ELEMENTS OE HIPPOLOGY. 13 



For a number of centuries in England, whence the larger 

 proportion of our imported saddle-horses have come, saddle- 

 horses have been trained to three gaits only— the walk, trot, and 

 gallop. In the early years of the history of Kentucky, although 

 the country was prosperous and its people rich, the roads were 

 poor. The business of the State was done on horseback, and the 

 demand arose for a comfortable saddle-horse. To meet this de- 

 mand a breed of horses, now known as the American saddle- 

 horse, was developed. The Canadian pacer, a horse descended 

 from French and English stock, was crossed with the thorough- 

 bred, and, by careful breeding, the present splendid breed of 

 saddle-horses has resulted. 



They are medium-sized, well-built animals, of good color; 

 kind, docile, and willing. They jump well and gallop easily and 

 make ideal mounts for cavalry, but their chief distinction is the 

 possession of a number of artificial gaits that add greatly to the 

 comfort of- their riders. 



These horses can be used as light driving-horses without 

 injury to their gaits.* 



The term " breed," as used by the farmer, signifies a group 

 or class of animals having 'a number of distinctive qualities and 

 characteristics in common, and the power to transmit those 

 distinctive traits with a good degree of certainty. 



"A breed is usually started by selecting two or more unusu- 

 ally good animals from a group that has been produced in a lo- 

 cality by reason of better food, environment, and intelligent se- 

 lection, and which is usually superior to the animals of the same 

 species in other localities. These few having JUeen selected, in- 

 breeding is practiced to a greater or less extent for the purpose 

 of perpetuating and intensifying one or more desired character- 

 istics. At first the work is usually carried on by one, or at most 

 a few, of the most intelligent breeders, who, by improving condi- 

 tions, have first improved the quality of their own stock. 



*The description of these gaits will be found in Chapter XIX. 



