116 ORIGINAL SOURCES OF TROTTING BLOOD. 



Philadelphia in the year 1788, or when he was about eight years old. 

 It is intimated that he spent a short time in Ireland before coming to 

 this country. He spent the remainder of his life — twenty years — in 

 the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, and died on 

 the 28th of January, 1808, at the place of Mr. Townsend Cock, on 

 Lono; Island. 



So much has been written about Messenger, and so many have 

 undertaken to describe him, that it seems like undertaking a task 

 already threadbare. A cotemporary, in a letter to the author of 

 Horses and Horsemanship of America, spoke thus concerning him : 



But immeasurably superior to all others was Messenger ; who, take him all 

 in all, is unquestionably the best horse ever brought to America. He not only 

 produced race-horses of the first order, both at long and short distances, but 

 as roadsters his get were imequaled. His large, bony head, rather short neck, 

 with windpipe and nostrils nearly twice as large as ordinary, with his low 

 withers, and shoulders somewhat upright, but deep, close and strong. But 

 behind these lay the perfection and power of the machine. His barrel, loin, 

 hips and quarters were incomparably superior to all others. His hocks and 

 knees were imusually large ; below them his limbs were of medium size, but 

 flat, strong and remarkably clean, and, either in standing or in action, their 

 position was perfect. 



Mr. Wallace, in his monthly, has given an extended account of 

 Messenger, and from the various descriptions of him extant has given 

 Ms impressions, which, although not entirely agreeing with my own, I 

 give in part as follows: 



He was a grey, that became lighter and flea-bitten with age. He was fifteen 

 hands and three inches high, and, for a thoroughbred, his appearance was 

 coarse. He did not supply the mind with an idea of beauty, but he impressed 

 upon it a conception of solidity and power. His head was large and bony, 

 with a nose that had a decided Koman tendency, though not to a marked 

 degree. His nostrils were unusually large and flexible, and when distended 

 they were enormous. His eye was large, full, very dark, and remarkably brill- 

 iant. His ear was larger than usual in the blood horse, but thin and tapering, 

 and always active and expressive. The windpipe was so unusually large, and 

 stood out so much as a distinct feature, that it marred what otherwise would 

 have been a game-like throat-latch and setting on of the head. His neck was 

 very short for a blood horse, but was not coarse and thick like a bull's ; neither 

 did it rise into such an immense crest as that of his sire. It was not a bad neck 

 in any sense, but, like Lexington's of our own da}', it was too short to be hand- 

 some. His mane and foretop were thin and light. His withers were low and 

 round, which appears to have been a family characteristic in the male line 

 back for three generations at least. His shoulders were heavy, and altogether 

 too upright for ideas of a race-horse. His barrel was perfection itself, both in 



