Horses for Vermont. 131 



the Morgan blood. There was not only enough of it to 

 assert and engraft its characteristics, descending, as it did, 

 from Arabian blood, but it had, for generations, flowed 

 through the veins of animals that had been used for practi- 

 cal, active, every day work, whereby all their parts had 

 become strong and durable ; not overstrained or vitiated by 

 some occasional extraordinary performance ; consequently 

 it followed that its introduction proved a practical benefit. 

 It not only gave the above desirable improvements, when 

 mingled with the blood of the thoroughbred, but when it 

 was united with tlie heavy, cold, spiritless Canestoga or 

 Pennsylvania horse, scattered over so much of the West, it 

 quickened it into life ; so that the animals resulting from the 

 cross, with much less dead weight, possessed much more 

 nervous energy and power, and a free, open, easy gait, and 

 a proud carriage ; in fact, giving horses tliat were much 

 increased in value, and adapted to such uses as demand a 

 higher type, and much better remunerate the raiser. 



Another race of horses that has been crossed very exten- 

 sively with the Morgan is the French Canadian, a race 

 made up of a number of different elements. This horse, 

 though not an exalted idea of a driving horse, or even of a 

 horse of all work, lias, nevertheless, some excellent quali- 

 ties, one of the chief and best of which is, great hardiness. 

 For generations his ancestors have been taught that to exist 

 at all, they must live under many and discouraging difficul- 

 ties. While young, his short summers have been spent 

 among pastures liardly fair, large or luxuriant, and his long 

 and terribly cold winters among deep snows, with a scanty 

 keep of not very nutritious fodder. At a very early age 



