THE SIKE. 129 



stud-books are sufficient for England, where the running- 

 horse embodies all excellence; but they are entirely 

 insufficient in this country, where the trotting-horse 

 finds his ancestry, his birthplace, and the field of his 

 glory. There is, therefore, in this country, a family of 

 horses possessing the very qualities for which the Eng- 

 lish running-horse has so long been noted, and in as 

 great a degree^ as the history of its performances shows, 

 but which are distinguished from the English thorough- 

 bred by their style of going : and to this family, by 

 every law and rule of justice, the same honorable 

 nomenclature must be given; and I now give it the 

 same, and ask your attention to what I have to sug- 

 gest touching the - 



THOROUGH-BRED TROTTING-HORSE. 



I have alluded to the matter of out -crossing in 

 order to get " blood," — that is, those high qualities 

 which it symbolizes, — and I have said that it were 

 not wise to go to the running-family for the cross ; and 

 this I repeat. First, because, in doing this, you lose 

 the trotting-action ; and, secondly, because there is no 

 need to do it, since the same perfection of courage 

 you seek can be found in the trotting -family itself. 

 Those of my readers who know any thing of Ethan 

 Allen, Taggart's Abdallah, Old Morrill, or his famous 

 grandson Fearnaught, and Lambert, and the get of 

 these horses, know, that for beauty, intelligence, fine- 

 ness of temper, and courage to " do or die," they are 



