380 TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



splendidly adapted to the production of light horses, and it was 

 principally in that state and Missouri that the American Saddle 

 Horse breed originated and developed. Kentucky was settled 

 in 1775, and as early as 1802 it was said that "almost all of the 

 inhabitants employ themselves in training and ameliorating 

 the breed of horses." The American Saddle Horse originated 

 from crosses of the Thoroughbred upon pacers of mixed breeding 

 which had been brought from Canada. Considerable Morgan 

 blood entered into the making of the breed also. Starting with 

 these materials, a type of saddle horse possessing great intelli- 

 gence and beauty was established. These horses are taught 

 five or more distinct gaits, and as a result of years of selection 

 and breeding, there is today a natural inclination on the part 

 of the American Saddle Horse to show these gaits, which include 

 not only the walk, trot, and canter, but also the rack, running 

 walk, fox trot, and slow pace. 



The general-purpose horse. When the railway displaced 

 the Conestoga horse, many farmers attempted to produce what 

 was styled "the horse of all work/' By this was meant a gen- 

 eral-purpose horse useful to wagon, plow, or under saddle. The 

 early agricultural papers were full of advice to farmers that 

 such a type be bred, and fair associations encouraged the move- 

 ment by offering prizes for this class of horses. From 1840 to 

 1850 the "horse of all work" was the horse of the day. About 

 1850, the first draft stallions were imported from Europe, but 

 they were not brought over with the idea of producing draft 

 horses in this country, but to breed to the small native mares, 

 with which this country was well supplied, in order to produce 

 a general-purpose horse. Prior to this there were some attempts 

 to produce such a horse by crossing the Thoroughbred and the 

 Conestoga, but the progeny possessed most of the defects of 

 both parents and were utterly unsuited for farm use or anything 

 else. By 1870, breeders had come to realize that there is more 

 profit in producing specialized types of horses useful for special 

 purposes, rather than a single general-purpose type not capable 

 of doing anything well. Thus, although articles still appear 

 occasionally in farm papers advising the production of a general- 

 purpose horse, and although some county fair associations persist 

 in offering prizes for this ancient type, the general-purpose horse 

 died a natural death a half-century ago. Let him rest in peace. 



The draft type in America. About 1870, there arose a 

 strong demand from cities for a heavy horse, and since that 



