124S STAR-HAMBLETONIANS. 



to my eye, than either of the others. Huntress is 39^ and 23| inches, 

 and comes from a sire that adds to the length of each of these meas- 

 urements. The influence of the Duroc blood is shown in each case 

 in the increased length of thigh; Huntress and Wilkins Micawber 

 each acknowledging their double cross of that blood. Aberdeen has 

 a forearm 17 inches, and a front cannon-bone 11^ inches; Wilkins 

 Micawber 19|- and llf inches, and Startle 20 and 11 inches. 



Having had an opportunity for a close inspection of a son of Amer- 

 ican Star, I am enabled to present some points from his anatomy 

 which will go far toward explaining the origin of all these departures 

 from the Hambletonian original. Goldsmith's Star, by Seely's Amer- 

 ican Star, dam by Fox Hunter, is a dark bay horse, about 15 hands 

 high, and measures as follows: Hip to hock 38 inches, tliigh 22|- 

 inches, front cannon-bone 11^ inches, forearm 18f inches. He has 

 the round, drooping rump, and muscular quarters and thighs. 



This family, like that with which this chapter began, are not noted 

 for an anatomy that indicates great trotting leverage. They have a 

 close or pony-built form, and short-reaching extremities; yet the vigor 

 and power of their trotting action is of the highest order. They go 

 with an energy and momentum that is almost fearful. It is often 

 remarked by those who drove Dexter, that it was enough to make the 

 man pale with trepidation, and cause his heart to beat quick with 

 fear, when the horse took the bit and started to trot in earnest. The 

 immense force with which he moved was also apparent in the very 

 shaking of the ground on which he trod. 



This all very clearly points to the immense muscular organization 

 which forms the distinguishing feature of this famed family. Power- 

 ful tendons, strongly imbedded in immense and powerful muscles, are 

 displayed by every member of the family; and here is the lodgment 

 of their wonderful power. In regard to the readiness or naturalness 

 of their trotting gait, I will here say that while they seem to have 

 much of this, they do not display it so readily as those that show the 

 Duroc conformation more com})letely; and while those that have 

 attained to full age, and are the produce of Hambletonian himself, 

 and also such of the produce of Dictator as I have seen not of full 

 age, trot at easy or slow speed, with the swinging gait which I have 

 described, I have seen young ones of the produce of Wilkins Micaw- 

 ber, Jay Gould and Startle that lifted the hind foot up squarely, and 

 showed great muscular vigor and activity, bending both the stifle and 

 at the whirlbone. Such is uniformly the motion of all when at high 



