anything, a handsome and good husband. Others have been less pretentious in their future, but several have won reputations at polo; one was undoubtedly the champion of his county club, and another was almost invincible at Pontypool polo pony-races. So that BORDERER, in writing of ponies, is not likely to adopt the Act of Henry VIII, and pray for their extinction."

The uses to which these ponies are and may be devoted "Borderer" is enthusiastic upon :

"The institution and spread of the game of polo has done much to improve the breed of ponies, and to encourage their sale. What beauties you now see at Hurlingham! You wonder where they all come from. The known world is searched for them, and many have an Arab cross in them. The majority, however, are home-bred. They are Exmoor or Welsh, with one thorough-bred cross to bring them up to the required standard of height, and make them thoroughly blood-like. Oh, how the ladies delight to look them over at Hurlingham! I don't wonder at my friend's wife wanting one!1 Look how they turn with the ball-how unflinchingly they gallop into the maddest fray, and seem so thoroughly to enter into the working of the game! Ah, ladies, which are the most attractive-the ponies, or their riders? and do you not wish to put in a word for the ponies now and again when they seem to be so hard-ridden? Yes, their drilling-task is fast and furious, and the ordeal is a severe one; and yet, sound in their wind, and hardy in their frames, how splendidly they come through it!

"How I should long to see a regiment of Liliputian hussars! No trooper or officer weighing more than 10 stone, and no horse above 14.3 hands high. What a crack regiment would that be! The smartest, hardiest, and most business-like regiment in the service, I believe, and fit to go where duty called it, into any quarter of the globe. Perhaps we may live to see it. If BORDERER had the ear of H.R.H. the Commander-in-Chief, it should be tried. Nature has ordained that perfection can only be obtained, as a rule, in its medium-sized and smaller specimens of creation. Is not this true of horses? Are not ponies often models of a perfect

1 This is in reference to the exclamation with which "Borderer" commences his article-" My wife wants a pony"-the burden of a friend's song, which set "Borderer" to think of ponies, and hence his article.

horse? Add to this soundness (for who ever saw a 14-hand pony a roarer ?), hardiness of constitution, quickness and activity of movement, sense and good temper under proper management and uses; and, having admitted all this, tell me how you can harden your heart, and deny your wife her desire to have a pony.

"What is so handy to catch a train with? What so apt at trotting you into town for a little magisterial or other country duty? What matters it that he has galloped you to covert the day before? You have not to feel his legs, or ask after his appetite. It is merely, Bring round Bob at 10.30 a.m.' When the boys are at home from school, what high jinks Bob plays, for he never turns his head at anything, and voluntaries cease to be counted as falls after the first few times. Then the young ladies can don their riding-habits very early in life, and Bob is equal to the occasion, if not too much excited, and kept off the turf. Of being driven by the materfamilias, or the young ladies, Bob is especially proud. He needs no bearing-rein to make him arch his neck. knows the best shops in the town by instinct. He stops at the accustomed drive-gates, when calling or tennis-parties have to be done, and he whisks his goodly load home again in double-quick time, for has he not a merry thought of the corn-bin?

He

Carriage horses and hunters wear out all too soon, but Bob goes on the same as ever-only a trifle fatter, and perhaps a little plethoric as middle and old age creep upon him; and when dignified old age comes upon him, he will still mow your lawn, take a small spring-cart to the station full of luggage, bring out the luncheon for a shooting-party, do the gardener's light work, and to his dying day he is still the favourite Bob, the pet of the family, and takes his lump of sugar from caressing hands with all the dignity of mens conscia recti.

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Many of your readers will naturally ask how such an animal as Bob should be bred. BORDERER is at home here. Choose as pretty a little Welsh mare as you can find-the smaller the better, provided she be straight on her pins-and as her mate find the best bred cob that travels in the district; he should be about 15 hands high, neat and active-good colour is essential in cobs. Welsh ponies, like Welsh sheep, are the best of mothers, and the colt, if well done when weaned, will never look behind him. A thorough-bred horse as a sire is sometimes a success, but not always; his progeny often lose the characteristics of the pony in the first cross. A bit of Arab blood is a first-rate expedient, although you run a risk of losing the natural hardihood of the dam."

He gives some instances of success, amongst others :

"In Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire, a little horse called Alonzo the Brave, has done wonders; my greatest success was with a little horse called Dick Turpin, a first-prize winner at the Royal Show at Wolverhampton. He was the sire of Tommy Dod, and never got a bad pony to my knowledge."

He concludes his most interesting and instructive article with practical and most useful advice, which we trust will not be thrown away:

"After all, there is nothing like a good little 'oss. I have known some of the best men to hounds, who would never ride anything to hounds higher than 15.1 hands. If the burden of my song be true, and we are really becoming alive to the value of ponies as a speciality in breeding, here is another safetyvalve for the worn-out farming interest, especially for the hillfarmer. I am afraid the pages of Bailey will not reach him; perhaps, however, they may catch the eye of a few Welsh landlords, who will, I trust, offer every inducement to their tenants to improve the breed of their ponies. A good cob sire in Wales is of priceless value, and if their number and value can be increased by the perusal of this little article, BORDERER'S pen will not have striven in vain."

We now come to a document which shows the local bearing this subject has upon Montgomeryshire. As before mentioned, Park, near Caersws, has been always reputed to be the place where Queen Elizabeth kept a stud of brood mares. A recent discovery in the Record Office has brought to light a document of the time of Henry VIII, which shows that it was during the reign of that monarch Caersws was first chosen as a suitable place for the breeding of horses, and it was then proposed that the "Park of Caersws, with the ferme of Penprise, should be reserved for the king's use, and for his mares and their colts"; and it was suggested that the Park and farm should be "paled", which could be done with little cost, as there were "a great plenty of oke".

The document seems to be a proposal by some officer of the king for carrying out the intention indicated by the Acts of the 27 and 32 Henry VIII. It runs thus:

1

1

1

A declaration unto the King's Highnes for th'encrease of horsses within the Principalitie of Wales.1

Fforasmuch as hit hath pleased the King's High Majestie, with his discrete counsaill', commissionars in the Marches of Wales and in the principalitie of the same, to set and order his Grac's Subiects there in grete quietnes and rest, Sce that nowe the grounds and pastures of Wales may be enploied and grased with almaner of Catall, to the great co'en welth of this his Realme, and where also his grac's said Subiects be not of power or hable, to graze the said grounds and pastures with their own proper goods and catalls, But be gladde to take to bargaine evrie yeare at May day of certain persons dwelling within the counties of Salop, Staff., and Heref., certaine leane Catall everie yeare, to the nombre of a thousand and more, which be redelivered full fedd at Holly rede day, the latter to the owners of them paieing for the feding of certein of their said Catall fowerpence a beaste, and for som'e other syxpence a beast during the said space, which said m' [thousand] doo not Devower or eate the xth parte of the said pastures, which said pastures yearly doo lye and rotte upon the grounde-Soo that noo kynde of Catell take any b'n'fite [benefit] by the same. Therefore hit may please his moost noble highnes to cause to be bought, for his grac's use, one hundred of mares, where may be thought mooste mete and convenyent, and to deliver them to one A. B. to kepe and take the charge of them. And also to deliver to the said A. B. for every tenne mares one over cast horsse, as some Jennett, or some other grete horse, to be stallaunds, as hit shall please the King's Grace to have the breed thereof; and there to encrease that kynde of horsses which his grace pleasith to have contynuance thereof.

Item. The said A. B. shalbe bounde with sufficient Suertyes by obligac'on to the King's Counsaill of the Marches of Wales, or to other of his officers, to his use in such a some as shalbe thought reasonable, with this condic'on, that is to say: To redeliver the said mares and Stallaunds, with their encrease, at all tymes at the King's pleasure; and also, if any of the said mares or Stallaunds be lost in the Kepar's default, then he to pay for them and every of them, and if any of them doo dye by chaunce, then he to show the hide or skynne of the Stallaund or mare soo dieing, with the King's marks thereon, for his discharge, to such persone or persons as the King's Highnes shall appoynte for the same.

1 State Papers (Domestic), Hen. VIII, vol. vii, Ro. 1674.

Item. There is a pasture at a place called Karsous, within the Lordship of Arustley Keviliock, which is called the parcke of Caersous, with the Ferme of Penprice, of the yearly rent of xiijs. iiijd., that must be reserved and had to the King's use for the said mares and their colts.

Item. The said Parcke and Ferme may be paled with little cost, for that there is greate plenty of Okes and woode aboute hit, which is there but of small value.

Item. The said Parck is within iij myles to the mountaynes and pastures where the said mares shall goo.

Item. Every yeire the horsecolts to be taken away from the mares, and to be brought to such parcks or other pastures that may be provided for them, and specially to a place called Wigmore, the demaynes whereof is but viijli. by th’yerie [the year], and that also there is much good lye stabling for the keeping of the said horsses.

Item. The said fyllies to remayne there with the mares for

encrease.

Item. There must be a clercke appointed to be every year at the foaling tyme, to make a Boke how many horscolts there be and how many fyllies, and the colours of every one of them, marked with the King's marke at such tyme of the yeire as they ought to be marked, and also to present the Boke to the King or to his grac's Counsaill' and officers, as his grace shall appoynte.

Item. For the charge and keping of the said mares yearly hit shalbe, as the King's grace pleasure, to give the Kepar p'te of th' encrease as the third or such parte, and the King to be at no charge. Or ells to give the Kepar a certaiyn some of money, and his grace to have the hole encrease to his owne use.

Item. The fyllies of the mares going att Warwicke may be taken frome them when they be of a yeir age, and brought to Wales, where the King's grace shall have more profitt and lesse charge.

Item. That where one Sr. Richard Herbert, Knight, nowe lately deceased, is endebted to our Sovereign lorde the King in certain somes of money before the Generall Surveiours, who hath grete nomb'r of wilde horsses and mares going upon the mountains, that they may be distreyned to the King's use for the said debts, and that they may be put over to the said grounds of Arustley and Kevilocke, as is aforesaid.

The date of this document may be approximately fixed by the reference, in the last clause, to the "late Sir Richard Herbert, Knight, nowe lately deceased."