42 FOREIGN BREEDS OF HORSES. 



by the modern Englisli race or the Arab. The improvement of the horse, 

 at this time, occupies much of their attention. Horse-races are estabhshed 

 in many places, and particularly in the Southern States ; and they have 

 adopted, to a very considerable degree, the usages of the English turf. 

 They have different varieties of useful horses for riding, and for their 

 public and private carriages. Habit, arising from some cause or whim 

 now not kno^vn, has made them partial to the trottmg-horse ; and the 

 fastest trotting-horses in the world are to be found in the United States. 

 The breeds of the West India Islands are those of the parent states. The 

 horses of Cuba are derived from Spain, and retain the distinctive cha- 

 racters of the parent stock ; and those of the English colonies have been 

 irapi'oved by continued intercourse with the mother country. 



A mu.ch-valued correspondent, Mr. Rotch, of Louis'\'ille, in the State 

 of New York, thus addresses the author : — ' From my own personal expe- 

 rience, I should say that all our stock in America seem to possess a 

 harder constitution and are much less liable to disease than in England ; 

 and that animals, but a few generations removed from those actually im- 

 ported, acquired much stronger constitutions than their ancestors ; and it 

 has been a question with me, and acceded to by the late Rev. H. Berry, 

 whether importations of some of our pure-bred animals might not some- 

 times be made into your country with advantage. I am sure that our 

 hacks and roadsters will endure a great deal more fatigue and hardshij) 

 than the same description of horse in England. I speak with confidence 

 in these matters, because I have been a breeder in both countries.' 



Tliat the greater hardship and labour to which the American horse of 

 this description is exposed would produce a greater development of animal 

 power, there can be no doubt, and a cross from the best of such a breed 

 could not fail of being advantageous ; but we must adopt and perpetuate 

 the circumstances that produced this superior power, or we should not 

 long retain the advantage of the cross. 



In the extensive territory and varied climate of the United States 

 several breeds of horses are found. 



The Conestoga horse is found in Pennsylvania and the middle States ; 

 lono- in the leg and light in the carcass ; sometimes rising seventeen 

 hands ; used principally for the carriage ; but, when not too high, and with 

 sutBcient substance, useful for hunting and the saddle. 



The English horse, with a good deal of blood, prevails in Virginia and 

 Kentucky, and is found to a greater or less degree in all the States. The 

 Americans have at different times imported some of the best English 

 blood. It has been most diligently and purely preserved in the Southern 

 States. The celebrated Shark, the best horse of his day, and equalled by 

 few at any time, was the sire of the best Virginian horses ; and Tally-ho, 

 a son of Highflyer, peopled the Jerseys. 



THE MODERN EUROPEAN HORSES. 



The limits of our work compel us to be exceedingly brief in our account 

 of the breeds of the diflerent countries of Europe. We start from the 

 south-west of this quarter of the Avorld. 



THE SPANISH HORSE. 



The Spanish horses for many a century ranked next to those of Barbary 

 and Arabia, They descended from the Barbs, or rather they were the 

 Barbs transplanted to a European soil, and somewhat altered, but not 

 materially injured, by the change. Solleysel, the ^ja.r/"a/i mareschal, gives 

 an eloquent description of them : — ' I have seen many Spanish horses ; 



