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Cecil reports that he is making good progress with the Highland Stud Book. He believes Ewart's height limitations are right but would prefer to leave out the word 'garron'. He writes that the mainland ponies are only big because they have generations of better keep and because a little Clydesdale blood has been kept in them.

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Cecil writes that he thinks Ewart's 'Cushendall discovery' by far 'the most important and interesting you have yet made' (presumably referring to Ewart's reported sighting of some dwarf horses during his visit to Northern Ireland). He then goes on to make observations on what Cecil calls 'Irish-looking' features of chestnut ponies with white manes and tails.

Scope and Contents Cecil writes that he has written to the Secretary of the Carnegie Institute and hopes that Ewart's trip is a success. He mentions that he has been in touch with Forsyth about their forthcoming visit to Skye where they are considering circulating memoranda about ponies among the crofters under the auspices of the Congested Districts Board. Forsyth has stated that he would like to start a stud farm in Kilmuir. Cecil believes that he considers Fincastle's cross-breeding of Arab sires and...

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Cecil agrees with Fincastle's remarks that the cross-bred horses for the crofters should maintain quality as well as increase size and comments upon various mutual correspondents. He states that he met a man called Scott who is going to send two Highland ponies and 'Braemore' and comments that the ponies on the east side of Skye appear to be identical to those on the Isle of Rum.

Scope and Contents Cecil is puzzled that Ewart mixed Spanish and horse blood and produced a Celtic pony, as he would have thought the mix would have produced the Island pony. He reports that Ritchie is annoyed that his neighbours prefer to use a crofters' pony to the Arab breed. He has written to Forsyth asking him to let the pony 'Atholl' to stand at the head of the Monkstadt stud (the experimental farm of the Congested Districts Board) on the Isle of Skye. He writes that he saw the best Highland ponies he...

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Cecil writes that since he has not heard from Lord Middleton, he will send his pony 'McNeil' to Croall's. He reports that the crofters usually buy their ponies from each other but they are complaining that they are being bred too light of bone for heavy work.

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Cecil writes concerning the pony 'McNeil' and asks if Ewart could keep him a little longer until he decides what to do with him. He is trying to get him to Barra and the white-maned horse to Uist or Dunvegan.