THE ROAD AND FARMER'S '^Ig 



At tho Restoration a new impulse was given to the cultivation of the 

 norse by the inclination of the court to patronize gaiety and dissipation 

 The races at Newmarket were restored, and as an additional spur to 

 emulation, royal plates were now given at each of the principal courses 

 Charles II. sent his master of the horse to the Levant, to purchase brooa 

 nmres and stallions. These were principally Barbs and Turks. 



From that period to the middle of the last century, the system of im- 

 provement was zealously pursued : every variety of Eastern blood was 

 occasionally engrafted on ours, and the superiority of the engrafted, above 

 the very best of the original stock, began to be evident. 



Man is rarely satisfied with any degree of perfection in the object on 

 which he has set his heart. The sportsman has now beauty of form, and 

 speed and stoutness, scarcely an approach to which had been observed in 

 the original breed. Still some imagined that this speed and stoutness 

 might possibly be increased ; and Mr. Darley, in the latter part of the 

 reign of Queen Anne, had recourse to the discarded and despised Arabian. 

 He had much prejudice to contend with, and it was sometime before the 

 Darley Arabian attracted notice. At length the value of his produce 

 began to be recognised, and to him we are greatly indebted for a breed of 

 horses of unequalled beauty, speed, and strength. 



This last improvement now furnishes all that can be desired : nor is this 

 true only of the thorough-bred or turf-horse ; it is, to a very material de. 

 gree, the case with every description of horse. By a judicious admixture 

 and proportion of blood, we have rendered our hunters, our hackneys, our 

 coach, nay even our cart horses, much stronger, more active, and more 

 enduring, than they were before the introduction of the race-horse. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE DIFFERENT BREEDS OF ENGLISH HORSES. 



The reader is now prepared for the history and distinguishing character 

 of the various bi-eeds of English horses. If we were composing a treatise 

 on the horse adapted for general readers, we should commence with the 

 racer or thorough-bred horse, which, if it be not considered as the parent 

 of every other breed, yet enters into, and adds, or often gives the only 

 value to it. Remembering, however, the title of our work, we will begin 

 with those which are occasionally or chiefly employed for agricultural 

 purposes. First stands the Roadster, or Hackney, whether used by the 

 farmer to ride over his grounds, or for the longer journeys of business or 

 pleasure. 



The roadster varies much in different districts, and according to the 

 whim or caprice of the rider. We have (p. 2) presented our readers with 

 a portrait of the old English hackney, now, fortunately, little known, ye* 

 fjie origin of our best saddle-horses, whether for the road or the field. The 

 modern horseman will find some fault with him. We give him as he was, 

 and shall proceed to describe a much supei'or animal. 



