Sports and the Breeding of Saddle Horses 



purpose, but they are considered to have been of 

 minor importance in the creation of the Thorough- 

 bred, and this great breed has been developed 

 mainly by the cross of the Arab blood on the early 

 English running stocks, plus rigorous selection of 

 the best by test. The race course furnished the 

 measure of merit. Speed, endurance, fiery tem- 

 perament and sheer gameness developed by more 

 than three centuries of race track selection, has 

 made the Thoroughbred most widely known and 

 generally used of all breeds in the development of 

 saddle and cavalry horses. 



The Thoroughbred has also furnished the foun- 

 dation for two distinct breeds created here in 

 America; the Standardbred and the American 

 Saddle horse. The latter resulted from a blend of 

 several strains with the Thoroughbred, plus con- 

 tinual selection for saddle purposes. It has devel- 

 oped into a type somewhat finer in symmetry and 

 finish, with more sloping shoulders and pasterns 

 than the Thoroughbred, and with the added dis- 

 tinction of having five gaits instead of three. 



The Standardbred, like the American Saddle 

 horse, has its origin in the Thoroughbred breed 

 primarily, but is fused with other strains as well, — 

 including some Hackney blood. It has, however, 

 been developed into a distinct type characterized 

 by extreme speed at trotting gait. Many horses of 

 this breed are not the right type to make satisfac- 

 tory saddle horses, but others of the breed, par- 

 ticularly those of the Wilkes strain, are sufficiently 

 short backed, strongly coupled, deep middled and 



heavily muscled to make good mounts and good 

 sires of saddle horses. 



The Hackney is inclined to possess too much 

 action for siring saddle horses, but an infusion of 

 this blood to the extent of one-fourth or one-half 

 often benefits certain types by giving shorter, 

 stronger backs, heavier loins and greater muscling 

 through the hind quarters. 



The Morgan is a stock famed in early New Eng- 

 land days for considerable speed and great endur- 

 ance, — of late yearsi effort has been directed to- 

 ward types for saddle use. It is too early to pi'edict 

 the outcome, although horses of this strain have 

 acquitted themselves well in long endurance rides. 



The Welsh and the Shetland are distinct types of 

 pony breeds well suited to breed on other pony 

 stocks of nondescript type for the production of 

 good saddle horses for children. The Shetland is 

 better adapted for very young children, and the 

 Welsh for those between ten and fifteen years. 



In general, saddle horses should stand between 

 15.1 and 15.3 hands in height, have two good ends 

 and a good middle, possess well formed withers, 

 strong back muscles, powerful loins and heavily 

 muscled hind quarters, sloping pasterns, sloping 

 shoulders, heads well carried up, clean, flinty 

 underpinning and good feet, with legs properly set 

 on. Last, and most important of all, they must 

 have straight action, lively temperament, and 

 keen intelligence, — a horse like this is capable of 

 meeting any test and is a satisfaction and joy for- 

 ever to the fortunate owner. 



S/ior/a/ir) 



Sta^tOan. ^Qn?c) 



S^ {organ 



79 



