120 



saddle, generally good, and sometimes capital trotters. They have 

 doubtless originated in Flemish stock, and their numbers appear con- 

 siderable at present. 



The old Suffolk punch cart horse, almost invariably of the soi^rel, 

 (so they denominate the red, or sandy chesnut colour,) was, I think, 

 beyond all question the most active, steady and powerful draught 

 Horse in existence. Middle-sized, or under the middle size, namely, 

 between fourteen hands three inches and sixteen hands, with a rough 

 coarse head, not seldom abruptly fastened to the neck, and that short: 

 the shoulders low and round, and the breast full, the waist often long, 

 a characteristic of the breed, and the barrel remarkably round with a 

 good carcase, whence the denomination of punch. The buttocks 

 high and full, aspiring as it were, above the forehand, whence greater 

 energy m draught was supposed to be derived. Legs somewhat long 

 and round in conformity with the barrel. Feet not of the soundest, 

 subject to thrushes, and the legs to grease. 



Between forty and fifty years since, exercising their cart horses at 

 drawing, was quite a fashionable amusement amongst the Suffolk far- 

 mers; the emulation was great, in regard to the merits of their respec- 

 tive teams, in this way; and drawing-matches were made for consider- 

 able sums; in one instance, as it was reported, to the amount of fifteen 

 hundred guineas, fifteen horses against fifteen. It was usual to make 

 these Horses draw dead pulls, or where the weight was not intended, or 

 |)ossible to be moved, as hooking the Horses to a tree. The test of 

 superiority was the number of pulls, or attempts a Horse would make; 

 and partly from natural aptitude, and much from training and constant 

 use. no Horse on earth would make so many pulls as the old Suffolk. 

 It was admirable to see, and I have often witnessed it, how a team of 

 these, Avould answer the jupji !!! of the carter, by dropping upon their 

 knees, all at the same instant, and by perpetual repetitions forcing 

 forward the impeded or set load; and with what attention, the nodding 

 fore horse would listen to, and obey the ' who ree and halt come who !' 

 —the former, in English, turn to the right, the latter, to the left. 



This rage however, did not spread out of Suffolk, and if while it 

 lasted there, it was one incitement to keeping up a breed calculated for 



its 



