158 nAMBLETONIAN". 



however much some may have fancied there was inclosed in the sidn 

 of Abdallah, his hideous homehness and more than uncouth temper 

 and disposition, caused all persons, even those who owned and kept 

 him, to turn away from him and all particulars as to his blood, origin 

 or history, with the utmost indiflference and neglect. It was consid- 

 ered that the only value in or pertaining to him, was what came from 

 him. The value of that could not easily be overlooked, and was not 

 altogether lost sio-ht of, however little he may have been esteemed. 

 Abdallah was never broken or driven in harness; an attempt w-as made 

 in that direction when he was four years old, but he had already 

 ascertained his kingly prerogative, and refused to submit to the har- 

 ness. The effort ended in failure, and from that time it does not 

 seem to have been repeated. Several reasons may be assigned for 

 this. He was recognized from his breeding as a blood horse, and it 

 w^as not common to work or drive stallions kept -for breeding purposes 

 in those days. He was exercised under the saddle, and all concur in 

 speaking of his natural trotting action, and the precision and vigor of 

 his stroke. He never exhibited a speed better than a mile in three 

 minutes, from which we get the idea that after all he was no great 

 trotter. 



I have already shown that the Messengers did not appear at first so 

 much as natural trotters as possessing an aptitude or capacity for the 

 trotting gait. This was doubtless the case with Abdallah. Bell- 

 founder was really a natural trotter, but Abdallah had a natural apti- 

 tude for the gait — a capacity in that direction, wdth very powerful 

 instinct or inclination for trotting, inherited from both sire and dam, 

 but more especially from the dam, inasmuch as hers was in a high 

 state of development, and kept in constant exercise. Had Abdallah 

 been driven on the road to the same extent as his dam, he would 

 have made a fast trotter, and such employment would have so far 

 overcome all conflicting inclinations in his blood, as to have greatly 

 enhanced his trotting quality as a sire — great as it was from inherit- 

 ance; but it had no such augmentation. 



Mambrino was a large and very coarse son of IMessenger, but pos- 

 sessed of very positive quality. He was not handsome, but was not 

 so homely as Abdallah. He was strong and positive in his qualities of 

 blood, but not so positive as Abdallah. He showed much of the high 

 caste of merit that marked Messenger, but did not exhibit the same 

 high qualities, or impress them on his produce in equal degree with 

 Abdallah. If we could know to positive ceitainty all of the composi- 



