704 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



able showing in long-distance or heat races. A horse with a dash of this blood may make a 

 fast race for a short distance, but it takes the genuine stuff to go a mile and repeat, in good 

 time. They are of all colors, bay, brown, and chestnut predominating; are rather light of 

 bone, and long in the body, with thin neck, small head, wide between the eyes, finely-pointed 

 ears, long quarters, and deep chest, and are usually rather leggy. In height they are from 

 15 to 16 hands, although they may sometimes be found a half a hand above or below these 

 figures. They are nervous, restless, determined, and excitable, and are highly valued for 

 crossing upon all other breeds.&quot; 



Beyond the technical meaning of the term thorough-bred, some writers give it a practi 

 cal signification, and employ it to denote certain essential qualities that give superior value to 

 the animal, and determine his rank in the grade to which he belongs. These qualities may 

 comprise beauty of form, compactness and strength of bone and muscles, intelligence, activity, 

 docility, and the various other desirable qualities that give value to the horse. The true 

 thorough-breds, according to the technical and proper signification of the term, are, without 

 doubt, the finest horses in existence, and to that blood are we indebted for some of the finest 

 qualities that our best types of horses possess. Yet, notwithstanding this, a poor horse, as 

 well as a man of inferior ability, will ever remain such, whatever his ancestry may be, and a 

 pure thorough-bred will occasionally, though rarely, be found to be a very inferior animal, 

 since there are exceptions to almost every rule, the world over, and while the law of nature, 

 that &quot;like produces like,&quot; will be the general rule, there will occasionally be an exception, 

 and a poor animal will sometimes possess a fine pedigree, and the reverse; some noted ani 

 mals having sprung from unknown ancestry. Pedigree has, however, great significance, and 

 a good horse with a good pedigree is the one to be desired. The superiority of thorough 

 bred horses over the common stock, will be found generally to consist in a superior form, 

 physical organization, and intelligence, while from their intelligence, they are more kind and 

 tractable in their* disposition. Possessing a superior organization, they are less liable to dis 

 ease, and live and maintain their usefulness to a much greater age. They have greater 

 endurance, are superior in action, and more elegant in appearance; they are also superior in 

 breathing powers, fieetness, and bravery. 



As we have previously stated, the bones of a thorough-bred horse are more solid and 

 fine in texture than those of horses of the common type, while his tendons are much stronger 

 and better defined, and his muscles more firm and elastic. Such a horse will perform 

 much more labor in a given time, with less exhaustion, and be able to repeat the task oftener, 

 than an animal of inferior blood. For all the common and general purposes of farming, or 

 for a carriage horse simply, the thorough-bred horse will be found greatly superior to those 

 of common class, and this should be borne in mind, whether in purchasing, or breeding. 



The Percheron-Norman. These horses are frequently called Normans, or French 

 horses. The breed originated in La Perche, an ancient province of France. Importations 

 from that country to this have been very extensive for more than a quarter of a century 

 past. These horses are noted for great strength and endurance, being much used for draft. 

 They are usually fifteen and a half, or sixteen and a half hands high, although some of the 

 larger types of the breed are occasionally seventeen hands. In temperament they are sanguine, 

 mixed in variable proportions with the musco-lymphatic. In color they are quite uniform, 

 being nearly always gray, although occasionally other colors, such as the black, roan, bay, or 

 chestnut, are seen. It is estimated by good authority that fully ninety per cent, of them, 

 both in this country and France from where they are imported are gray. They are 

 large animals, those imported to this country ranging in weight from 1400 to 1900 Ibs. They 

 generally have a good head, mild, expressive eyes, rather short neck, denoting strength; high 

 withers, a broad, deep chest, short rump, sometimes slightly drooping, and body well 

 rounded. The mane and tail are abundant. They are very docile, possess great strength and 



