TEMPERAMENT — PLUCK. 59 



teroic Smuggler to the front at Cleveland, in 1876, and that has often 

 saved the day and the victory in the face of almost inevitable defeat. 

 The absence of this quality makes a quitter; and a family noted for 

 «uch a character may well be called sawdust. It clearly asserts its 

 origin in low blood somewhere, but is hard to overcome in breeding. 



It should be clearly understood that these several mental traits may 

 exist separately or together, in various degrees, and are not altogether 

 dependent on, or wholly independent of each other. Trotting instinct 

 or inclination may be a deep-seated and powerful impulse, but reside 

 in an animal of no will or nerve force, or one wholly destitute of pluck 

 or courage. The gait may be perfection in its natural impulses, but 

 there may be no speed. Or the whole may exist in such degree as to 

 form an animal of the highest and most enduring excellence. 



It is further to be observed, that this matter of trotting instinct is a 

 trait that in many cases has been only recently acquired, and has not 

 been inherited from remote generations, and deepened and intensified 

 •with each successive age. In such case, it is often that when crossed 

 upon thoroughbreds the first crosses show a powerful impress in favor 

 of the trotting impulses; but in subsequent crosses of the same fami- 

 lies, and those having the same quantum of trotting blood, the trait 

 or impulse seems to grow feeble, and inclined to disappear altogether. 

 This is worthy of remembrance, as there are several illustrations found 

 in crossing the JNIessenger trotting strains upon the blood of Diomed 

 and Sir Archy where the early crosses resulted in a distinguished 

 trotter, but the same trotter was as marked a failure in reproducing 

 the excellence for which he was distinguished. The Star-Hambleto- 

 tonians laid claim to all the glories of their family, until it was found 

 that out of about thirty stallions, not over three had pi^oduced a 2:30 

 trotter to this date. Woodford Mambrino and Brignoli were two of 

 the most noted performers of the sons of ]\Iambrino Chief, but that 

 they have been successful as trotting sii-es will scarcely be claimed by 

 ^ny. 



I may be met here with the inquiry as to when the trotting instinct 

 in the Messenger and Bellfounder families originated. It would per- 

 baps be difficult to answer this question; but it is certain they had it, 

 and in the latter horse it was well and powerfully developed. 



Recurring to the physiological statements before laid dowai, it is 

 apparent that much of that which affects the gait, or way of going of 

 the horse, is seated in the cerebellum, and operates through the cere- 

 bro-spinal mass. The cerebrum is the seat of the will, of courage 



