THE EAllLY MESSENGERS. 475 



Bay ^Messenger, and was a large horse, 15 hands 34^ inches. This 

 extra Messenger cross counteracted his double Duroc, and gave him a 

 measure of 234 — SOi-, and he made his fast time of 2:31 without 

 hobbling or hitching — and a grand trotter he was. The colt Good- 

 wood, by Blackwood, from Kate Crockett, the dam of Lula, is 41|- 

 from hip to hock, and 25 inches in the thigh. While he will lift 

 his hocks very high, he will also have a length of sweep for the hind 

 feet greater than the average of his family. With such a conforma- 

 tion he should show a very attractive gait. 



The Messenger horse of the early day trotted with his hind feet set 

 well under him, and in many cases reaching far to the front, precisely 

 after the manner of Lady Thorn and Mrs. Caudle, the dam of Erics- 

 son. There was no sprawl, nor wide spreading of the stifles, hocks or 

 hind feet. The latter spread far enough to j^ass clearly, and no more, 

 and Avere set forward well toward the front, and in direct line under 

 the body. The Abdallahs and Champions yet show that gait, much 

 after the similitude of the early type. Sally Miller — the dam of Lono- 

 Island Blackhawk, Topgallant, Whalebone, Paul Pry, all of them 

 g;reat trotters, and of the early Messengers, trotted after the close 

 fashion. I have recently conversed with a gentleman who knew these 

 old and early trotters very Avell, and can yet give clear ideas of the 

 way in which they differed from the wide and loose-going fellows so 

 common in our day. There was nothing loose about the Messenger 

 horse. He was the most compact, closely-built and powerful horse, 

 for his inches, perhaps, ever seen. He had no surplus, either of lev- 

 erage or muscle, and his way of going was just what such an organism 

 would secure. 



The two stallions now under consideration approach in many 

 respects very closely to the Messenger model, but differ from it in 

 two very essential and important particulars. The one, I have 

 already mentioned, was a modification derived fi-om the Duroc blood; 

 the other is found in the conformation of the foreleg — a cannon-bone 

 a little too long, and a forearm as much too short. A front cannon 

 1 If inches, and a forearm 20^ inches, is not a good proportion, and 

 was not the model of the Messenger family. The result of this con- 

 formation is seen in the action of the forelegs of this family. They 

 have plenty of what some call knee-action. I have comj^ared their 

 rear action to that of Thorndale and Almont. The latter reaches his 

 front feet out well — far out — but not very high. Thorndale reaches 

 out well, and raises his feet quite as high as he ought. His action in 



