The way to get rid of such
imperfections in our mongrel breed of horses is to fill them up with
pure Arab blood.
Such paper men also talk about "_fresh Diomed_" and "fresh Messenger
blood," as though there had been a drop of it in never so diluted form
for any influence these many years, of course forgetting that _Diomed_
was a very strongly _inbred Arabian_ horse. He came to this country
when 21 years old.
He was foaled 1777, and arrived in Virginia in 1798. From his old age
and rough voyage in an old-fashioned ship, it required nearly a year
to recuperate from the journey, and was 23 years old before he could
do stud service to any extent. Then, at no time to his death was he a
sure foal getter, even to a few mares. He died in 1808, thirty-one
years old, long enfeebled and unfit for service.
Between 1808 and 1887 is quite a period of time, during which we have
had four different wars, beginning with 1812, and how much Diomed
blood does the reader suppose there is in this country? Yet I take up
daily and weekly papers devoted to horse articles, extolling the value
of _Diomed_ blood as cause for excellence in some young horse.
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