THE HORSE. 725 



hope of capture, for that day at least, and another cavalcade of horses would have to be 

 gathered to renew the race on the morrow. 



So, bringing his ingenuity to bear, he gathered several of the freshest couples together, 

 and heJd them for a final rush. Girths were tightened, stirrups shortened, and lariats were 

 coiled for the dash. They were hidden by a clump of trees from the line Boggy was run 

 ning, and held well in hand until the poor fellow was entering his fourth round, when out 

 they rushefl with hoop and spur and loud huzzas, and crowded him from his course. 

 Round and round they twirled their lariats, and spurred and urged to got within throwing 

 distance, when, sudden as a flash of light, Boggy swerved to the right and plunged headlong 

 into the creek, which, as indicated by its name, was to prove a snare to his feet. Flounder 

 ing, rearing, and plunging along through the treacherous bog which received him up to his 

 very withers, he was gallantly but slowly making his way to the opposite shore, which a few 

 mure plunges would have reached, when, alasl alas! a whirr in the air, and over his beauti 

 ful head, and encircling his swelling nock, the fatal noose fell, and Boggy, poor, gallant fel 

 low, was a captive. 



It is stated that this stallion Boggy, after his captivity, became very quiet and docile. 

 He was extensively used in the stud, but none of his get possessed especial merit.&quot; 



When attacked by wolves, as the wild horses on the prairies sometimes are, they display 

 much intelligence and courage. The leader of the drove forms the mares in a circle with 

 their heels outward towards the enemy. Within this circle the foals and half-grown colts 

 are collected for protection. Around the outside all the stallions collect to fight the wolves, 

 while the inares use their heels to good advantage whenever the enemy approaches near 

 enough for the attack. 



The Trotting Horse of America. Horse trotting, as a public amusement, seems 

 to have been inaugurated in this country during the first part of the present century, and 

 since that time the desire for fast horses has been on the increase, so much so that many 

 breeders in making speed the main or principal quality aimed at, have seemed to overlook 

 others equally essential, and there is danger of carrying this point to the extent that speed 

 will be secured at the expense of strength and endurance. The development of speed through 

 systematic breeding and training has become one of the great industries of the United States, 

 where it has attained a degree of perfection truly wonderful, and which is not to be found in 

 any other portion of the world. 



This interest dates back to the importation of the celebrated thoroughbred, Messenger, 

 in 1788. At the time of his importation, he was eight years old, and was used in the stud 

 for twenty years, in the vicinity of Philadelphia and New York. This horse is generally 

 conceded to be the foundation or progenitor of the American trotting race, since nearly every 

 trotter of this country, whose pedigree is known, traces to this animal, and the more 

 Messenger strains there are in the pedigree, the greater, as a general rule, is the value. 



One of the first horses noticed by the public journals of the country for trotting was the 

 &quot;Rat-tailed Gray,&quot; that trotted in 1816 on the Salem turnpike, near Boston. He is said to 

 be the same horse that was afterwards called &quot;Boston Blue,&quot; that was matched with Col. 

 Bond, of Maryland, and Major William Jones, of Long Island, to trot one mile in three 

 minutes for $1,000. In this race Boston Blue is recorded as winning, and gained a high 

 reputation for his unexampled speed. 



New York and Philadelphia were the first to become interested in associations for devel 

 oping the speed of the trotter, which associations resulted in great success in improving this 

 race of horses. 



In contesting for the premiums in trotting, the descendants of Messenger were found to 

 take the lead. The propensity of this family for fast trotting was first discovered in the 

 second generation, and after the death of Messenger. It is true that there have been many 



