726 THE AMERICAN FARMER 



fast trotters whose pedigree could not be definitely traced to the thoroughbred stock, but it 

 has been found that, in the large majority of cases, the exceptions being rare, the best 

 trotters can be traced to the thoroughbred stock, and there is no question whatever that this 

 is the original source of the fast-trotting blood, they possessing naturally the rare combination 

 of bone and muscle and other essentials that render them peculiarly adapted to speed. 



Some horses trot naturally, while others require to be entirely educated to this gait. 

 While so much depends upon the formation of the bones and muscles, and the adaptation of 

 the limbs and body to the trotting gait, all horses require considerable training to become 

 educated to the degree of developing their best capacity in this direction. The principal 

 families that are at present distinguished as trotters are, the Hambletonians, Mambrinos, Ba 

 shaws, Clays, Stars, Morgans, Black Hawks (a branch of the Morgan family), Gold Dusts, 

 Blue Bulls, Royal Georges, Canadians, etc., besides various other branches of these leading 

 families. 



Progenitors of Trotting Families. Although England and America are indebted 

 to Arabia for their finest horses it being the original source of the pure thoroughbred 

 careful breeding and training, together with judicious crossing, have produced such a change 

 that the American trotter and the English race-horse of to-day are greatly superior in speed 

 and some other qualities to the best types of the thoroughbred that may now be found. 



Youatt says, in this connection: &quot;The Arabian is not equal to his English descendant. 

 This has also been incontestably proved in the United States. Pure-blood Arabians of the 

 highest pretensions have at various times been imported into our country, but they have never 

 compared either in speed or bottom with the English race-horse and his descendants. A few 

 years ago, Recruit, an English horse of moderate reputation, easily beat Pyramus, the best 

 Arabian on the Bengal side of India.&quot; 



We see by this the vast field that lies open to the breeder, and the power of intelligent 

 effort in accomplishing desired results. In breeding trotters, more difficulties have been met 

 than in breeding the thoroughbred, since the latter, being of pure blood of long-known value, 

 could be relied upon with a great degree of certainty, while in the case of trotters, which 

 were produced by crossing with the thoroughbred blood, the breeder would frequently be 

 surprised in obtaining the best results from the most unexpected sources, the union of the 

 thoroughbred with other bloods producing in individual cases very different results. 



Messenger, the noted progenitor of the trotting families in this country, foaled in 1780, 

 had as his first sire Mambrino, second sire Engineer, and third sire Sampson. According to 

 the English stud-book, his first dam was by Turf, second dam by Regulus, third dam by 

 Starling, fourth dam by Fox, fifth dam by Bay Bolton, sixth dam by Duke of Newcastle s 

 Turk, seventh dam by Byerly Turk, eighth dam by Taffolet Barb, and ninth dam by Place s 

 Turk. Beyond Sampson his pedigree may be traced back to Blaze, Flying Childers, and the 

 Darley Arabian. He is described as being gray in color, fifteen and three-fourths hands high, 

 and stoutly built. 



Rysdyck s Bambletonian, the founder of the Hambletonian family, was got by Abdallah 



(who was traced to imported Messenger on the side of both sire and dam) out of a dam by 



imported Bellfounder, with two crosses to imp. Messenger on her dam s side; foaled in 1849. 



Mambrino Chief, the modern head of the Mambrino family, was foaled in 1844, sired by 



Mambrino Paymaster, who was a grandson of imp. Messenger. 



Young Bashaw, foaled in 1822 by Grand Bashaw, an Arabian horse, heads the Bashaw 

 family; his dam was Pearl, by First Consul. 



Henry Clay, a grandson of Young Bashaw through Andrew Jackson, is the founder of 

 the Clays, which are properly a branch of the Bashaw family. 



Stockholm s American Star, sired by Duroc, the son of imp. Diomed, is the progenitor of 

 the Star race. 



