118 ORIGINAL SOURCES OF TROTTING BLOOD. 



that of Mambrino came, would have a strong tendency to modify the 

 coach-horse conformation, just as our own experience in breeding our 

 trotting stock on thoroughbred crosses has a tendency to go back 

 toward the thoroughbred standard, and shorten both the thigh and 

 the line from hip to hock. That of Messenger was very close to the 

 thoroughbred model. 



The low and round withers spoken of are almost flat, and the 

 shoulder blades rise nearly even with the top of the withers, but a 

 firmer or more closely interwoven mass of ligaments, flesh and bone 

 never was found surmounting the shoulders of any horse than that 

 which belongs to the Messenger. The hoof is one of very superior 

 quality, and generally of good size, vndening out in the descent 

 from the coronet, and rarely a flat or broad base. Added to this, he 

 is marked with the most perfect freedom from disease or infirmity of 

 any kind. No family that ever lived on this continent equals them in 

 their entire exemption from all inherent tendency toward spavins,, 

 curbs, ringbones, or other diseases arising from inflammation and 

 inability to absorb the synovial and other secretions. In point of tem- 

 per, they have not been regarded as amiable, but it can be said they 

 have the intelligence to appreciate kindness and will not tolerate abuse. 

 Messenger and many of his sons and early descendants, including 

 Abdallah, were represented as displaying a temper that was absolutely 

 ferocious, and many were they who paid the penalty of undue and 

 careless familiarity with them. 



Messenger spent his twenty years of American life in that region 

 where the custom of driving the horse in harness for business and for 

 pleasure had its chief origin and most universal prevalence. A large 

 part of his own produce were but part-bred and came from crosses 

 with the best road mares of the region where he stood. The same 

 may be said of several of his sons that have ranked as thoroughbreds, 

 the more distinguished of these latter being Hambletonian, Mambrino, 

 and Ogden's Messenger. As might be expected his blood was widely 

 disseminated in that and the adjacent parts of the country, and enters, 

 largely into the principal roadster families of the continent. 



A review of the early trotters of Messenger descent,' and a tracing 

 of the origin of the several families who owe their trotting quality to 

 his blood, will show, in more complete manner than any other, the 

 importance and value of his blood to the American roadster and trot- 

 ting horse. The two sons of Messenger whose immediate influence 

 on the trotting stock of this country was the greatest, were Mambrino 



