave +was expensive: the borrower had to pay +four pence for mounting, and four pence for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[28]</span> +each rhandir (supposed to be a league) he +rode the horse. He also had to pay a fine +to the owner’s lord.</p> + +<p>If a hired horse fell lame or was injured +by accident the owner had to furnish the +hirer with one equally good until the injured +horse recovered.</p> + +<p>The laws which regulated compensation +for trespass show that it was customary to +fetter or clog the horses when they were +turned out to graze. Trespass in corn by +a clogged horse was to be compensated by +payment of one penny by day and two pence +by night. Trespass by a horse free of +restraint was recompensed by half those +sums. In this connection it must be noted +that stallions were “privileged;” and though +a broken-in entire ran at large for three +seasons (season from mid April to mid May +and the month of October), he did not lose +the privilege which relieved his owner from +fine for any damage he might do in the +standing crops.</p> + +<p>The Welsh pony is more numerous than +any other breed. He wanders over the +hills and waste lands in all the twelve counties +of the Principality, and also on the borders +of Shropshire, Herefordshire and Monmouth; +whereas his congeners are limited to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[29]</span> +areas insignificant by comparison. The distribution +is of course very unequal, the +strength and number of droves varying with +the character of the country; there are no +statistics in existence nor has there been +made any estimate of their number.</p> + +<p>Many of the common lands which were +once open to the Welsh pony have been +enclosed of recent years; but in spite of his +exclusion from the better pastures and the +warfare waged against him by shepherds +and their dogs in the interests of grazing for +sheep, he thrives marvellously. There are +thousands of acres of wet and boggy lands +whose grasses “rot” sheep, but which afford +the hardy pony nourishing diet. In some +districts he is kept on the move almost as +unceasingly as are the deer in Scotland or +on Exmoor; and the life he leads has done +much to develope his instincts of self-preservation. +Accustomed from earliest foalhood +to the roughest ground, he is sure-footed as +the goat, and neither punishment nor persuasion +will induce him to venture upon +unsafe bog. He has good shoulders, strong +back, neat head and most enduring legs and +feet; he is, in short, a strong, sound and +useful animal. Some of the stoutest and +best hunters bred on the borders of Wales<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[30]</span> +trace their descent from the Welsh pony +mare crossed with the thoroughbred sire; +and the same may be said of some of the +best modern steeplechasers.</p> + +<p>J. C. Loudon, in his work, <cite>An Encyclopedia +of Agriculture</cite>, published in 1825, +writes:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“The Welsh horse bears a near resemblance in +point of size to the best native breed of the Highlands +of Scotland. It is too small for the two-horse +ploughs; one that I rode for many years, which, to +the last, would have gone upon a pavement by choice, +in preference to a softer road.”</p> +</div> + +<p>Again, the celebrated sporting writer, +“Nimrod” (C. J. Appleby), in his book +<cite>The Horse and the Hound</cite>, published in +1842, writes of this breed as follows:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“They are never lame in the feet, or become +roarers; they are also very little susceptible of +disease in comparison with other horses, and as a +proof also of their powers of crossing a country, the +fact may be stated of the late Sir Charles Turner +riding a pony ten miles in forty-seven minutes, and +taking thirty leaps in his course, for a wager of 1,000 +guineas, with the late Duke of Queensberry.... +The Earl of Oxford had a mare pony, got by the +Clive Arabian, her dam by the same horse, out +of a Welsh mare pony, which could beat any of his +racers four miles at a feather-weight; and during the +drawing of the Irish lottery the news was conveyed +express from Holyhead to London chiefly by ponies, +at the rate of nearly twenty miles an hour.”</p> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[31]</span></p> + +<p>Endeavours have been made from time +to time to improve the breed, but these +efforts have been made by individuals, and +the benefits, when any followed, were local +and temporary. The first recorded introduction +of superior alien blood occurred in +the first quarter of the eighteenth century, +when that famous little horse, Merlin, was +turned out to summer on the Welsh hills +after his retirement from the Turf. The +small horses which George <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>.’s Act (p. +8) sought to banish from the race-course +were not all worthless; “vile and +paltry” they may have been as a class, but +there were some good ones among them, +and Merlin was the best. This little horse, +who owed his name to the smallest of +British hawks, beat every animal that started +against him, and enjoyed a career of uninterrupted +success until he broke down; +he was then purchased by a Welsh gentleman, +said to have been an ancestor of Sir +Watkin Williams Wynn, and turned out +to run with the droves on the hills. So +remarkable was the improvement wrought +upon the breed by this one stallion that in +course of a few years the value of the ponies +in that locality greatly increased. The +name of the sire was applied to his stock<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[32]</span> +and their descendants, which became famous +as “Merlins”; and the certificate that +proved an animal one of the true Merlin +breed made all the difference in the market.</p> + +<p>That usually accurate authority, Richard +Berenger, in his <cite>History and Art of Horsemanship</cite>, +says, the Welsh breed, “once so +abundant, is now [1771] nearly extinct;” but +in this he must have been mistaken, as there +is evidence from the district to show that +twenty-six years later it was very far from +extinct. “A Farmer” writes to the <cite>Gentleman’s +Magazine</cite> of July, 1797, complaining +of the “injurious increase of the smallest +breed of ponies, which are no kind of use,” +and which, he says, do an immense amount +of mischief to the growing corn. He ventured +to assert that for one cow found +trespassing ten ponies would be seen, and +strongly urged that an Act of Parliament +should be passed forbidding right of common +to horses under 14 hands high.</p> + +<p>In the middle of the present century, when +fast-trotting animals for harness and saddle +were in great demand, it was thought desirable +to see what could be done with the +Welsh pony, and accordingly Comet, Fire-away, +Alonzo the Brave, and other fast-stepping +small-sized Hackney sires were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[33]</span> +brought from Norfolk into Cardiganshire +and Breconshire to cross with the native +ponies. Such a cross could have hardly +failed to result in a strong, fast-trotting +and useful pony.</p> + +<p>The Report issued by the recent Royal +Commission on Land in Wales and Monmouthshire +contains some remarks on the +subject which must be reproduced here:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“With regard to cobs and ponies, breeding in this +direction is a much larger factor in the farming of +Wales. There is plenty of material to make use of, +and the breeding of ponies might be made much +more profitable than it is at present. In the counties +of Radnor and Brecon there has been some +systematic attempts to encourage the breeding of +cobs, with satisfactory results. On the mountains of +North Wales, which were formerly famous for wild +herds of ‘Merlins,’ little has, however, been done. +Lord Penrhyn purchased an excellent stallion, +Caradoc, who might have done much good had he +been more patronised. The fault seems to lie in the +careless treatment of the herds of ponies, which are +allowed to ramble at will, winter and summer, to +live or starve as nature may please. No attention +whatever is paid to the breeding, the herds being +wild to all intents and purposes. It seems a pity +that such waste should be allowed. The stoutness +and endurance of the Welsh pony is proverbial, and +if attention were paid to selection in breeding, separation +of the sexes, and feeding and shelter in the +winter, an exceedingly valuable addition to the +mountain farmer’s profits might be found at a small +cost.</p> + +<p>“Turning to the evidence upon this subject: Mr.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[34]</span> +J. E. Jones, who appeared before us at Tregaron, +gave it as his opinion that the breed of cobs was +deteriorating; while Mr. Bowen Woosnam, of Tynygraig, +near Builth, himself a successful breeder, +stated that not nearly as much attention was paid +to breeding cobs as formerly. Mr. Woosnam also +said: If Welsh farmers were to have a portion of +their money invested in ponies and cobs which are +suitable to the farms that they are occupying, they +would derive proportionately a larger income from +them than they would from the cattle or sheep that +they are rearing.... I do not mean to say +that their stock should exclusively consist of ponies +and cobs, but that they should have a few on every +suitable farm. There is the greatest difficulty at +the present time in getting good ponies and cobs.”</p> +</div> + +<p>The Commissioners were evidently unaware +of the work which has been done +by the Church Stretton Hill Pony Improvement +Society. This society was formed +to encourage and assist the farmers in +the work of improving the ponies which +they only too generally neglect. The plan +followed was to take up the best of the +native stallions for service: those of the +truest type only were used, and the improvement +in the young stock got by these +selected sires was marked: they showed +more compactness of build, better bone and +greater spirit than their promiscuously bred +brethren of the wilds. There can be no +doubt but that continuance of work on these<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[35]</span> +lines would do much towards converting the +scarcely saleable raw material of the Hills +into profitable stock.</p> + +<p>Mr. John Hill, of Marshbrook House, +Church Stretton, in his endeavours to breed +polo ponies has shown that a valuable riding +and harness animal can be obtained by +judicious crossings on the Welsh pony. +Running more or less wild on the hills in +the immediate neighbourhood of Church +Stretton are ponies closely allied to and +very similar to the Welsh mountain breed. +These usually range from 10 hands to 11 +hands 2 inches in height, 12 hands 2 inches +being considered the outside limit. About +the year 1891 Mr. Hill purchased several of +the best and most typical mares, wild and +unbroken, from the hills: these mares, which +averaged only 10 hands, were put to an +Arab. His stock were handsome, compact +and hardy, and grew to an average height +of 13 hands. The fillies of this cross when +two years old were put to the best Welsh +pony procurable, a 14-hand 1-inch stallion +with riding shoulders and showing bone and +quality. These mares were subsequently +put to a small thoroughbred, and to him +threw foals full of quality and in every +way promising. Mr. Hill’s breeding experiments<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[36]</span> +have all been made with the +14-hand 2-inch polo pony in view: and he +has shown that Welsh ponies judiciously +crossed with suitable alien blood produce +stock for which a ready market should be +found.</p> + +<p>Mr. W. J. Roberts, the Hon. Secretary +of the Church Stretton Hill Pony Society, +states that he has tried the Arab cross, +but “the offspring is useless on the hills.” +A half-bred Arab is not the animal to successfully +withstand the hardships and exposure +of half-wild existence on the Welsh +hills. The object sought in improving the +Welsh or any other of these breeds is not +to fit it for a life of semi-wildness but to +make it more serviceable to man.</p> + +<p>For the information of those interested +in this breed, the following descriptions, furnished +to the Polo Pony Society for their +Stud Book (vol. v.) by the Local Committees, +may be quoted:</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p class="center">(NORTH WALES DIVISION.)</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Height.</span> <em>Not to exceed 12·2 hands.</em> <span class="smcap">Colour.</span> <em>Bay +or brown preferred; grey or black allowable; but dun, +chestnut, or broken colour considered objectionable.</em> <span class="smcap">Action.</span> +<em>Best described as that of the hunter; low “daisy-cutting” +action to be avoided. The pony should move quickly and +actively, stepping out well from the shoulder, at the same +time flexing the hocks and bringing the hind legs well under<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[37]</span> +the body when going.</em> <span class="smcap">General Character.</span> <em>The pony +should show good “pony” character and evidence of robust +constitution, with the unmistakable appearance of hardiness +peculiar to mountain ponies, and at the same time have a +lively appearance.</em> <span class="smcap">Head.</span> <em>Should be small, well chiselled +in its outline and well set on; forehead broad, tapering +towards nose.</em> <span class="smcap">Nostrils.</span> <em>Large and expanding.</em> <span class="smcap">Eyes.</span> +<em>Bright, mild, intelligent and prominent.</em> <span class="smcap">Ears.</span> <em>Neatly +set, well-formed and small.</em> <span class="smcap">Throat and Jaws.</span> <em>Fine, +showing no signs of coarseness or throatiness.</em> <span class="smcap">Neck.</span> <em>Of +proportionate length; strong, but not too heavy, with a +moderate crest in the case of the stallion.</em> <span class="smcap">Shoulders.</span> +<em>Good shoulders most important: should be well laid back +and sloping, but not too fine at the withers nor loaded at the +points. The pony should have a good long shoulder-blade.</em> +<span class="smcap">Back and Loins.</span> <em>Strong and well covered with muscle.</em> +<span class="smcap">Hind Quarters.</span> <em>Long, and tail well carried, as much +like the Arab as possible, springing well from the top of the +back.</em> <span class="smcap">Hocks.</span> <em>Well let down, clean cut, with plenty of +bone below the joint. They should not be “sickled” or +“cow-hocked.”</em> <span class="smcap">Forelegs.</span> <em>Well placed; not tied in +any way at the elbows; good muscular arm, short from the +knee to the fetlock joints; flat bone; pasterns sloping but +not too long; feet well developed and open at the heel; hoof +sound and hard.</em></p> + + +<p class="center">(SOUTH WALES DIVISION.)</p> + +<p><em>The South Wales hill pony seldom exceeds 13 hands, and +in a pure state is about 12 hands. His attributes are a +quick, straight action and sure-footedness; he is low in +the withers, short in his forehand, and with faulty hind +quarters as far as appearance goes, his tail being set on low +and his hocks sickled, but his forelegs and feet are good. +His head and eye show breed, courage and sense, and his +constitution is strong or he could not live where he does. Of +late years he has been crossed with the Cardiganshire cob +to some extent; and half-bred two-year-old shire colts have +been allowed access to the hills in summer in some places, +much to the detriment of the breed. In colour, bays and +brown prevail.</em></p> +</div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[38]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_EXMOOR_AND_DARTMOOR_PONIES">THE EXMOOR AND DARTMOOR PONIES.</h2> +</div> + + +<p>It is certain that ponies have run in these +districts for many centuries in a practically +wild state, and probably have always supplied +the tillers of the soil with beasts of +burden. In times when these localities were +without roads of any kind and wheeled traffic +was impossible, the sled and the pack-horse +were used for transporting agricultural produce. +The sleds were drawn by oxen and +small horses; and ponies were employed to +carry corn, &c., in pots and panniers; the +ponies used for this purpose being the animals +which ran at large upon the wastes. +As recently as 1860 packhorses might still +be met with in the western and southern +districts. They were the larger ponies of +the Dartmoor and Exmoor breed, and were +indispensable to the farmers whose holdings +at that time lay beyond the region of roads +in secluded districts. The practice of taking +up a few of the best mares for breeding +purposes and keeping them in enclosed +pasture is no doubt an old one; but the +vast majority of the droves have always +been left to their own devices. They bred +and interbred without let or hindrance, and +by consequence the weakly died off, leaving<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[39]</span> +the fittest, <em>i.e.</em>, the hardiest and the best able +to withstand the rigours of exposure.</p> + +<p>Carew, in his <cite>History of Cornwall</cite>, which +was written in the early part of the reign +of James <abbr title="the first">I</abbr>. (1603-1625), says:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“The Cornish horses are hardly bred, coarsely fed, +and so low in stature that they were liable to be +seized on as unstatutable, according to the statute of +Henry <abbr title="the eighth">VIII</abbr>., by anyone who caught them depasturing +the commons.”</p> +</div> + +<p>In the year 1812 Exmoor was disforested +by George <abbr title="the third">III</abbr>., and a commission was appointed +to survey and value the lands. The +total acreage was found to be 18,810 acres, +of which 10,262 acres were adjudged the +property of the Crown. In 1820 Mr. John +Knight purchased the Crown allotment; +at a later date he acquired Sir Thomas +Acland’s portion, and Sir Arthur Chichester’s +property of Brendon which adjoined it, +the total area so acquired being over 16,000 +acres. Sir Thomas Acland had bred +ponies, and when Mr. Knight bought the +land he applied himself to the task of improving +the ponies, which for some years +previously had been fetching only from £4 +to £6. The low prices obtainable, we infer, +were due in a measure to the ease with +which the local shepherds “took liberal tithe”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[40]</span> +of the ponies, which, despite the anchor-brand +they bore to prove ownership, were readily +purchased in Wiltshire.</p> + +<p>The only pure Exmoor ponies now existing, +so far as enquiry has disclosed, are those +bred by Sir T. Dyke Acland, Bart., of Holnicote, +Taunton. When Sir Thomas Acland +sold his Exmoor property to Mr. Knight +he removed his original uncrossed stock to +Winsford Hill, near Dulverton; these ponies +alone preserve the full characteristics of the +old strain; they run from 11·2 hands to 12·2 +hands, are dark-brown with black points, and +have the mealy tan muzzle. It is stated +that only about a dozen mares were left in +their old quarters.</p> + +<p>Mr. Knight and some other gentlemen +were attracted by the accounts of the Dongola +Arab horses given by the great traveller +Bruce, and after considerable delay a number +of stallions and mares were procured +through the British Consul in Egypt. They +proved to be black, short-backed animals +with lean heads, and rather Roman noses. +Their hind quarters were good, but, unlike +the typical Arab, they had “flattish +ribs.” Mr. Knight became the owner +of two sires and three mares, which he +brought to Simonsbath. One of these Dongola<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[41]</span> +stallions was mated with a number +of 12-hand Exmoor mares; the foals generally +grew to about 14 hands 2 inches, and +though they followed their dams in the +colour of coat, the distinctive mealy muzzle +disappeared. There was a desire to retain +as much of the Exmoor character as was +compatible with improvement in the breed; +hence those half-bred mares by the Dongola +horse which did not retain as much +as possible of the native type were drafted +from the stud.</p> + +<p>The thoroughbred horse Pandarus, a 15-hand +son of Whalebone, succeeded the +Dongola horse; foals of his get retained +the original colour, but were smaller, ranging +from 13 hands to 13·2. Another thoroughbred, +Canopus, a grandson of Velocipede, +followed Pandarus at the stud, and with +equally satisfactory results in respect of improved +size and conformation; but, as might +have been expected, these cross-bred ponies +proved incapable of enduring the hardships +of moorland life when turned out. Hence, +about 1844, Mr. Knight gave up the use of +alien blood and used his own stallion ponies; +the only exceptions being Hero, a sturdy +chestnut out of a Pandarus mare, and Lillias, +a grey of nearly pure Acland strain.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[42]</span></p> + +<p>After Mr. Knight’s death, which event +occurred in 1850, the practice of selling the +ponies by private contract was abandoned +in favour of an annual auction, held at +Simonsbath. The comparative inaccessibility +of the spot, however, soon indicated the +need of change, and in 1854 the sale was +first held at Bampton fair. The system on +which the ponies were kept was also changed +in the later fifties; some 130 acres of +pasture were set apart, and on this the foals +were wintered instead of remaining at large +on the bleak hill-sides. The effect thus +produced upon the size and development of +the young stock was very marked. In 1863 +the ponies mustered about four hundred +strong, nearly one hundred of which were +brood mares, young and old. Much of the +land which in former days was given up to +the droves has been reclaimed during recent +years, and improved methods of cultivation +have made it capable of growing various +crops and of grazing cattle and sheep.</p> + +<p>Mr. Robert Smith, of Emmett’s Grange, +also devoted attention to the improvement +of the Exmoor breed. The “Druid,” who +described a visit to Devonshire about the +year 1860 or 1861, remarks that “the +original colour of the Exmoor seems to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[43]</span> +have been a buffy bay, with a mealy nose, +and it is supposed to have preserved its +character ever since the Phœnicians brought +it over when they visited the shores of +Cornwall to trade in tin and metals.” Enquiry +into the ground for supposing that +the original stock was introduced by the +Phœnicians would perhaps produce results +hardly commensurate with the labour of +research.</p> + +<p>When the “Druid” paid his visit to the +district in 1860 or 1861, only 250 acres of +moorland remained unenclosed, and the +breeding stock on Mr. Smith’s holding +consisted of “some twenty-five short-legged +brood mares of about 13 hands 2 inches.” +These passed the better part of the year on +the hills and were wintered in the paddocks +furnished with open sheds for shelter.</p> + +<p>After experimenting with thoroughbreds, +Mr. Smith procured a 14-hand pony sire +named Bobby, by Round Robin out of an +Arab mare, and used him with the most encouraging +results for two seasons. Bobby’s +stock were almost invariably bays. At a sale +held at Bristol, in 1864, twenty-nine cobs +galloways and ponies, nearly all of which +were Bobby’s get, made an average price +of 23 guineas a head, several realising over<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[44]</span> +30 guineas. The highest price (figure not +recorded) was paid for a bay stallion, five +years old and 13 hands high.</p> + +<p>Whether Youatt refers to the improved +breed or not it is impossible to say: but that +authority states that about the year 1860 a +farmer who weighed 14 stone rode an +Exmoor pony from Bristol to South Molton, +a distance of 86 miles, beating the coach +which travelled the same road. This feat +proves the pony to have been both fast and +enduring.</p> + +<p>A most competent authority who a couple +of years ago paid a visit to Simonsbath to +inspect the ponies of the district, describes +the “Acland” as a wonderfully thoroughbred +looking and handsome pony with fine +lean head, intelligent eye and good limbs. +The only fault he had to find was in the +matter of size: he considered it a shade too +small for general purposes.</p> + +<p>The “Knights” were described as larger +than the “Aclands”: they also retain the +thoroughbred look derived from the Arab +and other alien blood introduced by Mr. +Knight in the second quarter of the century. +My informant remarks that one of the most +interesting sights he witnessed was the display +of jealousy by the stallions when two<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[45]</span> +droves of ponies were brought up for inspection. +Each kept his harem crowded +together apart from the other, “rounding +in” his mares with the greatest fire. Needless +to say the little horses would show at +their very best under such conditions.</p> + +<p>Among the gentlemen who have endeavoured +to improve the Exmoor pony, +mention must also be made of the Earl of +Carnarvon, Viscount Ebrington and Mr. +Nicholas Snow, of Oare, who have breeding +studs; but their strains, like those of +the farmers’ who rear a few each, are larger +than the representative “Aclands.”</p> + +<p>Dr. Herbert Watney, of Buckhold, near +Pangbourne, until recently possessed herds +of Exmoor and Arab-Exmoor ponies; their +numbers have quite lately been greatly reduced +by the sale of mares and young stock, +Dr. Watney holding the writer’s view that +ground in time becomes staled if grazed by +numerous horses.<a id="FNanchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> Dr. Watney laid the +foundations of his herd by the purchase of +about a dozen mares of the Knight and +Ackland strains, and to serve them he +acquired the 13·2 Exmoor stallion Katerfelto, +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[46]</span>winner of the first prize for pony +stallions at the Devon County Show, and +first prize in his class at the “Royal” in +1890. The stallion runs with the mares, and +the herd lead on the Berkshire downs exactly +the same free life they led on Exmoor; +they are never brought under cover, and +only when snow buries the herbage in severe +winters do they receive a daily ration of +hay. The richer grazing and their exclusive +service by Katerfelto has resulted in +distinct increase of size, the ponies ranging +from 11·3 to 13·3 in height, yet retaining +all the characteristics of the Exmoor native +stock.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_5" href="#FNanchor_5" class="label">[5]</a> See “Young Racehorses” (Suggestions for Rearing), by +Sir Walter Gilbey, Bart., Vinton & Co., Ltd.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Dr. Watney drafted off a number of the +best mares to form a herd for service by the +Arab pony stallion Nejram, a bay standing +14·1, bred by Mr. Wilford Blunt at Crabbet +Park. Nejram’s stock show in marked +degree the distinctive character of their +sire in the high set and carriage of the +tail, full barrel, blood-like head and the +long pastern; but at the same time they +inherit from their dams the wonderful sure-footedness +of the Exmoor pony. These +ponies run from about 13 hands to 13·3. +Half a dozen of these Arab-Exmoors, three +years old, handled but unbroken, were sold<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[47]</span> +in the year 1898 at an average price of over +£14 14s. each. Twelve pure Exmoors by +Katerfelto, also handled but unbroken, three +years old, brought an average of over +£16 16s.</p> + +<p>Bampton Fair, held in October, is now +the great rendezvous for Exmoor ponies. +Every fair brings several hundred animals +in from the moors for sale. Like other +horses and ponies, the Exmoors are suffering +from the competition of the bicycle, but +good prices are still obtained under the +hammer. They are much used for children, +and the less desirable find ready sale +to coster-mongers and hawkers. Newly-weaned +suckers of five or six months old +fetch from £3 to £6; exceptionally promising +youngsters command a higher figure.</p> + +<p>The Dartmoor pony’s good points are a +strong back and loin, and substance. For +generations past the farmers appear to have +been in the habit of taking up a few mares +for riding and breeding purposes; to these +11 or 12-hand dams—they rarely reach +13 hands—a small Welsh cart stallion is +put, and the result is an animal hardy and +serviceable enough for ordinary farm work. +Even these would seem to form a small +minority. For the most part the Dartmoor<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[48]</span> +ponies still run wild, shaggy and unkempt, +on the waste lands on which they breed uncontrolled, +on which they are foaled and +live and die; often without having looked +through a bridle. Those taken up for riding +purposes or for breeding are of course the +pick of the droves, and thus we find an +active force at work which is calculated to +lower the average standard of quality among +the wild ponies.</p> + +<p>In considering the various efforts which +from time to time have been made in the +direction of improvement by the introduction +of fresh blood, we must bear in mind +that the mares on which such experiments +have been made are those which have been +taken up by farmers and kept within fences. +We cannot find that stallions of alien blood +have ever been turned out to run on the +moors, and in view of the conditions under +which the moor ponies exist it is highly +improbable that a stallion boasting such +blood as would produce beneficial results +on the native breed would long enough +survive the exposure and scanty food to +make any appreciable mark thereon. The +endeavours, more or less continuous and +successful, to improve the breed have been +confined to the few, and have, therefore,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[49]</span> +produced little effect or none on the main +stock.</p> + +<p>Early in the present century Mr. Willing, +of Torpeak, made successful experiments in +crossing the Exmoor pony with the smaller +variety peculiar to the Dartmoor “tors.” +Mr. Wooton, of Woodlands, says a writer +in the <cite>Field</cite> of 9th October, 1880, was in +the habit of purchasing mares of this cross +from Mr. Willing from about the year 1820, +and possessed a considerable number of +them. He used to put these to small +thoroughbred horses standing in the district. +The names of Trap, Tim Whiffler, Rover, +and Glen Stuart are mentioned, and about +1860 he sent some of his Exmoor-Dartmoor +mares to a small Arab belonging to Mr. +Stewart Hawkins, of Ivybridge. Mr. Wooton’s +endeavours to improve the Dartmoor +breed are the first that were made on any +considerable scale, so far as it is possible +to discover.</p> + +<p>About 1879 a resident who devoted much +attention to the improvement of the Dartmoor +breed introduced a brown stallion by +Mr. Christopher Wilson’s Sir George out +of Windsor Soarer, and as his mares—a +selected lot, 12·2 to 13 hands, either brown +or chestnut—came in use, put them to this<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[50]</span> +pony with the object of getting early foals. +The young stock thus got were carefully +weeded out, the best stallions and mares +only being retained. The colt foals were +kept apart and at two years old put to +the mares got by their sire. The experiment +was very successful, browns, black-browns +and chestnuts being the colours +of this improved breed, which sold well.</p> + +<p>Mr. S. Lang, of Bristol, some years prior +to 1880 sent down two good stallions, +Perfection and Hereford, for use in the district, +but it is stated that these ponies were +little patronised by the farmers. Hereford, +a pure thoroughbred pony only 13 hands +high, left a few beautiful foals behind him.</p> + +<p>A description of Exmoor and Dartmoor +ponies exhibited at the Newton Abbott +Agricultural Show in May, 1875, may have +had reference to these improved ponies. +The following is quoted from the <cite>Field</cite> of +29th May in that year:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“Instead of deteriorating the stock improves +yearly, and the care which is now taken to infuse +pure blood without harming the essential characteristics +of the original denizen of the moor has +succeeded in producing an animal of superlative +merit, fitted for any kind of work, whether for the +field, the road, or the collar. It must be observed +that the word ‘moor’ should apply to Exmoor and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[51]</span> +the Bodmin wastes as well as the Forest of Dartmoor, +Dartmoor Forest itself being within the precincts +of the Duchy of Cornwall. The moor pony +or galloway of 14 hands is often in reality a little +horse; and when it is stated that Tom Thumb, the +well-known hunter of Mr. Trelawny, was a direct +descendant of the celebrated Rough Tor pony of +Landue, and that Foster by Gainsborough, belonging +to the late Mr. Phillips, of Landue, carrying for +many years fifteen stone and upwards in the first +flight, was from a moor pony near Ivybridge, the +assertion is not made without bringing strong collateral +proof of the validity of the statement. Moreover, +a host of other examples could be added. +These animals possess many of the properties of the +thorough-bred—speed, activity, any amount of stay, +with legs of steel; they can jump as well as the +moor sheep, and much after the same fashion, for no +hedge fence can stop either one or the other.”</p> +</div> + +<p>For the information of those interested +in this breed the following descriptions furnished +to the Polo Pony Society for their +Stud Book (vol. v.) by Local Committees +may be quoted:</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p class="center">(THE EXMOOR DIVISION.)</p> + +<p><em>The Exmoor pony should average 12 hands and never be +above 13 hands; moorland bred; generally dark bay or +brown with black points, wide forehead and nostril; mealy +nose; sharp ears; good shoulders and back; short legs, +with good bone and fair action.</em></p> + +<p><em>There are a few grey ponies in Sir Thomas Acland’s +herd, but no chestnuts.</em></p> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[52]</span></p> + + + + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p class="center">(THE DARTMOOR DIVISION.)</p> +</div> + +<p>The official description of points is identical +with that given for the North Wales +pony, with the following amendments and +additions:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p><span class="smcap">Height.</span> <em>Not exceeding 14 hands for stallions, 13·2 +for mares.</em> <span class="smcap">Colour.</span> <em>Brown, black, or bay preferred; +grey allowable, other colours objectionable.</em> <span class="smcap">Head.</span> <em>Should +be small, well set on, and blood-like.</em> <span class="smcap">Neck.</span> <em>Strong but +not too heavy, and neither long nor short; and, in case of a +stallion, with moderate crest.</em> <span class="smcap">Back, Loins, and Hind +Quarters.</span> <em>Strong and well covered with muscle.</em></p> +</div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[53]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_CUMBERLAND">THE CUMBERLAND +AND WESTMORELAND PONIES.</h2> +</div> + + +<p>The ponies and galloways, for which the +waste lands of these counties have long +been known, appear to possess no distinguishing +characteristics that would permit it +to be said they form a distinct breed. An +authority resident at Harrington who gives +much information concerning the ponies of +the heafs—fell-side holdings—and moors, +states that there are several strains, and +the appearance and character of each differs +in various districts under the varying local +influences of climate, feed, &c. Little or +nothing is known of the origin of these +ponies. The resemblance to “Shelties,” +borne by those of certain localities until +about the middle of the century, suggested +that they were descended from a mixed +stock of galloways and Shetland ponies; +but some forty or fifty years ago endeavours +were made to improve them by careful +selection and mating; and the resemblance, +which did not necessarily imply possession +of the merits of the Shetland pony, has in +great measure disappeared.</p> + +<p>They are generally good-tempered; so<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[54]</span> +sure-footed that they can gallop down the +steep hill-sides with surprising speed and +fearlessness; but their paces on level ground +are not fast. Their endurance has been +remarked by many writers. Brown’s <em>Anecdotes +and Sketches of the Horse</em>, published +about sixty years ago, contains an account +of an extraordinary performance by a galloway, +at Carlisle, in 1701; when Mr. +Sinclair, of Kirkby Lonsdale, for a wager +of 500 guineas, rode the animal 1000 miles +in 1000 hours.</p> + +<p>The ponies run in “gangs” on the holdings, +the gang numbering from half a dozen +to forty or even sixty individuals. In some +cases a few ponies are taken up, broken +and worked all the year round, carrying the +farmer to market, drawing peat and hay, +and ploughing. The stony nature of the +heaf-lands requires only a light plough, +which is easily drawn by one or two of +the half-pony, half-horse nondescripts; the +extent of arable land farmed by any one +farmer is only from four to six acres. A +stallion is sometimes used for the farm-work, +and in such cases the neighbouring farmers +bring mares to be served; some such stallions +will serve from thirty to fifty mares +in the season. In the larger gangs the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[55]</span> +stallion runs with the mares on the hills; +a good breeding mare often lives and dies +without knowing a halter, running practically +wild from the day she is dropped on +the fell-side till she dies. These unhandled +ponies pick up their living on the hills, and +during winter a little hay is brought out to +them by the shepherds.</p> + +<p>The “Fell-siders,” as the holders of heafs +are called locally, make no attempt to improve +their wild pony stock; under the +existing conditions the wild mares drop +their foals, it may be without the knowledge +of their owner. Farmers who bring their +mares to a neighbour’s working stallion +exercise no discrimination in their choice; +the cheapest and most accessible horse +receives their preference.</p> + +<p>Where skill and judgment have been +brought to bear upon the improvement of +the Fell ponies the result has been very +marked. Mr. Christopher W. Wilson, of +Rigmaden Park, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmoreland, +was the pioneer of an improved +breed of ponies, and he has shown what can +be done with the material at hand, having +built upon that foundation a breed which at +the present day stands unrivalled for shape +and action. Having in the year 1872 taken<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[56]</span> +the matter in hand, Mr. Wilson selected +his breeding mares from among the best +ponies of the districts, and put them to +the pony stallion, Sir George, a Yorkshire-bred +Hackney (by Sportsman (796) by +Prickwillow, who was descended through +Phenomenon from the Original Shales), +which won for eight years the first prizes +at the Shows of the Royal Agricultural +Society. The female offspring were in due +time mated with their sire, and threw foals +which showed Hackney characteristics in +far more marked degree than did their +dams, as might be anticipated in animals +three-parts instead of one-half bred.</p> + +<p>The chief difficulty Mr. Wilson had to +contend against was the tendency of these +ponies to exceed the 14 hands which is +the limit of the pony classes at the shows. +This was overcome by turning out the young +stock after the first winter upon the rabbit +warrens and moorlands of Rigmaden to find +their own grazing among the sheep and +rabbits as their maternal ancestors had +done. This measure not only succeeded +in its direct object, but went far to preserve +that hardiness of constitution which is by +no means the least valuable attribute of +the mountain pony.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[57]</span></p> + +<p>This judicious system of breeding and +management was maintained with the best +results; the third direct cross from Sir +George produced a mare in Georgina <abbr title="the fifth">V</abbr>. +which had constitution and stamina, and also +more bone than her dam or grand-dam. +The breeder’s name has been given to the +fruits of his wisely directed efforts, and the +“Wilson pony” is now universally famous +for its hunter-like shape and action, and +for the numerous successes it has achieved +at the principal shows at home and abroad. +Mr. Wilson won the Queen’s Jubilee gold +medals for both stallions and mares at the +Royal Agricultural Society’s Show at Windsor, +and sold the stallion for a large sum +to go to America. On one occasion the +R.A.S.E. Show included three classes for +pony stallions and three prizes in each. Mr. +Wilson entered nine ponies and won all these +prizes; also 1st and 2nd prizes for pony +brood mares.</p> + +<p>Sir Humphrey de Trafford, Bart., was +also most successful in producing ponies +from stock purchased from Mr. Christopher +Wilson. At the Flordon Sale, Norfolk, +held in September, 1895, Sir Humphrey +disposed of his large stud, when some of +the ponies realised prices which are worth<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[58]</span> +quoting: Snorer <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>., a brown mare, 13.3, +eight years old, by Sir George—Snorer—Sir +George, 600 gs.; Georgina <abbr title="the fifth">V</abbr>., a bay mare, +14 hands, six years old, by Sir George—Georgina +<abbr title="the second">II</abbr>., Sir George—Georgina—Sir +George, 700 gs.; Dorothy Derby, a +bay mare, 14 hands, eight years old, by +Lord Derby <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>.—Burton Agnes, 600 gs.; +Dorothy Derby <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>., a bay mare, 14 hands, +six years old, by Little Wonder <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>.—Dorothy +Derby, 720 gs.; Snorter <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>., bay +filly, two years old, by Cassius—Snorer <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>. +by Sir George—Snorer—Sir George, 700 +gs., and Miss Sniff, bay yearling filly, +by Cassius—Snorer <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>., 900 gs.; the +average for these six lots being no less +than £756.</p> + +<p>It is true that Sir Humphrey had spared +neither money nor labour in founding the +Flordon stud, and the ponies were animals +of exceptional merit. Their high quality +had won them prizes at all the principal +shows in England, and their fame was +literally “world-wide.”</p> + +<p class="p4"></p> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-070"> +<img src="images/i-070.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="491"> +<p class="caption left"><em>S. Clark, Hallgarth, Photo.</em></p> +<p class="caption center">LITTLE WONDER <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<p>Twenty years ago, the late Rev. J. M. +Lowther, rector of Boltongate, made an +attempt on a modest scale to improve the +ponies of the Caldbeck Fells by selecting +sires and dams from among the best of <span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[59]</span> +them. Two or three ponies of his breeding +won prizes at Whitehaven and Carlisle; his +best sire was a 13-hand pony named +Mountain Hero. This little animal had +splendid bone and was as hardy as the +wildest of his kin. The picture here given +is a portrait of <span class="smcap">Little Wonder <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>.</span>, the property +of the Marquis of Londonderry. He +was bred by Mr. Christopher W. Wilson, +his sire being Little Wonder <abbr title="the first">I</abbr>., and his dam +Snorer by Sir George.</p> + +<p>Mr. William Graham, of Eden Grove, +Kirkbythorpe, Penrith, writes:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“Up to about twenty years ago great interest +seems to have been taken in pony or galloway cob +breeding throughout the whole district of the Eden +valley in the villages and hamlets that lie scattered all +along the foot of the Pennine range of hills. Previous +to the days of railway transit the ponies and small +galloway cobs were employed in droves as pack +horses, as well as for riding, and many men now +living can remember droves of from twenty to thirty +continually travelling the district, carrying panniers +of coal and other merchandise between the mines and +villages.</p> + +<p>“The village of Dufton, in which the hill farm of +Keisley is situated, was quite a centre of pony breeding, +and for many generations the Fell-side farmers in +this district have been noted for their ponies; they +bred them to the best Fell pony stallions, most of +which were trained trotters of great speed. Each of +the three mares originally purchased to found the +stud at Keisley were got from well-known locally<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[60]</span> +bred dams and grand-dams, and all were selected to +match each other in character and style. The mare +from which two of them were bred was from a very +old strain by a stallion pony called Long Cropper, a +record trotter; and all the three mares were themselves +by a pony called Blooming Heather, another +well-known pony stallion of a few generations +younger. These mares have been put to a stallion +got by Mars from a pony mare belonging to Col. +Stirling, Kippendavie, and the present stud, with the +exception of two of the mares originally purchased, +are all by him. Last season, and this, a pony stallion +by Little Wonder <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>. has been in use, and five or six +of the mares have foaled to him, the end of May and +beginning of June being quite early enough for +these mares to foal, as they are never under cover +unless broken-in, especially as they very readily stand +to their service at first season after foaling.</p> + +<p>“When safe in foal they are turned out to the higher +allotments and the open fell with their foals, where +they run from July to November; save in exceptionally +hard winters they get no hand feeding in the +shape of hay, as they thrive and do well in the rough +open allotments, to which they are generally brought +down in November to remain until the end of March.</p> + +<p>“In height these ponies run from 12 to 13 hands, +and with the exception of two blacks all are of +uniform rich dark bay colour with black points. Just +at first, when brought in wild to break, they are a +little nervous, but if kindly treated soon become very +docile and easily handled. They are very easily +broken both for riding and driving, and ponies comparatively +quite small carry with ease men of +ordinary stature. They are the most useful means +of locomotion in crossing the mountain ranges and +traversing the hilly roads of the district. Although +of no great size these ponies are very muscular, their +bones and joints are fine, hard and clean, and, +generally speaking, they have good middles. Some<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[61]</span> +are perhaps a little short in quarter, but with a fair +shoulder, and their legs, ankles and feet are all that +can be desired. There certainly seems to be very +fair field in the district for breeding ponies, as they +are very cheaply and easily reared, and when fit to +break in can be disposed of for a very fairly good +figure.”</p> +</div> + +<p>The Cumberland “Fell-siders” are wedded +to the customs and usages of their ancestors, +and endeavours to promote schemes for the +general improvement of the ponies have +met with small success. Colonel Green-Thompson, +of Bridekirk, Cockermouth, in +1897, offered the farmers the opportunity +of using an Arab stallion, but the chance of +thus bettering their stock appears to have +been neglected by the breeders. This is +to be regretted, for the fells and dales offer +thousands of acres of good, sound grazing +land which might be far more profitably +devoted to pony-breeding than given up to +the few scattered flocks of Herdwick sheep +which they now carry. The sheep farmers +of Caldbeck and Matterdale in Cumberland +pay some attention to the business, asserting +that the ponies are less trouble and involve +less risk than sheep. Their fillies are put +to the horse at two years old, and they +frequently obtain a second foal before sending<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[62]</span> +the dam to market. The colts command +a readier sale than the mares. The ordinary +Fell pony, outside the district, is in demand +for pit work, for which purpose suitable +animals bring from £12 to £15.</p> + +<p>Mr. W. W. Wingate-Saul supplies the +following description of the Fell ponies:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“<em>A very powerful and compact cobby build, the majority +having a strong middle piece with deep chest and strong loin +characteristics, which, combined with deep sloping shoulders +and fine withers, make them essentially weight-carrying +riding ponies. The prevailing—indeed, the only—colours +are black, brown, bay, and, quite occasionally, grey. I do +not remember ever having seen a chestnut, and if I found +one I should think it due to the introduction of other blood. +The four colours prevail in the order named, the best +animals often being get black and usually without white +markings, unless it be a small white star. The head is +pony-like and intelligent, with large bright eyes and well-placed +ears. The neck in the best examples being long +enough to give a good rein to the rider. The hind quarters +are square and strong, with a well-set-on tail. The legs +have more bone than those of any of our breeds; ponies +under 14 hands often measuring 8-1/2 inches below the knee. +Their muscularity of arm, thigh and second thigh is +marvellous. Their habitat (having been bred for centuries +on the cold inhospitable Fells, where they are still to be found) +has caused a wonderful growth of hair, the winter coat +being heavy and the legs growing a good deal of fine hair, +all of which, excepting some at the point of the heel, is cast +in summer. Constitutionally they are hard as iron, with +good all-round action, and are very fast and enduring.</em>”</p> +</div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[63]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="IRELAND-THE_CONNEMARA_PONY">IRELAND—THE CONNEMARA PONY.</h2> +</div> + + +<p>Richard Berenger, Gentleman of the +Horse to King George <abbr title="the third">III</abbr>. in his work, +<cite>The History and Art of Horsemanship</cite>, +1771—says that—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“Ireland has for many centuries boasted a race of +horses called Hobbies, valued for their easy paces +and other pleasing and agreeable qualities, of a +middling size, strong, nimble, well moulded and +hardy.... The nobility have stallions of great +reputation belonging to them, but choose to breed for +the <em>Turf</em> in preference to other purposes; for which, +perhaps, their country is not so well qualified, from +the moisture of the atmosphere, and other causes, +which hinder it from improving that elastic force +and clearness of wind; and which are solely the gifts +of a dry soil, and an air more pure and refined. This +country, nevertheless, is capable of producing fine +and noble horses.”</p> +</div> + +<p>The great stud maintained in England by +Edward <abbr title="the third">III</abbr>. (1327-1377) included a number +of Hobbies which were procured from Ireland. +A French chronicler named Creton, +who wrote a <cite>Metrical History of the Deposition +of Richard <abbr title="the second">II</abbr>.</cite>,<a id="FNanchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> refers with great +admiration to the Irish horses of the period. +He evidently accompanied King Richard +during his expedition to Ireland in the +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[64]</span>summer of 1399, for he says the horses of +that country “scour the hills and vallies +fleeter than deer;” and he states that the +horse ridden by Macmore, an Irish chieftain, +“without housing or saddle was worth +400 cows.”</p> + +<div class="footnotes"> +<p><a id="Footnote_6" href="#FNanchor_6" class="label">[6]</a> See vol. xx. of <cite>Archeologia</cite> for prose translation.</p> +</div> + +<p>At a much later date the character of +this breed was changed by the introduction +of Spanish blood. Tradition asserts that +the ponies which inhabited the rough and +mountainous tracts of Connemara, in the +county Galway, were descended from several +animals that were saved from the wreck +of some ship of the Spanish Armada in +1588. It is, however, quite needless to +invoke the aid of a somewhat too frequently +employed tradition to explain the +character which at one period distinguished +these ponies. Spanish stallions were freely +imported into England from the fourteenth +to seventeenth centuries; and it is probable +that the character of the Connemara pony +was derived not from shipwrecked stock +but in more prosaic fashion by importation +of sires from England.</p> + +<p>The testimony of many old writers goes +to prove the high esteem in which Spanish +horses were held. The Duke of Newcastle, +in his famous work on Horses and Horsemanship,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[65]</span> +written in 1658, says: “I have +had Spanish horses in my own possession +which were proper to be painted after, or +fit for a king to mount on a public occasion. +Genets have a fine lofty air, trot and gallop +well. The best breed is in Andalusia, +especially that of the King of Spain at +Cordova.” The Spanish horse of those +times owed much to the Barbs, which were +originally introduced into the country by +the Moors; and if the Connemara pony +was permitted to revert to the original +type, something was done to re-establish +the Spanish—or, perhaps, it were more +accurate to go a step further back and say +the “Barb”—character in the early thirties.</p> + +<p>Mr. Samuel Ussher Roberts, C.B., in +course of evidence given before the Royal +Commission on Horse Breeding in Ireland +(1897), stated that he lived for five-and-twenty +years in the west of Galway, and +when in that part of the country, “there +was,” he said, “an extremely hardy, wiry +class of pony in the district showing a +great deal of the Barb or Arab blood. +Without exception they were the best +animals I ever knew—good shoulders, good +hard legs, good action, and great stamina +... they were seldom over 14·2. I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[66]</span> +never knew one of them to have a spavin +or splint, or to be in any respect unsound +in his wind.... There was a strong +trace of Arab blood which I always understood +arose from the introduction into +Connemara of the Barb or Arab by the +Martin family many years ago—you could +very easily trace it to the Connemara +ponies at the time I speak of.” In answer +to a subsequent question Mr. Ussher +Roberts fixed the date of the introduction +of the Barb or Arab blood by Colonel +Martin at about 1833.</p> + +<p>The old stamp of Connemara pony was +described by another witness, Mr. R. B. +Begley, as “long and low with good rein, +good back, and well coupled”; but the +majority of witnesses from Galway, and +those who had personal knowledge of the +breed, shared Mr. Ussher Roberts’ opinion +that it had greatly deteriorated since the +middle of the century when the influence +of the Barb or Arab sires had died out. +The young animals, it was stated, were +collected in droves when about six months +old, and hawked about the country for sale, +bringing prices ranging from thirty shillings +to £3. Many of these were purchased for +use in the English coal pits. Evidence<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[67]</span> +was forthcoming to show that there are +still some good specimens of the breed. Mr. +John Purdon described a drove he had +recently seen in Connemara: “They were +beautiful mares, I never saw lovelier mares; +about twenty in the drove, and foals with +them. They were the perfect type of a +small thoroughbred mare.” These animals +were the property of Mr. William Lyons, +who kept a special breed for generations.</p> + +<p>The falling off in quality was generally +attributed to promiscuous breeding and to +in-breeding. “In some parts of Connemara,” +said Mr. H. A. Robinson, “they just turn +a stallion out loose on the mountains, +mongrels of the very worst description.” +There is, however, another factor in the +loss of quality, namely, the terrible straits +to which the peasantry were reduced in +the time of the famine. A correspondent +informs me that in south-west Cork, in the +fifties, nearly all the people had mare ponies; +in west Galway in the sixties there was +scarcely an ass in Connemara west of +Spiddal and Oughterard; and the case in +west Mayo was the same. When my informant +visited the same districts fifteen +or twenty years later, he observed a remarkable +change. “Hard times” had come<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[68]</span> +upon the people in the interim, and all the +small holders had donkeys instead of ponies; +poverty had obliged them to sell their mares; +and when times improved they were too +impoverished to buy new ponies, and replaced +them with asses.</p> + +<p>Under such circumstances, of course, the +better the mare owned by the peasant the +more likely it was to find a purchaser; and +little but the “rag, tag and bobtail” was +left to perpetuate the species. However +considerably the remainder depreciated in +quality, they still retained their characteristic +hardiness of constitution and the germs of +those qualities which under better auspices +gained the breed its reputation. Some of +the witnesses who gave evidence before the +Royal Commission mentioned experiments +in cross breeding which prove how well and +rapidly the Connemara pony responds to +endeavour to improve it by the introduction +of suitable fresh blood. Mr. Samuel Johnston +stated that he had bred one of the best +hunters he ever possessed out of a Connemara +mare; and Mr. R. B. Begley +described a mare got by the pure-bred +Hackney sire Star of the West from a +“mountainy pony.” This Hackney-Connemara +cross could cover an English mile<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[69]</span> +in three minutes; Mr. Begley had driven +her fifty-six Irish (over seventy-one statute) +miles in a day, and had repeatedly driven +her twelve Irish (over fifteen statute) miles +in an hour and ten minutes; he had won +two prizes with her for action in harness at +the Hollymount Show; and had hunted her +with ten stone on her back. With hounds as +in the shafts this really remarkable pony +proved herself able to go and stay, performing +well across country.</p> + +<p>These Connemara ponies stand from 12 +hands to 14 hands or more. Like other +breeds which run practically wild in mountainous +country, they are above all things +hardy, active and sure-footed: in response +to the climatic conditions of their habitat—the +climate of West Galway is the most +humid of any spot in Europe—they grow a +thick and shaggy coat which is very usually +chestnut in colour betraying their descent. +Although they have lost in size owing to +the conditions of their existence and are +rounder in the croup, they retain the peculiar +ambling gait which distinguished their +Spanish ancestors. Those with whose +breeding care has been taken, such as the +drove belonging to Mr. William Lyons, of +Oughterard, show the characteristics implanted<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[70]</span> +by the infusion of Barb blood in +their blood-like heads and clean limbs. +Even those which have suffered through promiscuous +breeding conform in their ugliness +and shortcomings to the original type.</p> + +<p>For some years past systematic endeavours +to improve the breed have been +in progress. The Congested Districts +Board, under the Land Commission of +Ireland, introduced small Hackney stallions +whose substance, action and robust constitution +render them particularly well adapted +to correct the defects of weedy and ill-shaped +mares without impairing their +natural hardiness.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[71]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_PONIES_OF_SCOTLAND_AND">THE PONIES OF SCOTLAND AND +THE SHETLAND ISLANDS.</h2> +</div> + + +<p>The Scottish nation from early times have +possessed a breed of horses which was held +in great esteem; and, as in England, laws +were passed from time to time prohibiting +their export from the country. The second +parliament of James <abbr title="the first">I</abbr>. in the year 1406 +enacted (cap. 31) that no horse of three +years old or under should be sent out of +Scotland. In 1567, James <abbr title="the sixth">VI</abbr>. forbade the +export of horses in an Act (Jac. <abbr title="the sixth">VI</abbr>., cap. +22) whose preface makes specific reference +to Bordeaux, from which place there was +a great demand for horses.</p> + +<p>In a curious old book entitled <cite>The Horseman’s +Honour</cite> or the <cite>Beautie of Horsemanship</cite>, +published in the year 1620 by an +anonymous writer, we find the following +passage:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“For the horses of Scotland they are much less +than those of England, yet not inferiour in goodnesse; +and by reason of their smallnesse they keep few +stoned but geld many by which likwise they retaine +this saying ‘That there is no gelding like those in +Scotland,’ and they, as the English, are for the most +part amblers. Also in Scotland there are a race +of small nagges which they call galloways or galloway +nagges, which for fine shape easie pace, pure +mettall and infinit toughnesse are not short of the +best nagges that are bred in any countrey whatsoever;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[72]</span> +and for soundnesse in body they exceede the +most races that are extant, as dayly experience +shews in their continuall travels journeyings and +forehuntings.”</p> +</div> + +<p>Berenger<a id="FNanchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> says:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“This kingdom (Scotland) at present encourages +a fleet breed of horses, and the nobility and gentry +have many foreign and other stallions of great value +in their possession with which they cultivate the +breed and improve it with great knowledge and +success. Like the English they are fond of racing +and have a celebrated course at Leith which is +honoured with a royal plate given by his present +Majesty [George <abbr title="the third">III.</abbr>]</p> + +<p>“The wisdom and generosity likewise of the +nobility and gentry have lately erected a riding house +in the City of Edinburgh at their own expense and +fixed a salary upon the person appointed to direct it.</p> + +<p>“This kingdom has been famous for breeding a +peculiar sort of horses called Galloways. From the +care and attention paid at present to the culture of +horses it is to be expected that it will soon be able +to send forth numbers of valuable and generous +breeds destined to a variety of purposes and equal +to all: the country being very capable of answering +the wishes of the judicious breeder who need only +remember that colts require to be well nourished in +winter and sheltered from the severity of a rigorous +and changeable sky.”</p> +</div> + + +<div class="footnotes"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_7" href="#FNanchor_7" class="label">[7]</a> “The History and Art of Horsemanship,” by Richard +Berenger, published by Davies and Cadell, London, 1771.</p> + +</div> + +<p>The Galloway, so called from the part of +Scotland known by that name, is a diminutive +horse resembling the Welsh cob, to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[73]</span> +which the author of an <cite>Encyclopædia of +Agriculture</cite> compares it in a passage quoted +on a former page. The breed gradually +diminished in number as the advances of +law and order deprived the mosstroopers and +other predatory border men of a method of +livelihood which involved the use of hardy +and enduring horses.</p> + +<p>Before the commencement of the nineteenth +century and during more recent years +this animal, which cannot be described either +as a horse or a pony, has played an active +part in agricultural work on the low lands of +Scotland. In localities where no roads +existed, and wheeled traffic was impossible, +galloways were used not only for riding +but for the transport of agricultural produce; +as they lacked the weight and strength to +draw the two-horse plough, ploughing was +done by oxen, but the sledges which held +the place of carts and waggons were drawn +by the galloways, which were also used to +carry corn and general merchandise in pots +and panniers.</p> + +<p>In height the original Galloway was +generally under 14 hands. Youatt (second +edition, 1846) describes it as from 13 to 14 +hands, and sometimes more; it was a bright +bay or brown, with black legs and small<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[74]</span> +head. The purposes for which it was used +indicated the desirability of increasing its +height and strength, and with this end in +view cross breeding was commenced in the +early part of the century, and continued until +so late a date as 1850. By consequence, +the old Galloway has now almost disappeared +from all parts of the mainland and +survives only in such remote situations as +the Island of Mull.</p> + +<p>About the end of the eighteenth century +a Mr. Gilchrist employed on his farm in +Sutherlandshire as many as ten “garrons” +to carry peats from the hills and seaweed +from the shore. These burdens were carried +in crates or panniers:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“The little creatures do wonders; they set out at +peep of day and never halt till the work of the day +be finished—going 48 miles.”<a id="FNanchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a></p> +</div> +<div class="footnotes"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_8" href="#FNanchor_8" class="label">[8]</a> <cite>Husbandry in Scotland</cite>, published by Creech, Edinburgh, +1784.</p> + +</div> + +<p>At the present time the most conspicuous +field of utility open to the Scottish pony is +that offered by the grouse-moors and deer-forests, +though in the close season general +farm and draught work affords them employment. +A pony of from 13 to 14 hands may +be strong enough for a man of average <span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[75]</span> +weight to ride on the grouse-moor; but for +deer-stalking a sturdy cob of from 14 to 15 +hands is necessary, a smaller animal is not +equal to the task of carrying a heavy man +or a 17-stone stag over the rough hills and +valleys among which his work lies.</p> + +<p>The origin of the “Sheltie,” like that of +the other breeds considered in the foregoing +pages, is unknown. Mr. James Goudie, +whose essay on <cite>The Early History of the +Shetland Pony</cite> is published in the first +volume of the <cite>Shetland Pony Stud Book</cite> +thinks there is every likelihood that it was +brought to the islands from Scotland at some +very early period. The “Bressay Stone,” a +sculptured slab which was discovered in +Bressay in 1864, bears, among other designs +in low relief, the figure of a horse on which +a human figure is seated. “As this monument +is admitted by authorities on the +subject to belong to a period before the +Celtic Christianity of the islands disappeared +under the shock of Norwegian +invasion [<span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 872], it may be inferred ... +that the animal was known and probably +found in the islands at this period.” Early +writers state that the Scandinavian invaders +introduced the foundation stock some time +prior to the fifteenth century. Buchanan<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[76]</span> +makes passing reference to the Orkney +and Shetland ponies in his <cite>History of Scotland</cite>, +written three centuries ago: but the +first description which has completeness to +recommend it is that of Brand, who visited +the islands in 1700 and wrote <cite>A Brief +Description of Orkney, Zetland, Pightland, +Firth and Caithness</cite>, which was published +at Edinburgh in the following year. This +author writes:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“They are of a less size than the Orkney Horses, +for some will be but 9, others 10 nives or hand-breadths +high, and they will be thought big Horses +there if 11, and although so small yet they are full of +vigour and life, and some not so high as others often +prove to be the strongest.... Summer or +winter they never come into an house but run upon +the mountains, in some places in flocks; and if any +time in Winter the storm be so great that they are +straitened for food they will come down from the +Hills when the ebb is in the sea and eat the sea-ware +... which Winter storms and scarcity of +fodder puts them out of ease and bringeth them so +very low that they recover not their strength till +St. John’s Mass-day, the 24th of June, when they +are at their best. They will live to a considerable +age, as twenty-six, twenty-eight or thirty years, and +they will be good riding horses in twenty-four, especially +they’le be the more vigorous and live the +longer if they be four years old before they be put to +work. Those of a black colour are judged to be the +most durable and the pyeds often prove not so good; +they have been more numerous than they now are.”</p> +</div> + +<p>Bengie, in his <cite>Tour in Shetland</cite> (1870),<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[77]</span> +after remarking on their sure-footedness and +hardiness of constitutions, suggests that the +sagacity, spirit and activity for which they +are remarkable may be due to the freedom +of the life they live on the hills. “They are +sprightly and active as terriers, sure-footed +as mules and patient as donkeys.” They +stand, he adds, at the head of the horse +tribe as the most intelligent and faithful of +them all; and he compares the intelligence +of the Sheltie with that of the Iceland pony +much to the advantage of the former. +“Shorter in the leg than any other kind,” +says Mr. Robert Brydon, of Seaham Harbour, +“they are at the same time wider in the +body and shorter in the back, with larger +bones, thighs and arms; and therefore are +comparatively stronger and able to do with +ease as much work as average ponies of +other breeds a hand higher.” The Shetland +Stud Book Society will register no pony +whose height exceeds 10 hands 2 inches, +and the average height may be taken as +10 hands: many do not exceed 9 hands, and +a lady who wrote an account of a visit to +Shetland in 1840 speaks of one reared by +Mr. William Hay, of Hayfield, which was +only 26 inches, or 6 hands 2 inches high! +It is however, unusual to find a pony<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[78]</span> +measuring less than 8 hands at the shoulder, +and we may perhaps doubt whether the +26-inch specimen was full-grown.</p> + +<p>In colour the Shetlander varies: bays, +browns and dullish blacks are most common: +sometimes these hues are relieved by white +markings and occasionally white specimens +occur: piebalds are rare. The coat in +winter is long, close and shaggy, fit protection +against the inclemency of the +weather the pony endures without cover +or shelter: in spring the heavy winter coat +is shed, and in the summer months the hair +is short and sleek.</p> + +<p>In former times it was customary to +hobble the ponies; but this practice, which +must have done much to spoil their naturally +good action, has been abandoned for +many years.</p> + +<p>It is now usual to give the ponies a +ration of hay in the winter months when +the vegetation is covered deep with snow, +and thus the losses by starvation, which +formerly were heavy in severe winters, are +obviated. Otherwise the Sheltie’s conditions +of life to-day differ little from those +that prevailed three centuries ago. Mr. +Meiklejohn, of Bressay, states that in April, +generally, the crofters turn their ponies out<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[79]</span> +upon the common pasture lands, and leave +them to their own devices. On common +pastures where there are no stallions the +mares are caught for service and tethered +until the foal is born and can follow freely, +when mother and child are turned out again.</p> + +<p>In autumn when crops have been carried +the ponies come down from the hills to +their own townships, where they feed on the +patches of fresh grass which have been +preserved round the cultivated areas. The +nights being now cold, they remain in the +low-lying lands sheltering under the lee of +the yard walls; and “when winter has +more fully set in the pony draws nearer his +owner’s door, and in most cases is rewarded +with his morning sheaf on which, with seaweed +and what he continues to pick off +the green sward, the hardy animal manages +to eke out a living until the time rolls round +again that he is turned on the hill pasture, +never being under a roof in his life.”</p> + +<p>At one period the ponies were apparently +regarded almost as public property; for, +among the “Acts and Statutes of the Lawting +Sheriff and Justice Courts of Orkney +and Shetland,” was one passed in the year +1612 and frequently renewed, which forbade +the “ryding ane uther manis hors without<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[80]</span> +licence and leave of the awner,” under +penalty of fine; and also provided that +“quhasoever sall be tryet or fund to stow +or cut ane uther man’s hors taill sall be +pwinischit as a theif at all rigour in exempill +of utheris to commit the lyke.”</p> + +<p>The number of ponies on the islands has +decreased in recent years by reason of the +steadily growing demand from without. The +latest available Government returns are +those of 1891, and for the sake of comparison +the returns of 1881 are given +below:—</p> + +<table> +<tr> +<td class="right" colspan="2"><strong>1881</strong></td> +<td class="right"><strong>1891</strong></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="hang"> +Horses (including ponies) as returned by occupiers of land +used solely for agriculture</td> +<td class="right">921</td> +<td class="right">787</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="hang">Unbroken horses and mares kept solely for breeding</td> +<td class="right">4,323</td> +<td class="right">4,016</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="right" colspan="2">———</td> +<td class="right">———</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="right" colspan="2">5,244</td> +<td class="right">4,803</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="right" colspan="2">———</td> +<td class="right">———</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p>The ponies are little used for farm work +in the Shetlands; they carry loads of peat +from the hills to the crofts, and apart from +this are used only for riding; they are +beyond question the most wonderful weight-carriers +in the world, a 9-hand pony being +able to carry with the greatest ease a full-grown +man over bad ground and for long +distances.</p> + +<p>They owe their value to the combination +of minuteness and strength, which renders +them peculiarly suitable for draught work in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[81]</span> +the coal mines. Many ponies will travel +thirty miles a day, to and fro in the seams, +drawing a load, tilt and coals included, of +from 12 to 14 cwt. The Sheltie’s lot underground +is admittedly a hard one, but his +tractable disposition usually ensures for him +kindly treatment at the hands of the boy +who has him in charge.</p> + +<p>These ponies, says Mr. Brydon, were first +used in the coal pits of the North of +England about the year 1850. Horse +ponies from 3 to 5 years old could then be +purchased for £4 10s. each delivered at the +collieries. Since that time prices have risen +enormously, though for the smallest animals +they fluctuate from time to time in sympathy +with the price of coal. As the cause of the +influence of the coal market upon the price +of Shetland ponies is perhaps not quite +obvious, it must be explained that the chief +value of these little animals is their ability +to work in the low galleries of thin-seamed +pits; when the price of coal sinks to a certain +point these thin seams cannot be profitably +worked, the pits are “laid in,” or temporarily +closed, and the ponies withdrawn. In 1891 +the average yearling was worth £15 and a +two-year-old £18, while full-grown ponies +were scarcely procurable. In 1898 a four-year-old<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[82]</span> +could be bought at from £15 to +£21, owing to the depression in the price +of coals and the suspension of work in thin-seamed +pits.</p> + +<p>It will be understood that only small +animals of the commoner sort suitable for +pit work are affected by the coal market. +Horse ponies of the right stamp with good +pedigree and suitable for the stud still command +from £30 to £50, and in some cases +even more. Mare ponies of good pedigree +also command high prices; at the last +Londonderry sale, the mares, Mr. R. Brydon +informs me, sold at an average of £19 per +head; but the average obtained for second-class +mares would little exceed six guineas +per head.</p> + +<p>The docility and good temper of the +Shetland pony make him, above all, the +best and most trustworthy mount for a child. +Captain H. Hayes has remarked that “a +comparatively high degree of mental (<em>i.e.</em>, +reasoning) power is not desirable in a horse, +because it is apt to make him impatient of +control by man.” The Shetland pony is +the rule-proving exception; for he combines +with the highest order of equine intelligence +a disposition curiously free from vice or +trickiness. Mr. Brydon has never known +a Sheltie withdrawn from a pit as wicked +or unmanageable; withdrawal for such +reasons being very frequent with ponies of +other breeds.</p> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-095"> +<img src="images/i-095.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="572"> +<p class="caption right"><em>Engraved by F. Babbage.</em></p> +<p class="caption center">CHILD’S SHETLAND PONY.</p> +<p class="caption center">The property of Sir WALTER GILBEY, Bart.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[83]</span></p> + +<p>It may be observed that about the middle +of the century there were a number of Shelties +in Windsor Park, which were used to do +various kinds of work.</p> + +<p>During recent years a demand for mares +for breeding purposes has grown up in +America, much to the advantage of the +crofter, who finds a market in the colliery +districts for horse ponies only.</p> + +<p>Many attempts have been made to increase +the size of the Sheltie. About the +middle of the last century Norwegian pony +stallions were introduced into Dunrossness +with the result that a distinct variety was +established and still continues; this is called +the Sumburgh breed; in size these ponies +range from 12 hands to 13·2. Another +variety known as the Fetlar breed owes its +origin to the introduction by Sir Arthur +Nicolson of a Mustang stallion named +Bolivar over half a century ago; the +Fetlar ponies run from 11 to 13 hands, and +are described as remarkably handsome, swift +and spirited, but less tractable than the pure +Shetlander. The Sumburgh and Fetlar<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[84]</span> +varieties deserve mention only as experiments; +the result having been to increase +the height of the pony, it follows, after what +has been said on a former page, that these +cross-bred animals are of comparatively +small value.</p> + +<p>Far more importance attaches to the +efforts which have been made to improve +the pure breed while preserving its diminutive +size. The Marquis of Londonderry, +some twenty-five years ago, acquired grazings +on Bressay and Moss Islands; and +having procured the best stock obtainable +from all over the Shetlands, began breeding +on judicious and methodical lines. Twelve +or fifteen mares with a carefully selected +stallion are placed in an enclosure, and the +young stock, after weaning, are turned out +on the hills; they are hand-fed in winter, +but are never given the protection of a roof, +whereby their natural hardiness is preserved. +The Marquis of Zetland in Unst, +and Mr. Bruce in Fair Isle, follow a somewhat +similar method of mating and rearing. +Messrs. Anderson & Sons have on Northmavine +done much to promote the interests +of the breed by purchasing good stallions, +often at Lord Londonderry’s annual Seaham +Harbour Sale, and distributing these over<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[85]</span> +the common pastures. The benefits which +have accrued from this policy are very +marked; and though the crofters yield to +the temptation of high prices, and sell their +best animals for export, the endeavours of +the gentlemen named above to maintain +the quality of the breed in its native habitat +cannot fail to largely counteract the evil +results of such sales.</p> + +<p>Among the studs on the mainland the +best known, perhaps, is that of the Countess +of Hopetoun at Linlithgow. Her ladyship’s +success has been due in no small measure +to that beautiful little sire the Monster. +This pony is a perfect example of the Shetland +stallion, as may be gathered from his +showyard record: he was first in the class +for Shetland ponies under 10 hands 2 inches +at the Royal Agricultural Society’s Show in +1895, at Darlington, and has been preferred +by judges to Lord Londonderry’s Excellent +and the Elsenham pony, Good Friday, +Excellent having taken many first prizes, +and Good Friday five firsts at the London +shows.</p> + +<p>Mr. James Bruce has a drove of Shetland +ponies at Inverquhomery, Longside, Aberdeenshire. +These are descended from two +mares and a stallion imported in the year<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[86]</span> +1889. Three years ago Mr. Bruce replenished +his breeding stock by the purchase +of five more mares. A noteworthy feature +of this stud is the colour, which in every +case is chestnut, Mr. Bruce’s 1889 importations +being of that rare colour among +Shelties.</p> + +<p>Since the establishment of the <cite>Shetland +Pony Stud Book</cite>, several studs have been +founded in Scotland and England. The chief +difficulty the owners have to contend with +is the proneness towards increase of size +due to milder climate and richer feed. This +tendency can only be checked by the +periodical importation of stock from the +Shetland Isles.</p> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-102"> +<img src="images/i-102.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="444"> +<p class="caption center"><em>Drawn by J. Doyle.</em> <em>Engraved on wood by F. Babbage.</em></p> +<p class="caption center">H.R.H. PRINCESS VICTORIA IN HER PONY PHAETON.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[87]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="USES_AND_CHARACTERISTICS_OF_THE">USES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE +PONY.</h2> +</div> + + +<p>It would be difficult to name a class of +work in which the pony is not employed. +He is used by all, from the sovereign to the +peasant and costermonger. Pony racing has +been recently re-established as a sport after +temporary suspension, due to no shortcoming +on the pony’s side. It is rare that a meet +of hounds is not attended by a sprinkling +of ponies carrying future sportsmen and +women, and it is safe to assert that every +master of hounds and every man who takes +his own line across country served his +apprenticeship to the saddle on the back +of a pony. The reason is that few men +who do not learn to ride in early boyhood, +when a pony is the only possible mount, +completely master the art in later life; hence +we meet few good horsemen who do not +receive their first riding lessons on a steady +pony. There is no stamp of vehicle which +is not drawn by ponies. Her Majesty, for +many years, drove a pony in her garden-chair; +in double or single harness we find +the pony driven in victoria, dog-cart, +governess cart, and Irish car; in the tradesman’s +light van and in the market cart<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[88]</span> +drawing wares of every description; in the +itinerant fishmonger’s, coster’s and hawker’s +nondescript vehicle.</p> + +<p>The country clergyman and doctor would +be in sore straits without the thirteen hand +pony, which does a horse’s work on one-half +a horse’s feed, and requires no more +stable attendance than the gardener or +handy man can spare time to give him. +As shown in the foregoing pages, his +labours are not confined to saddle and +harness; in some parts of the country he +is still used for pack-work, carrying agricultural +produce and peats from the hills +and moorlands to the farmstead; and in the +low seams of the coal-pits which the horse +cannot enter he is indispensable. Large +though our native stock of ponies is, we +do not breed them in numbers nearly sufficient +for our needs, and each year brings +thousands of small cheap ponies to our +ports from Norway, Sweden and Russia. +These, like the gangs purchased from +breeders on Exmoor and elsewhere, are +driven from one fair to another, to be sold +by twos and threes all over the country +by persons who cannot afford to keep a +horse, but are obliged to provide themselves +with a cheap and useful beast for +draught or carriage.</p> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-106"> +<img src="images/i-106.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="554"> +<p class="caption right"><em>Engraved by F. Babbage.</em></p> +<p class="caption center">THE FIRST LEAP.</p> +<p class="caption center">From the picture by Sir EDWIN LANDSEER, R.A.</p> +</div> +</div> + + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[89]</span></p> + +<p>It is very generally admitted that the +intelligence of the pony is of higher degree +than that of the horse; and the fact, we +cannot doubt, is attributable to the different +conditions under which ponies and horses +are reared. The former, foaled and brought +up on the hills and wastes, develope ability, +like other wild animals, to look after themselves, +and the intelligence so evolved is +transmitted to generations born in domestication. +The horse, foaled and reared in +captivity, with every precaution taken for +his security, has no demands made upon his +intelligence, and his mental faculties remain +to a great extent undeveloped. The same +causes operate to furnish the pony’s stronger +constitution and greater soundness; greater +soundness not only in limb but also organic; +roaring and whistling are unknown in the +pony, common as they are in the horse.</p> + +<p>This superiority of constitution accounts +for the marked superiority of the pony over +the horse in endurance. The small and +compact horse is always a better stayer than +the large, loosely-built animal, and in the +pony we find the merits of compactness at +their highest. Numberless instances of pony +endurance might be quoted, but two or three +will suffice. Reference has been made on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[90]</span> +p. 30 to Sir Charles Turner’s achievement +of riding a pony ten miles and over thirty +leaps in forty-seven minutes, and to the conveyance +of news from Holyhead to London +by relays of ponies at the rate of twenty +miles an hour. Whyte, in his <cite>History of +the British Turf</cite>, states that in April, 1754, +a mare, 13 hands 3 inches high, belonging +to Mr. Daniel Croker, travelled 300 miles +on Newmarket Heath in 64 hours 20 minutes; +she had been backed to perform the +journey in 72 hours, and therefore completed +her task with seven hours and forty minutes +to spare. Her best day’s work was done on +Tuesday, April 23. Mr. Whyte gives the +following details of this extraordinary performance:—“24 +miles and baited; 24 miles +and baited; 24 miles and baited; 36 miles +without baiting; total 108 miles. On the +Monday and Wednesday she covered 96 +miles each day. She was ridden throughout +by a boy who scaled 4 stone 1 lb. without +reckoning saddle and bridle. Another performance +worth citing as proof of pony +endurance was Sir Teddy’s race with the +London mail coach to Exeter, a distance of +172 miles. Sir Teddy, a twelve hand pony, +was led between two horses all the way, and +carried no rider himself. He performed the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[91]</span> +journey in 23 hours and 20 minutes, beating +the coach by fifty-nine minutes.”</p> + +<p>We generally find that great feats of +endurance, involving capacity to thrive on +poor and scanty food, have generally been +performed by ponies.<a id="FNanchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> In the Nile Campaign +of 1885 the 19th Hussars were mounted on +Syrian Arabs, averaging 14 hands, which +had been purchased in Syria and Lower +Egypt at an average price of £18. The +weight carried was reduced as much as +possible in view of the hard work required +of the ponies, but each of the 350 on which +the Hussars were mounted carried about +14 stone. Their march from Korti to +Metammeh as part of a flying column +showed what these little horses could do; +between the 8th and 20th of January, both +days included, they travelled 336 miles; +halting on the 13th. On the return March +from Dongola to Wady Halfa, 250 miles, +after nearly nine months’ hard work on poor +food they averaged 16 miles a day, with +one halt of two days. Colonel Burrow, in +reviewing the work performed by these +ponies, says: “Food was often very limited, +and during the desert march, water was +very scarce. Under these conditions I venture<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[92]</span> +to think that the performances of the regiment +on the Arab ponies will compare with +the performance of any horsemen on record.”<a id="FNanchor_10" href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a></p> + +<div class="footnotes"> +<p><a id="Footnote_9" href="#FNanchor_9" class="label">[9]</a> See <cite>Small Horses in Warfare</cite>. By Sir Walter Gilbey, +Bart. Vinton & Co., Ltd., 1900.</p> +</div> + +<div class="footnotes"> +<p><a id="Footnote_10" href="#FNanchor_10" class="label">[10]</a> <cite>The <abbr title="the nineteenth">XIXth</abbr> and Their Times</cite>, Colonel John Biddulph. +Murray, 1899.</p> +</div> + +<p>Captain Fred Burnaby, in his well-known +work “A Ride to Khiva,” bears witness to +the wonderful endurance of a fourteen-hand +Tartar pony which he purchased with misgivings +for £5, in default of any better +mount. This pony, he tell us, was in such +miserable condition, his men complained +among themselves that it would not be worth +<em>eating</em>, they looked upon the little beast as +fore-doomed from the moment Captain +Burnaby mounted it. Yet this pony, its +ordinary diet supplemented by a few pounds +of barley daily, carried its rider, who weighed +twenty stone in his heavy sheepskin clothes, +safely and well over 900 miles of bad roads, +often through deep snow, and always in +bitterly cold weather, the thermometer being +frequently many degrees below zero. On +the concluding day of the return journey this +pony galloped the last 17 miles in 1 hour and +25 minutes. It would be easy to multiply +examples of pony endurance; but we forbear.</p> + +<p>The greater stamina of the pony is evidenced +in another direction, namely, length +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[93]</span>of life. Instances in which ponies have +attained to a great age are more numerous +than those recorded of horses, and further +the pony lives longer. Mr. Edmund F. +Dease, of Gaulstown, Co. Westmeath, lost a +pony in December, 1894, which had reached +the age of 39 years; in 1896, Mrs. Pratt, of +Low Pond House, Bedale, Yorks, lost a +pony mare aged 45 years; on Christmas Day, +1863, there died at Silworthy, near Clovelly +in North Devon, a pony which had arrived +within a few weeks of his sixtieth year. +Accounts of ponies which lived, and in some +cases worked, until they reached 40, 38, 37, +and 35 years also recur to mind.</p> + +<p>There is a degree of cold beyond which +the horse cannot exist; and as he approaches +the latitude where the limit prevails, the +effect of climate is apparent in his conformation.</p> + +<p>The frozen and ungenial country of Lapland +has its small ponies; they are employed +in drawing sledges over the snow and transporting +forage and merchandise, which in +summer are conveyed in boats. In Iceland +he is dwarfed to a Liliputian size, and +thriving in the comparatively mild climate +of the Shetlands we find a pony smaller +than any other in the British Islands.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[94]</span></p> + +<p>It would seem from the facts it has been +possible to collect that the New Forest, +Welsh, Exmoor and Dartmoor, Fell and +Connemara breeds of ponies are in their +natural state of small value to man, though +they owe to the natural conditions under +which they exist qualities which may be +turned to very valuable account by judicious +crossing with breeds of a recognised stamp. +Improvement must involve partial sacrifice +of qualities such as ability to withstand +exposure and cold on insufficient food, sure-footedness, +and the sagacity which avoids +bog and treacherous ground. These qualities, +in their highest development, are indispensable +to a wild animal; but the improved +pony obtained by crossing is not +destined for a wild life on the hills and +wastes, and is less dependent upon them.</p> + +<p>Partial loss of such attributes, therefore, is +a price well worth paying for the increased +size and better conformation which render +the produce suitable for man’s service with +the more artificial and luxurious conditions +of life inseparable from complete domesticity. +The remarkable soundness of limb and constitution, +developed by centuries of free +life on the hills, are enduring qualities +which appear in generation after generation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[95]</span> +of stock descended on one side from +the half-wild breeds; and these are the +qualities which above all it is desirable to +breed into our horses of all sizes and for all +purposes. The advantage to be gained by +systematic improvement of these wild breeds +of ponies is therefore not by any means +advantageous to one side only.</p> + +<p>The Polo Pony Society at their meeting +of 7th December, 1898, resolved to set +apart a section of their Stud Book for the +registration of Welsh, Exmoor, New Forest +and other breeds of ponies; and with reference +to this step Lord Arthur Cecil, in +his Introduction to the fifth (1899) volume +of the Polo Pony Stud Book, says:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“It is in the limit of height that the greatest difficulty +of the Society lies. Could we be certain of +breeding every animal between 14 hands and 14 +hands 2 inches our course would be tolerably clear.... +There is always, however, the danger that +the best-looking and best-nourished of our young +stock will, if some means be not found to prevent +it, exceed this limit. The remedy is more or less +within our reach by utilising the hardy little stocks +of ponies which are to be found almost indigenous +in those districts of the British Isles where there +are large tracts of mountain or moorland ground. I +refer to such ponies as those found in North and +South Wales, the New Forest, Exmoor, Dartmoor, +and the hills of the north of England and west +coast of Scotland.... Perhaps it may not be +out of place to mention that the present is not an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[96]</span> +inappropriate time for upholding the breeding of +ponies on hill lands. The keeping of hill sheep is +not so remunerative as of yore, the price of wool +being so low and the demand for four-year-old +mutton not being anything like what it was a few +years ago; whereas, on the other hand, the demand +for ponies, especially good ones, is likely to increase, +and if farmers will only give them a fair chance +they will amply repay them for their keep up to +three years old. It is hoped that by careful consideration +of their various characteristics, and by +registering such of them as are likely to breed +riding ponies, and by periodically going back to +this fountain head of all ponies, we may be able +to regulate the size of our higher-class riding ponies +to the desired limit, while at the same time we +shall infuse into their blood the hardiness of constitution +and endurance, combined with a fiery yet even +temper, so pre-eminently characteristic of the British +native breeds.”</p> +</div> + +<p>The Shetland pony stands upon a different +footing. In him we have a pony whose +characteristics are equally valuable to it as +a wild animal and as one in a state of +domestication. It is the only one of our +half-wild breeds which gains nothing from +an infusion of alien blood; its value depends +upon the careful preservation of distinctive +peculiarities of size and make, which fit it +above all others for special purposes.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[97]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="BREEDING_POLO_PONIES">BREEDING POLO PONIES.</h2> +</div> + + +<p>With only the limited experience in breeding +ponies for Polo possessed by all who +breed stock, remarks hazarded under this +heading must necessarily be guided by +general principles of breeding, and readers +must be left to take them for what they may +be worth.</p> + +<p>The steadily increasing popularity of the +game of Polo has naturally produced an increased +demand for suitable ponies; and +Polo players being as a rule wealthy men, to +whom a really good animal is cheap at almost +any price, the value of first-rate ponies has +risen to a level which compels attention to +their breeding as a probably remunerative +branch of industry. It was difficult to find +ponies when an elastic 14-hand limit was the +rule; and if we may judge from the prices +which have been paid since the regulation +height was raised to 14 hands 2 inches, the +greater latitude thus afforded players in +selecting mounts has done little or nothing +towards solving the difficulty.</p> + +<p>What is this Polo Pony for which a fancy +price is so readily forthcoming? In the first +place, it is not a pony at all, but a small horse;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[98]</span> +we may let that pass, however. The modern +Polo Pony must be big and powerful, at once +speedy, sound, handy and docile, having also +courage, power to carry weight, and staying +power. And, as the necessary speed and +courage are rarely to be found apart from +blood, it has become an article of faith with +players that the first-class pony must have a +preponderance of racehorse blood in his veins.</p> + +<p>Hence a serious difficulty faces the breeder +at the outset. For generations we have +devoted all our care to increasing the height +of the racehorse, and with such success that +in 200 years we have raised his average +stature by nearly 2 hands. The great +authority Admiral Rous, writing in the year +1860, said that the English racehorse had +increased in height an inch in every twenty-five +years since the year 1700. We now +regard a thoroughbred as under size if he +stand less than 15 hands 3 inches. This is +an important point to bear in mind; for if we +are to breed blood ponies of 14 hands 2 inches +to meet the demand which has recently arisen, +it is plain that we must undo most that our +fathers and ancestors have done.</p> + +<p>A Polo Pony to command a price must be +able to carry from 12 to 14 stone, and must +be sound. Nine stone seven lb. is nowadays<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[99]</span> +considered a crushing burden for a racehorse +of 16 hands to carry a mile and a quarter. +Never are the weights for a handicap published +but the air grows thick with doubts and +forebodings as to whether this horse or that +can possibly stand the strain required by the +handicapper’s impost, or whether it is worth +risking his valuable legs under such a weight +at all. And yet, to a certain extent, it is +among small blood horses, no better endowed +with bone and no sounder than the big ones, +that we seek animals capable of carrying 12 +or 14 stone in first-class Polo.</p> + +<p>The strain of playing a single “period” in +a tournament match, in which the pony is +required to make incessant twists, turns, +sudden starts at speed, is continually being +pulled up short, and is sent short bursts of +hard galloping, takes far more out of the +pony than does a race out of a racehorse, or +an average day’s hunting out of the hunter. +The marvel is, not that fast and well-bred +ponies capable of doing this should command +fancy prices, but that such should be obtainable +at any figure.</p> + +<p>Under existing conditions, a small blood +horse that looks like making a Polo Pony is +neither more nor less than an accidental +deviation from the normal. It is an accident<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[100]</span> +that his height at five years does not exceed +the regulation 14 hands 2 inches; it is an +accident—unhappily, a rare one—that he has +bone to carry weight; and before the trainer +can make a Polo Pony of him he must be +fast, handy, kind, and docile—another set of +accidents; we might, indeed, almost call the +first-rate Polo Pony a phenomenal chapter of +accidents. For let us bear in mind that +when we have found our 14 hands 2 inches +endowed with the needful make and shape +we have not by any means necessarily got +our Polo Pony. Only the smallest percentage +of the thousands of racehorses foaled +annually prove good enough to pay their +trainers’ bills; and when we reflect upon the +nature of the work required on the polo +ground, the sterling good qualities demanded +of a pony for first-class Polo, we should indeed +be sanguine did we look for high and uniform +merit in the race of animals we hope to found +upon a basis of pure blood! The clean +thoroughbred, except in very rare instances, +has not the power needful to enable him to +stop quickly and turn sharply at the gallop. +Speed he has, but he lacks the strong hind-quarters +essential to carry 12 or 13 stone.</p> + +<p>The pony possessing the needful qualifications +of make and shape has yet to be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[101]</span> +“made;” and only a trainer of experience +could tell us what proportion of the likely-looking +animals that come into his hands +turn out worth the trouble of educating. +Herein we find the reason for the vast +difference in value which exists between a +pony that is untrained and one which has +gone through the various stages of stick-and-ball +practice, the bending courses, practice +games, and has finally been proven in +matches. In the raw state the best-looking +14-hands 2-inch pony is worth £25 to £50; +when trained—when he has proved to his +exacting trainer’s satisfaction that he is a +Polo Pony, and does not merely look like +one—he is worth, as we know, any sum +up to 750 guineas, and there is no reason +to suppose that this figure marks the limit +which enthusiastic players are prepared to +pay; on the contrary, the tendency is to +go further.</p> + +<p>Such ponies as Mr. George Miller’s Jack-in-the-Box, +Lord Kensington’s Sailor, Captain +Renton’s Matchbox, Mr. Buckmaster’s +Bendigo, the late Mr. Dryborough’s Mademoiselle, +Mr. Walter Jones’s Little Fairy, +have acquired their fancy value through their +amenability to the training which has fitted +them for the game. As to the breeding of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[102]</span> +these ponies, it is doubtful if their respective +owners know as a certainty whether they +were got by a thoroughbred pony sire or +by an Eastern sire; in the case of many +high-class ponies nothing is known of their +breeding. All probably have a strong strain +of pure blood in them, but in the absence +of certain knowledge concerning their pedigrees +they are of comparatively little use +to us as object lessons in Polo Pony breeding. +Whether, in view of the extremely +“accidental” character of the Polo Pony +already referred to, that knowledge would +be helpful if available is another matter.</p> + +<p>And while we make the English Turf +pony which can carry weight our ideal, +we acknowledge the difficulty of procuring +it by seeking ready-made ponies in every +corner of the horse-breeding world. Arabs +and their near allies—Egyptian, Syrian and +Barb ponies; Australian, Argentine, Canadian +and Cossack ponies; ponies from the +Tarbes district of France; ponies from +Texas, Wyoming and Montana—all these +have been imported and are played on +English Polo grounds, and though not considered +equal in speed, bottom, and courage +to the English pony, the best of them when +“made” are good enough to command high, +if not extravagant, prices.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[103]</span></p> + +<p>The great object, it is granted once for +all, is to get a pony as nearly thoroughbred +as possible, for none other is good +enough to play in the best class of game. +At the same time, a large and representative +proportion of players, while heartily granting +the superiority of the well-bred pony when +it can be obtained, consider it wiser to look +the situation squarely in the face and admit +that the supply of such ponies cannot be +depended on to meet the demand.</p> + +<p>If it be a choice between an utterly inadequate +supply of English-bred ponies with +blood, speed, stamina and weight-carrying +power, to be bought only at prices which +reserve them to the wealthiest, and a sufficiency +of ponies with a strain of alien blood, +somewhat less speedy, courageous and enduring, +the latter must be chosen; and as +already said the Polo Pony Stud Book +Society has recognised this by opening +sections of their Stud Book for suitable individuals +among our Forest and Moorland +breeds, with a view of obtaining foundation +stock.</p> + +<p>We may take it as an axiom in our endeavour +to produce a breed of 14-hands 2-inch +Polo Ponies that the sire must be a small +thoroughbred, or, if not a thoroughbred,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[104]</span> +an Arab. The reader may be reminded +that adoption of this alternative involves +no departure from the principle of a pure +blood basis. It was the Arab that laid +the foundation of our thoroughbreds in England, +and the best horses on the Turf of +to-day may be traced to one of the three +famous sires—the Byerly Turk, imported +in 1689, the Darley Arabian in 1706, and +the Godolphin Arabian in 1730; all of +them, it may be remarked, horses under 14 +hands 1 inch.</p> + +<p>There is, indeed, much to be said in +favour of the policy of returning to the +original Eastern stock to find suitable sires +for our proposed breed of 14-hands 2-inch +ponies. While we have been breeding the +thoroughbred for speed, and speed only, +Arab breeders have continued to breed for +stoutness, endurance, and good looks. By +going to Arab stock for our sires we might +at the beginning, sacrifice some measure of +speed; but what was lost in that respect +would be more than compensated by the +soundness of constitution and limb which +are such conspicuous traits in the Eastern +horse. Furthermore, the difficulty of size, +which first of all confronts us in the +thoroughbred sire, is much diminished if +we adopt the Arab as our foundation sire.</p> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-123"> +<img src="images/i-123.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="473"> +<p class="caption center">ARAB HORSE MESAOUD—14.2 hands.</p> +<p class="caption center">The property of Mr. WILFRED SCAWEN BLUNT.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[105]</span></p> + +<p>We need not consider the game as +played by Orientals. The Manipuris, whose +national game it is, and from whom +Europeans first learned it, use ponies which +do not often exceed 12 hands in height. +The game was introduced into India proper +in 1864,<a id="FNanchor_11" href="#Footnote_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a> and was first played in England by +the officers of the 10th Hussars in the year +1872, on their return from service in India.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_11" href="#FNanchor_11" class="label">[11]</a> “<cite>Recollections of my Life.</cite>” By Sir Joseph Fayrer, Bart. +1900.</p> + +</div> + +<p>In India, where the game of Polo was +first played by Englishmen, the Arab is +thought the perfect pony, the more so +because the height of ponies played under +the Indian Polo Association’s code of rules +must not exceed 13 hands 3 inches. The +extensive operations of the Civil Veterinary +Department have proved again the truth +that no sire impresses more certainly and +more markedly his likeness upon his stock +than the Arab, a fact which is due to the +high antiquity, and therefore “fixed” +character of the breed.</p> + +<p>If, therefore, we find the stock got by the +thoroughbred sire too prone to outgrow the +limit of height, we may, without self-reproach, +turn for assistance to the Eastern +stock, from which we have evolved the +modern racehorse, as in doing so we shall +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[106]</span>simply be going a step farther back, and +thereby avoid in great measure the difficulty +of stature which our fathers and +ancestors have created for us in our +endeavour to breed a small compact horse +from the pure strain.</p> + +<p>The next point that presents itself is, On +what sort of animal would it be most advisable +to cross our thoroughbred or Arab? In +the absence of any long-continued series of +experiments, which alone could have led to +definite results in the production of a fixed +type of pony, or a stamp of pony worth +trying to perpetuate as a fixed type, the +answer must be conjectural; we can only +deal in probabilities.</p> + +<p>We may not be able to establish a breed +of which a specimen exceeding 14 hands +2 inches shall be something quite abnormal; +on the contrary, the whole course of experience +in breeding horses of whatever class +goes to prove the impossibility of ensuring +that the progeny of any given sire and dam +shall attain to a specified height, neither less +nor more. Nevertheless, there seems no +reason why skill and care in breeding +should not in course of time produce an +animal whose <em>average</em> height at maturity +shall be the desired 14 hands 2 inches.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[107]</span></p> + +<p>There are, it must be repeated, several +essential points to be kept clearly in view in +our endeavour to develop a Polo Pony on +the foundation of Thoroughbred or Arab +blood. We have primarily to guard against +the tendency to exceed the regulation +height, and we must seek means to obtain +the bone and stamina which are so necessary. +Our Forest and Moorland mares +suggest themselves as the material at once +suitable for the purpose and easily obtainable. +In these ponies we have the small +size which will furnish the needful corrective +to overgrowth, and we have also that hardiness +of constitution and soundness of limb +which are invaluable in laying the foundation +of our proposed breed of 14-hands +2-inch ponies.</p> + +<p>Many attempts have been made from time +to time to improve these breeds; indeed, +some have been so frequently crossed with +outside blood that the purity of the strain +has nearly disappeared; this is believed to +be the case with the Dartmoor pony. At +the same time these infusions of blood have +done nothing to impair the value of the +ponies in respect of their intrinsic qualities +of hardiness and soundness.</p> + +<p>That small thoroughbred and Arab blood<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[108]</span> +blends well with the Forest and Moorland +strains has been abundantly proved; Marske, +the sire of Eclipse, who was under 14 hands +2 inches, as is well known, stood at service in +the New Forest district for three or four +seasons from about the year 1765, and produced +upon the New Forest breed a beneficial +effect which remained in evidence for +many years. The late Prince Consort sent +a grey Arab stallion to stand at New Park, +which did much good in improving the stamp +of pony; and in 1889 as before mentioned +Her Majesty lent two Arab sires, which +remained respectively for two and three +seasons and produced a marked effect on +the Forest breed. One of the Dongola +Arabs or Barbs which Mr. Knight used +gave the best results on the Exmoor ponies, +and the use of the thoroughbred horses, +Pandarus by Whalebone, and Canopus, +grandson of Velocipede, also improved the +breed in point of size.</p> + +<p>Some of the best hunters in the West of +England trace their descent on the dam’s side +to the Welsh Mountain pony, the sire of +some of the best horses, however, being a +horse with a stain in his pedigree, viz., Mr. +John Hill’s Ellesmere by New Oswestry. +In this connection it may be remarked<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[109]</span> +that Bright Pearl, winner in the class for +unmade Polo Ponies at the Crystal Palace +Pony Show, held in July, 1899, was got by +the thoroughbred Pearl Diver out of a +Welsh Hill Pony mare whose wonderful +jumping powers had gained her many prizes.</p> + +<p>The fact that the Forest and Moorland +breeds owe their small size to the rigorous +conditions of a natural free life and the spare +diet accessible must not be lost sight of, for +their tendency to increase in size when taken +up, sheltered and well fed is very marked. +The fact is of importance, because we could +not expect that foals got by a thoroughbred +or Arab sire would possess the stamina that +enables the Forest or Moorland pony to +withstand exposure. It is true that the +stock got by Marske throve under the comparatively +mild rigours of New Forest life; +but the thoroughbred of 135 years ago was +a stouter and hardier animal than is his descendant +of to-day. It would therefore be +necessary to choose between losing the young +half-bred stock altogether, and of rearing it +under more or less artificial conditions with +the certainty of rearing an animal which +would respond to those conditions by increased +stature.</p> + +<p>The same remarks apply equally to stock<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[110]</span> +got from Forest or Moorland mares by an +Arab sire which flourishes in a high temperature, +but is not adapted to endure continuous +cold and damp.</p> + +<p>Judgment and care might do something +to obviate the tendency to overgrowth; the +happy medium to adopt would be to allow +the dams with their half-bred youngsters as +much liberty as varying climatic conditions +indicated the well-being of the latter could +withstand.</p> + +<p>It has been suggested that the mares +which have finished their active career of +four or five seasons on the Polo ground +might with advantage be used for breeding +purposes, being mated with a small Forest +or Moorland stallion. This suggestion does +not commend itself to the practical breeder, +who is well aware that a big mare throws a +big foal even to a small horse. Were increase +of size the object in view the worn-out +Polo Pony mares might be used thus with +every prospect of success; the reverse being +our aim, it is to be feared that experiments +conducted on these lines would lead to +failure.</p> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i-131"> +<img src="images/i-131.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="485"> +<p class="caption center"><cite>From a sketch by H. F. Lucas Lucas.</cite></p> +<p class="caption center">POLO PONY SAILOR.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<p>It is reasonable to think that a breed of +small horses can be established by the +judicious intermingling of our Forest or +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[111]</span> +Moorland mares with small Thoroughbred or +Arab sires, but past experience in stock-raising +has taught breeders that the creation +of a new and improved strain, whether of +horses, cattle, or other domestic animals, is +a slow process. Failures must be corrected +and errors retrieved by gradual and cautious +steps before we can hope to succeed in +creating a breed of ponies true to the required +type. That it can be done with patience +and skilled judgment there need be +no doubt; but the evolution of the animal +required, whether on the thoroughbred foundation +or on the original progenitor of the +thoroughbred, the Arab, will be a matter of +time. It may be that the present generation +will lay the foundation of a breed of 14-hands +2-inch Polo Ponies, and that posterity will +build the edifice and enjoy the benefits.</p> + +<p>To summarise briefly what has been said +in this chapter, the position is this:—</p> + +<p>(1) Ponies with blood, speed, courage, and +the many qualities essential to make a first-class +Polo Pony are rare.</p> + +<p>(2) (<em>a</em>) They command fancy prices when +trained, but (<em>b</em>) it is only when trained and +<em>proven</em> that they command high prices.</p> + +<p>(3) The difficulty of producing a breed of +blood ponies is due (<em>a</em>) to the long-maintained<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[112]</span> +and successful endeavour to increase the size +of the thoroughbred, and (<em>b</em>) to the fact that +racehorses are bred for speed only, whereas +speed is but one of the many qualities +essential to the Polo Pony.</p> + +<p>(4) To avoid this difficulty—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>(<em>a</em>) The sire chosen for the foundation +stock should be a small and compact +Thoroughbred or an Arab.</p> + +<p>(<em>b</em>) The dam used for foundation stock +should be chosen from the best of our +Forest or Moorland ponies.</p> +</div> + +<p>(5) The tendency to undue increase in +height should be counteracted—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>(<em>a</em>) In the individual, by a free and +natural life as far as climate permits.</p> + +<p>(<em>b</em>) In the breed, by recourse to further +infusion of Forest or Moorland blood +when necessary.</p> +</div> + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h3 class="nobreak center" id="WORKS_BY_SIR_WALTER_GILBEY_BART">WORKS BY SIR WALTER GILBEY, BART.</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Animal Painters of England</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>from the year 1650. Illustrated. Two vols., quarto, cloth +gilt, Two Guineas net on subscription. Prospectus free.</p> +</div> + +<p>Harness Horses</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>The scarcity of Carriage Horses and how to breed them. +3rd Edition. Twenty-one Chapters. Seven full-page +Illustrations. Octavo, cloth gilt, 2s.; by post, 2s. 3d.</p> +</div> + +<p>Horses Past and Present</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>A sketch of the History of the Horse in England from +the earliest times. Illustrated. Octavo, cloth gilt, 2s.; +by post, 2s. 3d.</p> +</div> + +<p>Life of George Stubbs, R.A.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>Ten Chapters. Twenty-six Illustrations and Head-pieces. +Quarto, whole Morocco, gilt, price £3 3s.</p> +</div> + +<p>Ponies Past and Present</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>The breeds of the British Islands, New Forest, Welsh, +Exmoor, Dartmoor, Westmoreland, Cumberland, +Scottish, Shetland, Connemara. With Illustrations. +Octavo, cloth gilt, 2s.; by post, 2s. 3d.</p> +</div> + +<p>Small Horses in Warfare</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>Arguments in favour of their use for light cavalry and +mounted infantry. Illustrated, 2s.; by post, 2s. 2d.</p> +</div> + +<p>The Great Horse or War Horse</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>From the Roman Invasion till its development into the +Shire Horse. New and Revised Edition, 1899. Seventeen +Illustrations. Octavo, cloth gilt, price 2s.; by +post, 2s. 3d.</p> +</div> + +<p>Young Race Horses—suggestions</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>for rearing, feeding and treatment. Twenty-two +Chapters. With Frontispiece and Diagrams. Octavo, +cloth gilt, price 2s.; by post, 2s. 2d.</p> +</div> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<p class="center">VINTON & Co.,<br> +9, NEW BRIDGE STREET, LONDON, E.C.</p> + + + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75401 ***</div> +</body> +</html> + |