55 



duce of these mares and proper English stallions, make hardy and 

 good trotting hacks, of which I can speak from experience. 



Many valuahle qualities are with justice ascribed to the Norway 

 Horses. They are round-made, but with clean heads and limbs; their 

 best pace is the trot, which, indeed, is the characteristic pace of the 

 northern, as the gallop is of the southern Horse. They are so sure^ 

 footed in their own rough country, as to be eqiial to mules in that rare 

 quality. It is said, when they go down the steep cliffs, strewed with 

 stones, as it were steps, they throw themselves vipon their haunches, 

 like our shaft Horses in a waggon, and supporting themselves with one 

 fore foot, they try each stone with the other in order, to find whether it 

 be fast, and to be depended on. In these break-neck situations, the 

 rider must trust to the discretion and practice of his beast, whether a 

 Norway Horse or a mule, for should he, from timidity or rash inter- 

 meddling, confuse the aim, or affect the equilibrium of the animal, 

 there could be little other chance than that both would describe the 

 figure, one over the other, down the precipice. These Horses are said to be 

 among the most courageous, and to fight Avith bears and wolves, which 

 they conquer and sometimes destroy, by drumming the sculls with their 

 fore feet : but in these contests, which frequently happen in a wild 

 countr}^ it is found that the Horse is always conquered by the bear, 

 much the stronger animal, whenever the Horse happens to strike with 

 his hinder feet; being in that unguarded position, the bear soon leaps 

 upon his back, and the Horse rimning away, is at last torn down 

 by his savage rider. Frederick IV. ordered an experiment of this to 

 be made in his presence. A bear was 4et loose upon one of these Horses, 

 which instantly dispatched his enemy in the manner above described. 



The Danish islands of Ferroe possess a small and hardy breed of 

 Horses, which make excellent strong and sure footed hacks, Avell cal- 

 culated for any barren and hilly country. In such countries they 

 need no shoes, nor in their den, have anj' shelter throughout winter. 

 Were it desirable to renew the old breed of Scotch hobbies, at least to 

 introduce a similar one, the measure might be easily executed by an 

 importation from the Danish isles. 



In Suderoe, one of these islands, they have the lightest and best 



shaped 



