 One
problem facing writers interested in Arabian horse history --
and I seldom hear it mentioned-- is how to evaluate a source. Much of the
time a source is simply taken at face value, but historical writers nearly
all had motives of one kind or another, and not all of them were benevolent
motives. There might even have been a few crackpots at the turn of the
century.
 Nearly
all of the writers whose work we read had Arabian horses for sale, and
if they didn't, their friends did. When someone sent a letter to the editor
of the Rider and Driver criticising the Arabian horse, and Spencer
Borden and Homer Davenport rushed to the breed's defense, it was partly
because their feelings were hurt and the Arabian was being treated unfairly.
How fortunate that their own horses -- among others -- could provide examples
of the virtue of Arabians. To use Borden and Davenport again as examples,
when Davenport produced a detailed catalogue of his stock, and Spencer
Borden wrote a couple of books, it was only partly to record photographs
and information for posterity. Lady Wentworth in her Authentic Arabian
Horse dismisses Davenport's book [My Quest of the Arabian Horse]
as an "advertising stunt." Undoubtedly that was one reason for
the book, but My Quest was far more than just that, as you all know.
And let us not forget that Authentic Arabians includes a whole chapter
on the Crabbet Stud as it existed at publication time, with a long list
of champions bred.
Both
Borden and Davenport had a flair for publicity. Two very different flairs,
to be sure, but they each had one, and I am glad they did. We would know
far less about these men and their horses if they, like Peter Bradley of
Hingham Stock Farm, had been the type to stay out of the public eye. We
must keep in mind that the books, newspaper and magazine items, catalogues
and letters were not written entirely for our benefit and enjoyment. Multiple
motives were involved, and the items were aimed at multiple audiences.
Entertaining a group of horse history buffs 90 years later was probably
not the primary motive. This use of their material is often simply a byproduct
of the intended use -- a byproduct of which the writers may have been aware,
but a byproduct all the same.
Other
categories of writers provide their own set of problems. When a writer
claims to know all about someone else's horse, how much credibility is
he or she to be given? Perhaps none. Perhaps full credibility. Or somewhere
in between? Then there are the writers who left pages of invective. Dismissing
it as the ravings of lunatics may be extreme, but personalities and motives
must be taken into account in evaluating any of this material. If taken
at face value, there is potential for it to do great harm.
Although
it becomes less true as more examples of diaries, herd books and correspondence
of early breeders become available, frequently what we are left to evaluate
is only what was designed for public presentation. Slick catalogues, carefully
written books, ads in periodicals and letters to the editor put a veneer
on a historical person or program. All that material has its place -- without
it we might be hard put to understand how the breeders wanted their horses
or themselves to be perceived. But it frequently leaves us scratching our
heads and wondering what was happening on the inside.
Using
published stud books is essential, but I have to credit Charles
Craver for saying that to understand a breeding program fully, one must
know what was attempted and failed as well as what succeeded. And knowing
what happened to every foal is important. Was an animal sold as a youngster,
or kicked at three months and subsequently put down? It makes a difference.
I
will take a few examples from the breeding program of Alice payne at the
Asil Arabian Ranch. AFARA was an Asil Ranch foundation
mare and dam of the important broodmares CELESTE,
TRITY, DESTYNEE and ASIL
LYRA. AFARA's last three registered
foals were all by RAFFERTY, in 1958, '59 and '61.
Yet she was still at the Asil Ranch when Alice payne died in 1969. Was
she retired from breeding, did her foals die, or did she become a problem
breeder as an older mare? If she was bred, did she go to RAFFERTY
or to another stallion? Asil Ranch records show that AFARA
aborted a colt in 1962 and was treated for infection off and on over the
next several years, during which she was bred not to RAFFERTY
but to his sons SYZYGY and ASIL
ECLIPTIC.
Another
question. From 1962 to 1969, were there any stallions used who have no
foals registered to them, or does the stud book record accurately reflect
the full extent of the Asil stallion battery? The answer is yes, it does,
with the exception that ASIL HARB
did cover one mare before he left for Connecticut.
Another
crucial perspective is the context of when something was written
and what was happening at the time. If Lady Wentworth or Musgrave Clark
writes a letter to the editor regarding the height of Arabian horses, particularly
in the show ring, perhaps a divine muse suddenly inspired them to expound
on the subject, and we have an opportunity to learn from their selflessly
expressed knowledge and opinions. Or maybe the letter dates from the period
when a violent debate on the subject was taking place within the Arab Horse
Society. Clark may have felt that his drive to limit the height of Arabian
horses in the show ring served some lofty purpose -- but might it also
bar from the ring many successful show horses owned by his competition,
even some owned by Lady Wentworth? Undoubtedly.
Aiding
in the evaluation of a writer is intimate knowledge of the biography and
personality. I will go out on a limb and say that to understand the motives
behind, and properly evaluate, any written material, one cannot know too
much about the writer. This knowledge is gained by reading -- and re-reading--
everything he or she ever wrote, reading everything written about them
by people who knew them, by a study of what they did, and by reading scholarly
biographies if available. Newspaper and magazine accounts also help. If
the person in question was also a breeder of Arabian horses, much can be
learned from published stud books.
Take
nothing at face value, and evaluate it only in the context of everything
else known about the person.
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