Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
ARAB HORSES In EUROPE.
Visit to the Stables in England Where
the Fine Animals are Bred.
Great Demand for Them = Pedigree
and characteristics Bargain-
ing With the Bedouins.

IN Egypt, and he Is an ardent advocate Of
home rule for Ireland I'm the latter capa-
| city he once attempted to hold proclaim
ed meeting and In consequence was sent to
prison. He has travelled extensively In
the orient, and especially among the Bed
ouins In northern Arabia His wife, who
is descendant of Lord Byron, has accom-
panied him In his journeys, and has writ
ten at least one book narrating her obser-
Yations and experiences.
But to a certain class of his cOuntrymen
Wilfrid Blunt is better known as an i'm
porter and breeder of Arab horses. His
breeding p.ace Is known as Crabbet Park,
and there was visited by representative,
some time ago, Of the Pail Mall Gazette,
who describes the mansion of Crabbet
Park, originally an Elizabethan house, of
which little remains. 1t has been added
to by successive owners. the latter por-
tions by Mr.. Blunt. The principal por-
ton stands four square, bold In character
but not lacking refinement. To one side
the servants buildings are attach
ed, while two sides are fronted by clean
cut lawns, and the fourth side by little
piece of ground about half an acre in ex-
tent, which has been allowed to grow wild
Here is pitched Mr. Blunt travelling tent.
W
generally a mare tethered close by.
''This, - said Mr.. Blunt. lis what we
call the Desert. Some people laugh at
me for keeping it so, but it would astonish
you to know what reputation it has got
[ have had the Bedouins in Asia ask me
about it. They think | live in England in
the midst of a desert; The rooms are
large and lofty, particularly the dining
are many pictures on the walls, not very
striking, one of the best, perhaps, being a
portrait of her husband as an Arab chief
on horseback. by Lady Anne, work
which shows very considerable skill Lady
Anne spends much of her time In painting
when at Crabbet Park, while Miss Blunt is
a skillful operator with the more accurate
Photographic lens.
The correspondent visited the stables
and noted the wonderful docility of the
animals and their evident affection for
Lady Anne and Miss Blunt, not to men
ton the humps of sugar which they called
forth. Then we crossed the field he said,
where about dozen mares came at Mr..
Blunt's call and followed us single file in
long procession. I afterward led Mr..
Blunt to expatiate on the qualities of Arabs,
which he did with great enthusiasm and
knowledge ON his subject, and | give be-
! low what is as nearly as may be verbatim
report of his wods:
SIS it a fad, this breeding of Arab
horses?' had the temerity to ask Ger
tainly not, = was the reply ''It is true
our initial cost was considerable but we
now pay all expenses, and | have no doubt
| that soon we will more than recover our
original outlay. am glad to say that the
| qualities of Arabs are every year becoming
better appreciated In England. When we
began selling nearly all the horses went
abroad to Italy, Russia, and the colonies,
| but we now find a constant demand for
them at home y
''How long have you bred Arabs at Crab
| bet Parlz?''
1--WE began in 1878 with fifteen mares
and three horses. which | imported from
north Arabia Since then | have at DIFF
erent times brought over four new horses
and one new mare We have sold about
seventy-fve horses of different ages at our
| five sales, at AN average price Of 100 gum
| cas-. | have now about fifty animals ia
Crabbet Park, and l shall in future nave
my sales annually instead of every other
ear.
What was your original intention in
/ introducing GIG1ll 4lIUO IJnSldllU. / MAO
the idea originally Of breeding for speed,
but have abandoned it; not that it would
! be impossible to develop racing excellence,
but that it would take too long
! ''Was there not an Arab race got up
some years ago?' Yes, there was. In
| 1884. at Newmarket, there was two-mile
race, but as there were no other horses
| than Arabs, and as the race was not timed.
it proved absolutely valueless. .
do you breed for increased height? ?"
Il don't think there is any advantage in
| going above Is hands. That height is
! hands 2 inches is the average. Most of
our mares are Is hands. an increase, which
we got, of course, by superior and more
regular feed than the Arabs can give their
| horses. | now restrict myself to keeping
the breed pure and developing the peculiar
| qualities of the Arab, which are o. perfect
soundness, especially in the legs and feet,
where English horses are most defective;
| ~ good temper they have not got such a
| thing as kick In theml; (3) beauty, and
| "a staying power.
ITO what purpose is the Arab best fitted
in England? He is very useful as hack,
but you must not suppose that he is not
capable of carrying very heavy weights in
that capacity Then he is a very bold per-
| former across country, and will carry a
! light weight with the best English horses.
| He is perfect ladies hunter He is per-
haps, still better adapted for light carriage
work, owing to the excellency of his feet,
which viii stand any amount of wear and
tear. He is good trotter, and will pre-
serve an even pace up the steepest hills.
He has also the great advantage of a light
and pleasant mouth. It is no exaggeration
to say that team of four Arab mares
may be driven by any lady without fatigue
and by man between his thumb and fore
finger.
MY opinion is that the Arab belongs
! to the original wild races of Africa rather
than of Asia, and was introduced to south
ern Arabia by way of Abyssinia. whence
it Is historical that he spread northward.
| He was not known In Europe before the
Mahommedan conquest. but since then his
blood has spread through all the lands
| visited by communication with Mecca.
| through the pilgrimage. The Barb of
north Africa the Andalusian horse of Spain.
| the Turk, the Persian, the Turcoman have
been all largely infused for centuries with
Arab blood. The first Arab blood in Eng
land was probably brought through Spain
and France and later through Palestine
by the Crusaders.
The special characteristics of the Arab
may be traced to the circumstances and
necessities of Bedouin life.
! The great intellectual development-if !
may use the words-and the great docility
of temper clearly come from selection by
breeders who live in daily eompanionship
with their horses. The Bedouin children
III ], IL Il,