

A Sketch of the 

 Development of the Modern Horse 



Many authors have sought to enlighten the minds of people in 

 regard to the horse, and valuable books not a few treat of his his- 

 tory, present status and management. By no means, however, 

 has the subject been exhausted, and even had it been there would 

 still exist the conditions that prompt the present effort. It is our 

 purpose to present in a brief and concise form a reliable and accurate 

 summary of the best information concerning the horse as he now 

 exists and some of the stages through which he has passed in his 

 development. 



Few if any of our domestic animals present subjects of greater 

 interest to the scientist or to the general public than horses. 

 While they have come into man's service more recently, perhaps, 

 than any of the animals in the group with which they are com- 

 monly associated, their story as now told extends farther back into 

 the recesses of the past than that of the others. Their history and 

 development has been better worked out, and abounds in facts of 

 exceptional interest. They were among the earliest animals to receive 

 the attention of progressive breeders. Their improvement antedates 

 that of cattle, sheep or swine. Their pedigrees were much earlier 

 recorded and pure breeding among them preceded that of any 

 other class of animals. Nor do we wonder at this when we con- 

 sider the intimacy of horse and rider, their constant companionship 

 and the dependence of man upon his horse in the chase, in the 

 pursuit of his foes, or in the escape from his enemies. Indeed, man's 

 relative dependence upon his horse was formerly far greater than now. 



Bed your horses with clean, dry straw. 



