THE SADDLE BREEDS OF HORSES 115 



American Standardbred and Saddle families, as well as of 

 the Thoroughbred. 



The trend of Thoroughbred sentiment was first north- 

 ward from its original seat, about the middle of the eight- 

 eenth century, centering later about the Union course on 

 Long Island, then westward into Kentucky and Tennessee, 

 where the first race-course was established at Lexington, 

 some time previous to the organization of a chartered as- 

 sociation in 1828. The environment of Kentucky proved 

 so congenial to the horses bred there, that it soon attained 

 its premier position among the horse-producing states. 

 Then, in the natural course of events, some of the best 

 blood of Virginia and Kentucky found its way into Cali- 

 fornia, and there were soon founded studs which later 

 achieved national fame. The Civil War proved a serious 

 set-back to the breeding operations then well under way, 

 but the Thoroughbred soon recovered from this inter- 

 ruption, and with the reestablishment of affairs on a stable 

 basis, became generally distributed throughout the length 

 and breadth of the land. He is still most extensively bred 

 in those regions where he first came to his own. Notable 

 patrons of the Thoroughbred in America have been Wash- 

 ington, Jackson, Clay, Jefferson and John Randolph. 



129. Description. The Thoroughbred conforms to 

 and is the truest exponent of the long, lithe, rangy, deep, 

 narrow, angular type consistent with speed, which is in 

 such striking contrast to the low, broad, compact and mas- 

 sive form significant of power in the draft horse. It is 

 possible, however, to enumerate certain characters that 

 are more particularly and distinctly Thoroughbred than 

 the type, which is more or less common to all speed horses. 

 These characters are derived in part from the oriental 

 progenitors, while some may be regarded as strictly Thor- 



