28 THE HORSE. 
of them, excepting the most cursory allusion to the Mustang as the origin 
of the Indian pony, in common with the Canadian horse. I shall, there- 
fore, not weary my readers with extracts from Mr. Catlin’s somewhat 
fanciful writings, but at once proceed to allude to the modern domesti- 
cated breeds of horses met with in the United States and Canada. 
Accorpine To Mr. HERBERT, who seems to have taken great pains to 
arrive at the truth, “with the one solitary exception of the Norman horse 
in Canada, no special breeds have ever taken root as such, or been bred, 
or even attempted to be bred, in their purity, in any part of America. In 
Canada East the Norman horse, imported by the early settlers, was bred 
for many generations entirely unmixed ; and, as the general agricultural 
horse of the province, exists, yet so stunted in size by the cold 
climate and the rough usage to which he has been subjected for centuries, 
but in nowise degenerated, for he possesses all the honesty, courage, 
endurance, hardihood, soundness of constitution, and characteristic excel- 
lence of feet and legs of his progenitor.” Besides this native Canadian 
there are also, among the more active kinds, the Morgan horse, the 
American trotter, the Narraganset pacer, and the thoroughbred descended 
from English imported horses, with scarcely any admixture of native 
blood ; and of the agricultural varieties, the Vermont and Conestoga 
draught-horses, in addition to several others not so easily made out. 
THE INDIAN PONY. 
Tue Inp1an Pony, which seldom or never exceeds thirteen hands in 
height, is remarkable for activity and strength, as compared with its size, 
appearing, like its Scotch congener, to be almost overwhelmed with its 
rider, whose feet nearly touch the ground, yet moving under its load 
with freedom. It has a high crest, and a flowing mane and tail, with a 
proud carriage of the head of a very pleasing character. The body is 
strongly built, and the legs and feet are made of the most lasting materials. 
Large herds of these ponies run wild in the prairies of the north-west, 
and many are brought into Canada for the use of the inhabitants. 
THE CANADIAN HORSE. 
Tue CanapDiAn Horsz is generally about fourteen to fifteen hands high, 
and is a remarkably hardy animal, capable of travelling very long distances, 
but in his pure condition not above the average in speed. When crossed, 
however, with a thoroughbred horse, he combines the speed of the latter 
with his own endurance and iron constitution and legs, and in this way 
a great many of the best American trotters are bred. Mr. Herbert says, 
‘“« His crest is lofty, and his demeanour proud and courageous ; his breast 
is full and broad ; his shoulder strong, though somewhat straight, and a 
little inclined to be heavy ; his back broad, and his croup round, fleshy, 
and muscular ; his ribs are not, however, so much arched, nor are they 
so well closed up, as his general shape and build would lead one to expect; 
his legs and feet are admirable—the bone large and flat, and the sinews 
big and nervous as steel springs; his feet seem almost unconscious of 
disease ; his fetlocks are shaggy ; his mane voluminous and massive, not 
seldom, if untrained, fallmg on both sides of his neck, and his tail 
abundant, both having a peculiar crimpled wave, if I may so express 
myself, the like of which I never saw in anv horse which had not some 
