XXXI. 



Capacity of Small Horses to pull Weight. Flora Temple and Centreville. 



Flora and Black Douglas. Flora and Young Dutchman. Flora and 

 Lady Brooks. Flora and Highland Maid. Breeding of Highland Maid. 



Description of her. Her Races with Flora. 



IT will be remembered that I have spoken of three prime 

 qualities in the trotting-horse ; viz., speed, bottom, and 

 the power to pull weight. I was already confident that little 

 Flora possessed the last, as well as the other two. People 

 are apt to think that great size is demanded for a weight- 

 puller, but there are plenty of notable instances to show that 

 this is a mistake. Still, though there need not be great size, 

 and though some big horses are the very worst of weight- 

 pullers, coming right back as soon as they are required to 

 take along a wagon and a heavy man, strength is certainly 

 demanded. This strength in small horses is the result of 

 a nice adaptation of parts, together with particular power in 

 the loin and hind-quarters. If a little horse of that sort be 

 particularly examined, it will commonly be found, that, 

 though they are low, they are long in all the moving parts ; 

 and their quarters are generally as big, and sometimes a 

 deal bigger, than those of many much larger horses. 



Having in my mind the conviction that Flora was a 

 weight-puller, as well as fast and stout, I matched her in 

 December, 1852, for $500 a side, to trot, mile heats, three 

 in five, with Centreville, to wagons of 2501bs. The mare 

 had been let up, and had had no fast work for three or four 

 weeks. She had, however, been jogged. Centreville was 

 held to be very nearly or quite the best weight-puller we 



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