152 THE HORSE OF AMERICA. 



and gait. Their descendants were not numerous, but so many of 

 them were able to show such a rate of speed, either at the lateral 

 or diagonal gait, that they left a distinct trace on the trotting 

 stock of the United States. Old Pacing Pilot has always been 

 classed as a Canadian, but no trace of his origin has ever been 

 secured, and it is impossible at this day to give any definite in- 

 formation as to whether he was brought from Canada or not. 

 Some forty or fifty years ago the "Canadian pacers" were so 

 highly esteemed for their speed that very many horses were called 

 "Canadians" that never saw Canada. The original Tom Hal was 

 purchased in Philadelphia as early as 1838, and was always called 

 a Canadian. He was the progenitor of the great pacing family 

 still bearing his name, that is doubtless the most noted pacing 

 family now in existence. Sam Hazzard, it is said, was brought 

 from Canada about 1844, and left some noted descendants. Many 

 others might be named, but as they never gained great celebrity, 

 and as their origin is not fully established, I will leave the 

 Canadians for future investigators. 



The rich province of Ontario has always been, in all its ways, 

 the most English section of the Canadian Confederation, and in 

 nothing more than in horsemanship. True, it is now a great 

 trotting region, but running is and always has been the sport of 

 the rich and fashionable, and almost all the English horses im- 

 ported in Canada have gone to Western Ontario. On the other 

 hand, in the Maritime Provinces New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, 

 and Prince Edward Island -running races have never been 

 popular, except at Halifax, which is a great military station and 

 socially and otherwise much influenced by its English army and 

 navy residents. It is the only point in the provinces where run- 

 ning meetings are given or where the running horse is at all 

 cherished. For generations the principal sport of the people of 

 these provinces has been trotting and pacing races, winter and 

 summer, for ice racing is very general and very popular, through 

 Maritime as well as Western Canada, the numbers of great bays 

 and wide rivers affording ample courses, everywhere, throughout 

 the long winters. Though there is, through these provinces, a 

 generous sprinkling of horses called French Canadian, it is a fact 

 that when we write the horse history of Maine we have written 

 that of the Maritime Canadian provinces. The best of the early 

 trotting stock of these provinces came from Maine, and the most 

 and the best of the old-time trotters of New Brunswick, Nova. 



