THE BREEDS OF HORSES 



147 



to this country about 1760, though but few pure-bred ones 

 are here now, and the breed has not grown in favor. The 

 white or spotted horses often seen with circuses are rarely 

 pure-bred, and perhaps come from Turkey, Barbary, or 

 elsewhere in the Orient, or have been foaled in America. 



The Thoroughbred horse is of British breeding. In early 

 days in England the horse was used largely for war. He 

 had to be strong, in order to carry men who wore heavy 

 coats of mail. After armor became unpopular, the people 

 began to make more use 

 of horses for other pur- 

 poses. King James I., at 

 the beginning of the 17th 

 century, established the 

 race track, and since then 

 horse racing has been very 

 popular in that country 

 and in France. It was 

 then that the develop- 

 ment of the Thoroughbred 

 began. The people wanted 

 a race horse. They took 

 their native light horses 

 that showed speed and improved them by the use of Arab, 

 Turk, and other racing blood imported from Africa, Turkey, 

 and France. The people became much interested in breed- 

 ing these running horses, and, as a result, developed the 

 Thoroughbred into the fastest and best-bred horse in the 

 world. Three imported Oriental horses, the Darley Arabian, 

 the Byerly Turk, and the Godolphin Barb played a most 

 important part in improving the early race-horse stock in 

 England. Descended from these were three English-bred 

 horses, Herod, Eclipse, and Matchem, that are very famous 

 ancestors of modern Thoroughbreds. This breed of horses 

 has a fine, lean, medium-sized head; a long, slender neck; a 



Figure 34. Thoroughbred horse, Hanover, 

 one of the greatest American sires of the 

 breed. Photograph by the author. 



