Horse Farms

Scope and Contents

Forsyth writes that he has sent on the draft 'Sire and Service of Mares' from 1906 to Mackintosh and would be glad of any rough notes on the Monkstadt ponies (the experimental farm of the Congested Districts Board). The back of the letter contains notes in Ewart's hand on a list of names to whom he has sent his 'Tarpan' paper (possibly 'The Tarpan and its Relationship with Wild and Domestic Horses').

Letter is undated but likely to be from the year 1905.

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Forsyth states that he is glad to hear that all the mares have foaled and that three of the foals are colts. He reports that there has been a delay in the purchase of Kilmuir, but that he hopes they will eventually get possession of their small stud farm. He confirms that Beaton should be able to take the Antrim horse to Benbecula at any time.

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Lort-Phillips apologises for not answering Ewart's letter sooner but he has been travelling extensively trying to find what remains of the Welsh pack or cart horse in order to form a stud for the Government. He has been able to find some old stallions of the breed, of whose existence he was previously unaware, and believes that the breed, crossed with the thoroughbred, produces the best horses he has ever seen.

The year is not written on the letter.

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Haveley comments on Ewart's essay on scientific horse breeding, in relation to his own advocacy of the revival of the Devon pack horse and the work of the Board of Agriculture. He also comments on the Shales stud farm.

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Cecil writes that he thinks the Congested Districts Board pony stud 'an unqualified success' and believes the concept could be extended to other animals such as bulls and sheep. He believes there are around 20 stallions running wild on Barra and wishes Lady Gordon Cathcart would exert her influence to rectify this.

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...

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...

Scope and Contents

Cecil describes the three colts he has seen at Monkstadt (the experimental farm of the Congested Districts Board) and provides details about the Kathiawari and Marwari breeds of horse.

The latter part of the letter, including author's signature, is not present.

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Blunt reveals that he has 10 foals this year at his stud farm from pure Arab mares, by the same chestnut horse. He gives a physical description of each foal, and analyses their colour and markings. He also suggests a seven year old mare that might be suitable for Ewart's experimental breeding.

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Blunt says how much he agrees with Ewart's volume about animal hybridisation. He explains that his latest horse sale was not a great success. He also includes a list of the dams, sires and their produce at his horse farm for the year 1900.