MICHIGAN LIVE STOCK IN 1000. 367 



Arabian wliose color and conformation can vet bo traced in some of 

 his descendants. But the lar;j;e number of liorses brought in during the 

 time when the tide of eastern emigration set strongest toward Michigan, 

 had more or less Thoroughbred or Morgan blood. As the country be- 

 <'ame settled up, and the interest in its horse stock increased with the 

 wealth of its people, a good many finely bred horses were imported into 

 the State. Some were brought in for racing purposes, but were after- 

 wards used in the stud; others were brought in for breeding purposes, 

 and used wholly for that ])urpose. There were Thoroughbreds from 

 Kentucky and Tennessee, already noted for the quality of their horses, 

 pacers from the Canadian j)rovinces whose earlj^ origin is wrapped in 

 'Obscurity, and roadsters and trotting horses from the eastern states, 

 where speed at the trotting gait was being cultivated. This was the 

 condition of affairs in the late forties and early fifties'. 



The improvement of the horse stock of the State in a systematic man- 

 ner really began soon after the State Agricultural Society began to hold 

 its annual fairs. The exhibits of horses were always great features and 

 the competition between breeders and stallion owners became so sharp 

 as frequently to lead to bitter controversies between the various com- 

 petitors. In these controversies we notice two facts which show con- 

 clusively that the question of breeding was proceeding along practical 

 lines. These v/ere the stress put upon the lines of blood represented 

 in the various animals, and the performance of themselves or their 

 ancestors. Breeding and performance are still, and must always be, tne 

 great reliance of the breeder who is aiming to improve his stock. 



The competition noted above soon began to attract the attention of 

 many of the well-to-do farmers and business men of the State, and 

 many of them became so interested that they embarked in the business 

 themselves. This was so to a large extent at Detroit, Jackson, Pontiac, 

 Coldwater, Ann Arbor, Flint, Kalamazoo, and other points, and the 

 country- tributary to those points are still noted for their hor$e stock. 

 Importations from the East and Kentucky continued to be made, the 

 former consisting of animals noted for their trotting ability, the latter 

 Thoroughbreds. Tracks and courses were established all through the 

 older counties, and no doubt did much to promote an interest in horses 

 and to encourage their improvement. The results can be traced in the 

 reputation which Michigan bred horses began to get in other States for 

 their hardiness, beauty and general utility. Eastern dealers began to 

 visit the State for roadster and driving horses, and carriage teams. 

 The only point in which they were generally faulted was a lack of size, 

 but their upstanding style and breedy looks compensated in a large 

 measure for this defect. 



This was the condition of affairs when the civil M'ar broke out. It 

 was then seen what a grand work those men who had labored to 

 im])rove the horse stock of the State had done for the country and the 

 government. Michigan supplied thousands of horses for the cavalry 

 and to horse the artillery of the finest quality. No other horses were 

 so generally sought for and more thoroughly proved their adaptability 

 for army ])uri)Oses. From the early battles in Virginia to Sheridan's 

 campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley, and the final struggles at Five 

 Forks and Aj)p()mattox, Michigan men and ^Michigan horses were factors 

 in nearly every cami)aign and battle. But the result was to practically 



