HORSE. 



HORSE. 



naturally poorest breeds. The ponies of Shet- 

 land, or the still more diminutive steeds of 

 China, when bred on rich English pastures, 

 rapidly increase in size. The horses of Arabia 

 do the same. 



In the extensive territory of the United 

 States, several breeds of horses are found, the 

 characteristics of which are widely different. 



The Canadian. This is one of the principal 

 races found in the Northern States, and is ge- 

 nerally considered of French or Norman de- 

 scent, many of the characteristics of which 

 are retained. 



The Morgan horse. Perhaps the very finest 

 breed of horses in the United States, when 

 general usefulness is taken into consideration, 

 is what is commonly known in the Northern 

 and Eastern States, as the Morgan horse. This 

 breed is distinguished by its activity, united 

 with strength and hardiness. Its size is mo- 

 derate, and though not often possessing the 

 fleetness which recommends it to the sports- 

 man, it has enough speed to entitle it to the 

 appellation of a fast traveller. Their usual 

 height is from 14 to 15 hands, colour bay, make 

 round and rather heavy, with lean heads, broad 

 and deep chests, the fore-limbs set wide apart, 

 legs clean and sinewy, short, strong backs, with 

 that projection of the ribs from the back-bone 

 which is a sure indication of great develope- 

 ment of lungs, and consequently of great wind 

 and bottom. For saddle, draught, and other 

 useful purposes, the Morgan horses bred in 

 Vermont, and in all the Eastern States, includ- 

 ing the Northern and Western part of New 

 York, are so much prized as to command much 

 higher prices in the principal cities of the At- 

 lantic States than horses from other parts of 

 the Union. 



This fine race is generally believed to have 

 originated in the northern part of Vermont 

 about the year 1804, from a mixture of the 

 French horse from Canada, with New England 

 mares. The breed is sometimes known by the 

 name of the Goss horse. Some of the cele- 

 brated American trotters are of the Morgan 

 breed. 



Conestoga horse. This horse, which is found 

 chiefly in Pennsylvania and some of the ad- 

 jacent states, is more remarkable for endurance 

 than symmetry. In height it sometimes reaches 

 17 hands, the legs being long and the carcass 

 light. The Conestoga breed make good car- 

 riage and heavy-draught horses. 



Virginia and Kentucky horse. This breed, 

 which predominates in the states named, and, 

 to a greater or less extent, in all the Southern, 

 Middle, and Western States, derives its origin 

 from English blood horses imported at various 

 times. It has been most diligently and purely 

 preserved in the South. The celebrated Shark, 

 the best horse of his day, was the sire of the 

 best Virginia horses, whilst Tally-ho, a son of 

 Highflyer, peopled the Jerseys. '(Farmer's Re- 

 gister, vol. ii.) 



In the Southwestern States, wild horses 

 abound, which are doubtless sprung from ihe 

 same Spanish stock as the wild horses of the 

 Pampas and other parts of the Southern con- 

 tinent, all of which are of the celebrated An- 

 dalusia breed, derived from the Moorish Barb. 

 81 



The prairie horses are often captured, and, 

 when domesticated, are found to be capable of 

 great endurance. They are not, however, re- 

 commended by the symmetry or elegance of 

 appearance, for which their type is so greatly 

 distinguished, being generally rather small and 

 scrubby. 



The following interesting observations rela- 

 tive to some of the American breeds, were 

 lately addressed by the editor of the New York 

 Spirit of the Times to the editor of the Cultivator. 



Fifteen years ago, thousands of dollars would 

 have been wagered, that no horse in the world 

 could trot a mile within three minutes; as 

 man) r would be laid down now, that it could be 

 done in two minutes twenty-eight seconds. 

 Ten years ago, to drive a horse 70 miles be- 

 tween sun and sun, would have been deemed 

 a great performance ; but since strains of the 

 blood of old Messenger have been introduced 

 into our road stock, at the North, hundreds of 

 horses can be found that can travel from 80 to 

 90 miles without distress. In our paper of this 

 day is a report of the performance of a horse 

 in Boston that, without being trained, was 

 driven 103 miles between sunrise and sunset, 

 over a hilly road, before a carriage, which, 

 with the rider, weighed 470 Ibs. 



The acknowledged superiority of northern 

 carriage and draught stock is owing almost 

 entirely to the fact, that thorough-bred horses 

 have found their way north and east from Long 

 Island and New Jersey, where great numbers 

 are annually disposed of that are unsuited to 

 the course. The use of thorough and half-bred 

 horses, for 'domestic purposes, is becoming so 

 common in England, that in a few years, no 

 other will be used for the road. The half-bred 

 horse is not only much handsomer, but his 

 speed and powers of endurance are infinitely 

 greater. His head and neck are light and 

 graceful, his limbs fine, his coat glossy and 

 soft as satin, while his action is spirited, and 

 his courage and stamina sufficient to carry him 

 through a long journey without his falling off" 

 in condition, or to undergo an extraordinary 

 trial of speed and game without distress. The 

 ordinary cocktail is, in most instances, a mere 

 brute, that in travelling, sinks daily in strength, 

 losing his appetite, and, of course, his flesh and 

 action, so that at the termination of a ten days' 

 journey, he is nearly knocked up ; he can travel 

 but about 40 miles per day, and requires the 

 whole day to perform this distance. An emi- 

 nent southern turfman, well known the country 

 over, recovers his horses on a journey; they are 

 all from the North, and have a dash of blood in 

 their veins ; after driving them hard about his 

 plantation in the spring, until they begin to 

 look thin and rough, he starts on his annual 

 journey, and by the time he reaches the Vir- 

 ginia Springs, his horses are literally as fine 

 as silk, with fine coats, great spirit, and in good 

 condition for fast work. In travelling, he starts 

 early, and drives at the rate of 8 or 9 miles the 

 hour until 10 o'clock, when his horses are taken 

 out, rubbed dry, watered, and fed. In the cool 

 of the day, they are again harnessed, as fresh as 

 if they had not travelled a mile. In this way 

 he accomplishes a long journey, travelling be- 

 tween 50 and 60 miles a day, without fatigue 

 3 u 2 641 



