776 



HORSE. 



straightness of outline ; but the shagginess of their 

 coat points them out as natives of northern and central 

 Asia, where this is a common character of very many 

 of the mammalia. Their origin is not exactly known, 

 but the probability is that they are originally the 

 same race as the Arabians, only changed by a differ- 

 ence of climate. In all these varieties they are excel- 

 lent animals, moderate in their feeding, and almost 

 unwearied in their strength. The horses of the Cos- 

 sacks, and indeed most of those in northern Europe, 

 keeping to the north of the Baltic, appear to be more 

 or less related to this breed, though, as we come 

 nearer the shores of the Atlantic, they do not appear 

 to be quite so shaggy, at least in their summer clothing. 



On the continent of Europe there are considerable 

 differences, those of the south partaking more of the 

 Arab character, and those of the north more of the 

 Tartar. In general, they are of light make, but 

 hardy ; though in the flat countries adjoining the 

 North Sea they are very heavy, powerful for temporary 

 efforts, but short-winded, and therefore incapable of 

 prolonged exertion. 



We shall now just name one or two of the leading 

 breeds of horses which are found in this country. Of 

 these the first, at least in the sporting world, and in 

 respect of price, is, 



The Race-horse. The English race-horse, which, 

 though far inferior to the Arab in point of endurance, 

 is perhaps the finest horse in the world for moderate 

 heats, such as those on the common race-grounds in 

 this country. They are called blood-horses ; but that 

 does not mean that they are pure Arabian blood, on 

 the other hand they are all crosses with English 

 mares, by which means they get an additional strength 

 of bone, while they get spirit from the other branch 

 of the cross. In order that a racer should be " first 

 blood," as it is called, or the nearest possible to the 

 Arab stock, its original descent should be a cross be- 

 tween a pure Arab and a mare which is the produce 

 of a similar cross ; but this is often less attended to 

 than the character of the particular parents ; and the 

 pedigrees of these horses are far shorter than those 

 of the horses of Arabia. 



The Hunter is the English horse which ranks next 

 in blood to the "high-mettled racer." The father of 

 this horse is not an Arab, but one of the first blood ; 

 and the mother is one degree further removed from 

 the pure blood than the mother of the race-horse. 

 This horse possesses many excellent qualities, having 

 more bone and power than the race-horse, and also 

 more capacity of continued exertion, though inferior 

 in his speed for a momentary effort. The symmetry 

 of this horse, according to our notions, is perhaps 

 superior to that of the race-horse, because it has a 

 fuller cfcest, a more concave line in the forehead, and 

 is altogether better filled up and rounded". 



The Roadster is half a cross, or a whole cross further 

 removed from the true Arabian blood than the hunter ; 

 but, according to our common notions of beauty, it is 

 perhaps a more handsome horse, plump, round, and 

 of graceful figure and action. But in consequence of 

 its further removal from the true Arabian type, it is 

 much more liable to be influenced by the character 

 of the mother ; and both its beauty arid its value de- 

 pend much more on that branch of its parentage. 

 Hence in the breeding ot these horses, and in those 

 further removed from the blood, by which the blood 

 of the male parent is always meant, much greater 

 attention should be paid to the qualities of the brood 



mare ; and it is owing to want of attention to this- 

 particular, that so many of our horses of comparatively 

 low blood are so ragged in their forms and so coarse 

 in their manners. 



These are the principal horses employed in these 

 kingdoms for sport and for speed ; and in many of 

 them a great degree of size, symmetry, and beauty 

 are combined, both for the carriage of private indivi- 

 duals, and for coaches on the high-roads ; the studs 

 for which latter purpose, that are in the hands of first- 

 class coach proprietors, containing, all points consi- 

 dered, some of the finest horses in the world. We 

 shall now mention one or two of the races which are 

 more remarkable for their qualities as work-horses 

 only, or for their small size and great hardihood, 



The Dray-horse. This is the largest horse which 

 is found in the country. It is a portly animal, and 

 capable of powerful effort for a short time ; but it is 

 not a good winded horse, and on that account it is 

 wholly unfit for continued exertion. It is understood 

 that the first importation of this horse was from 

 Zealand though the females are styled " Flanders' 

 mares," by which name Henry VIII. was pleased to 

 designate Anne of Cleves, one of his royal consorts ; 

 and it is said, that allusions have been made to the 

 same epithet in later periods of our history. Horses 

 of this breed are sometimes known by the title of 

 " fen horses ;" and though they are like most of the 

 domesticated varieties, liable to break into different 

 colours, and are not unfrequently iron-grey, or even 

 pie-bald, yet the prevailing colour is black. They 

 are more abundant in London than in any other part 

 of the country ; and they are chiefly used in brewers' 

 drays and other carriages, where a very heavy load 

 is dragged along with frequent stoppages. They are 

 unwieldy ; but, the entire horses especially, have very 

 well-formed necks and ample chests ; and, if their 

 great size is taken into account, their forms do not 

 want symmetry. There is a great appearance of 

 power about them, but the realiry does not come up 

 quite to the appearance ; and they are deficient in 

 spirit. They are, however, very showy animals ; 

 and in some parts of the world they are highly prized. 

 They are particularly so by the rulers of the native 

 states of India, who, like other semi-barbarous people, 

 esteem them as the chief element of power ; and 

 upon a late occasion, when lieutenant Burnes was 

 sent on a mission to appease the wrath of Runjeet 

 Singh, the sheikh-chief of Lahore, dray-horses were 

 considered as the most acceptable present that could 

 be presented to that personage. In that part of India 

 they are known by the style and title of English 

 elephants ; and Runjeet Singh was so much delighted 

 with the ponderous brutes, that he addressed to the 

 British governors of India a letter, expressing his 

 admiration of the animals themselves, and stating that 

 the sheen of their ample shoes was so splendid, that 

 the moon had been puzzled as to whether it should or 

 should not enter into competition with them, and ven- 

 ture to shine after their arrival at Lahore. 



Some of our own writers upon live-stock have 

 expressed very different sentiments on the subject of 

 these horses. " The breed of grey rats," says Mar- 

 shall, in his History of Yorkshire, " with which this 

 island has of late years been overrun, are not a greater 

 pest in it than the breed of black fen-horses ; at least 

 while cattle remain scarce as they are at present, and 

 while the flesh of horses continues to be rejected as an 

 article of human food." It is to be understood, how- 



