250 THE ENGLISH BREEDS. 



race-course, and equally serviceable for the saddle 

 and light carriages. 



From the same sources are derived the blood- 

 horses of the United States, reared more particularly 

 in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. 

 Some of the best horses ever bred in England, such 

 as Shark and Tallyho, have contributed to give a 

 high character to the breeds of Virginia and the 

 Jerseys. The Conestoga breed of Pennsylvania, and 

 those of the middle states, long in the leg and light 

 in carcase, often rise to seventeen hands at the 

 shoulder, and make splendid gig-horses, while those 

 of less stature are most sought for riding. Towards 

 the north the English race is mixed with the Ca- 

 nadian, originally from Normandy, and judicious 

 breeding between them has produced remarkable 

 fast trotters. 



THE ENGLISH BREEDS OF HORSES. 



We are now come to the unrivalled breeds of Great 

 Britain, the first in form, in strength, in speed, and 

 in stature, and the highest in value, of any period in 

 the history of the world. As our immedate object 

 is, however, to complete the view of the bay stock, 

 we shall confine ourselves, for the moment, more 

 immediately to what is termed the blood-horse, and 

 resume what remains to be said of its history from 

 the time of James I., who patronized horse-racing 

 and first reduced the pursuit to a regular system. 

 In his time, Turkish and Barbary horses had been 



