THE COXES TOGA HORSE. 177 



this kind treatment, attained to tlie full development of his natural powers, and 

 arrived at a degree of beauty and perfection seldom found in any other country. 

 and much surpassing the original stock. The deep interest with which the far- 

 mers of this region regarded this noble animal, naturally stimulated a desire to 

 improve the stock and to bring- him to a still greater degree of perfection. 

 This was not attempted by any scientitic system of breeding ; for this frugal 

 people, always ha'ving an eye to economy and utility, kept neither males noi 

 females for the exclusive purpose of breeding. Sometimes a stud horse was 

 absolved from labor during the two last months of spring and the first of 

 the summer season ; but at the expiration of that term he was put to the har- 

 ness again and compelled to do his share of the labor which the interest of his 

 proprietor required. So with the mare; she was generally worked until within 

 a few weeks of foaling ; and instances are not untrequent where they have 

 been kept in the harness until the time of parturition. This, however, was 

 only done through ignorance or misapprehension of the time when the foal is 

 expected. In about a week after the mare has foaled, she is again put to the 

 harness and perfonns her ordinary share of labor ou the faim. 



The colt is permitted to run with its dam until it is about three months old; 

 it is then weaned and turned to pasture, generally receiving a little oats once 

 or twice a day for a month or longer. Judicious farmers advise the feeding of 

 a small quantity of oats daily during the first winter ; but colts frequently, if 

 not generally, have to be content with a -wai-m stall and plenty of good hay. 

 The second winter they require no grain, and, unless regularly and very 

 sparingly fed, are considered better without it. 



At about two and a half years old they are usually "bridle broken," and 

 sometimes lightly worked for a while in the autumn ; but during the ensuing 

 winter they ai"e commonly suffered to run idle, being seldom regularly worked 

 until fully three years old. 



Under this system of breeding, by selecting their best stock for the piu"pose, 

 the farmers of the Conestoga valley were very successful in improving their 

 stock. As the country was brought under cultivation, and the dense forest 

 was succeeded by fertile fields of waving grain and rich pastures of succulent 

 grasses, roads were opened and facilities afforded for transporting the siu'plus 

 productions of the tarm to the sea-board. Wagons were now introduced, ;for 

 raih-odds and canals were not then in vogue,) and the strength and fidelity of 

 the horse were relied upon to drag those heavy -laden wagons to their destined 

 places. 



In the performance of those services it will readily be perceived that 

 strength and activity were the most essential requisites. To these points, then, 

 the attention of the sagacious farmer was constantly directed in the improve- 

 ment of this indispensable quadruped — their aim bemg to produce a strong, 

 heavy, well-set, and tolerably active animal, with great powers of endurance. 



The immigi-ation to and settling: of the western States created a demand for 

 the transportation of large quantities of dry goods and groceries to supply the 

 wants of those engaged in opening up and settling those new countries ; and 

 many of the farmers in the Conestoga valley occasionally employed their teams 

 in hauling " store goods" from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, the latter place being 

 the teiminus beyond which eastern teams seldom went. 



During the war of 1S12 these noble teams rendered essential service to the 

 country in the transportation of arms, ammunition, and supplies to the army 

 on the frontier. Long lines of those teams were frequently seen wending their 

 weary way to the theatre of action, and contributing greatly to the comfort of 

 the anny and the defence of the country. Their usual route of travel was from 

 Philadelphia through Lancaster, crossing the Susquehanna at Columbia or 

 Marietta, and thence over the mountains to Pittsburg, and sometimes north- 

 ward to Lake Erie. This was before the construction of turnpikes and canals, 

 12 A 



