298 CLAY HAMBLKTONIANS. 



marked and noticeable feature is the peculiar hanging of the head on 

 the neck, and which is striking at the first sight, but can not be 

 described better than to say that it is a facsimile of that which is 

 seen in the portrait of imported Bellfounder. His ja^vs are wide 

 apart, and his throttle clear and well formed. 



The Bellfounder element is not conspicuous, except in the blended 

 or Hambletonian form, which has, in fact, predominated over all other 

 elements in the general make-up of the horse. But in this I wish to 

 be understood, that it is only that manifestation of Bellfounder which 

 appears in Hambletonian and in the average of his family. The dis- 

 tinctive and positive features of the Bellfounder blood, by which he 

 wa:: most clearly distinguishable in his individuality, do not clearly 

 and positively appear in many of the sons of Hambletonian; but 

 while saying this, it must be borne in mind that there is a great deal 

 of Bellfounder in Hambletonian and many of his sons. 



As I before stated, Knickerbocker is thoroughly and very com- 

 pletely Hambletonian in all his general characteristics. It has been 

 said that the late Mr. Rysdyk pronounced Knickerbocker the best 

 bred son of Hambletonian, but this I give on information. The one 

 positive feature of the horse, which gives character to all of his prod- 

 uce, and will, in my opinion, amount to a family type, is the matter 

 of gait. His own motion I have not seen, and can only judge of it 

 by the way of going which he has impressed on his produce, with a 

 degree of uniformity hardly surpassed by any of the other sons of 

 Hambletonian. This is one of the evidences, to my mind, that he 

 will prove a sire of strong impressive quality. 



The gait of the young Knickerbockers is, in the main, and witli 

 very great uniformity, the joint product of the Abdallah and the 

 Patchen or Clay blood, and it is c^uite difficult to determine which of 

 these predominates. When we come to speak of gaits, and attempt 

 to classify them, the Abdallah and the Clay or Patchen gait might be 

 placed in the same general class, as in some respects they are similar* 

 the main feature of which is, that they are a sort of polling or pro- 

 pelling gait, the chief action being apparent in the extended position 

 of the hind legs. The animal leans forward, and seems really 

 pushed or shoved ahead by the action of the hind legs, far extended 

 in the rear. But to a mind or an eye accustomed to look closely^ 

 or to discriminate with nicety in this manner of going, there is a 

 nice and a very perceptible difference in the two. 



The Clay or Patchen gait is one that goes with an appearance of a. 



