56 THE AMERICAN BLOOD-HORSE. 



root as such, or been bred, or even attempted to be bred in 

 their purity, in any part of America. 



In Canada East, the Norman horse, imported by the early 

 settlers, was bred for n^any generations entirely unmixed ; and, 

 as the general agricultural horse of that province, exists so yet, 

 stunted somewhat in size by the cold climate, and the rough 

 usage to which he has been subjected for centuries, but in no 

 wise degenerated; for he possesses all the honesty, courage, 

 endurance, hardihood, soundness of constitution, and charac- 

 teristic excellence of feet and legs of his progenitor. Through- 

 out both the provinces, he may be regarded as the basi'^ of 

 the general horse, improved as a working animal by crosses of 

 English half-bred sires ; and as a roadster, carriage-horse, a 

 higher class riding or driving horse, by an infusion of English 

 thorough blood. 



All these latter types are admirable animals ; and it is from 

 the latter admixture that have sprung many of the most cele- 

 brated trotting horses, which, originally of Canadian descent, 

 have found their way into the New England States and New 

 York, and there won their laurels as American trotters. Still, 

 it is not to be denied, that there are in different sections of the 

 United States, different local breeds of horses, apparently pecu- 

 liar, and now become nearly indigenous to those localities, and 

 that those breeds differ not a little, as well in ciualities as in 

 form and general appearance. A good judge of horse-flesh, 

 for instance, will find little difficulty in selecting the draught- 

 horse of Boston, that is to say, of Massachusetts and Vermont, 

 from those of New York and New Jersey, or any of the three 

 from the large Pennsylvania team-horses, or from the general 

 stock of the Western States. 



