106 



THE DIFPEREXT BREEDS OP ENGLISH HORSES. 



governor of the prison, had a g-reat desire to possess one of them of some- 

 what superior figure to its fellows ; and having several men to assist 

 him, they separated it from the herd. They drove it on some rocks by the 

 side of a tor (an abrupt pointed hill). A man followed on horseback, 

 while the captain stood below watching the chase. The little animal 

 being driven into a corner, leaped completely over the man and horse, and 

 escaped. 



The Highland 'povy is far inferior to the galloway. The head is large ; 

 he is low before, long in the back, short in the legs, upright in the 

 pasterns, rather slow in his paces, and not pleasant to ride, except in the 

 canter. His habits make him hardy ; for he is rarely housed in the 

 summer or the wdnter. The Rev. Mr. Hall, in his ' Travels in Scotland,' 

 says, ' that when these animals come to any boggy piece of ground, they 

 first put their nose to it, and then pat on it in a peculiar way with one of 

 their fore-feet ; and from the sound and feel of the ground, they know 

 whether it will bear them. They do the same with ice, and determine in 

 a minute whether they will proceed.' 



The Shetland pony, called in Scotland sheltie, an inhabitant of the 

 extremest northern Scottish isles, is a very diminutive animal — sometimes 

 not more than seven hands and a half in height, and rarely exceeding nine 

 and a half. 



THr sjir,TT.Axr> vnyr. 



He is often exceedingly beautiful, with a small head, good-tempered 

 countenance, a short nock, fine towards the throttle, shoulders low and 

 thick,— in so little a creature far from being a blemish, — back short, 

 quarters expanded and powerful, legs flat and fine, and pretty round feet. 

 These ponies possess immense strength for their size ; will fatten upon 

 almost anything ; and are perfectly docile. One of them, nine hands (or 

 three feet) in height, carried a man of twelve stone forty miles in one day. 



A friend of the author was, not long ago, presented with one of these 

 elegant little animals. He was several miles from home, and puzzled how 



