14.2 The Book of the Horse. 



quite readily. We had got to the centre of the river, when the surface suddenly bent down, 

 and to my horror my poor horse plunged into the deep, black, quick-running water. He 

 was not three yards in front of me when the ice broke. The horse, although he plunged 

 suddenly down, never let his head under water, but kept swimming stoutly round, trying all 

 he could to get upon the ice. All his efforts were useless. A cruel wall of sharp ice cut his 

 knees as he tried to lift them on the surface, and the current repeatedly carried him back 

 underneath. I got almost to the edge of the hole, took hold of the line, but could give him 

 no assistance in his struggles. Never shall I forget how the poor brute looked at me. If 

 ever dumb animal spoke with unutterable eloquence that horse called to me in his agony ; 

 he turned to me as one from whom he had a right to expect assistance. ' Is there no help 

 for him.''' I cried to the other men. ' None,' was the reply; 'the ice was dangerous all round.' 

 I rushed back to the camp where my rifle lay, and back to the spot where the poor beast 

 still struggled with his fate. As I raised the rifle, he looked so imploring that my hand 

 trembled ; another moment and the ball crashed through his head, With one look, never 

 to be forgotten, poor Blackie went down under the cold ice. I went back to camp, sat down 

 in the snow, and cried like a child." 



It is to the United States and Canada that this country must in future look for any 

 considerable supply of full-sized, well-bred horses. 



They have been, and are being, so largely imported, both of a cheap sort, for use in 

 London tramway cars, and Liverpool cabs, and of a superior class by the trade, at large 

 prices, for hunters, hacks, and carriage horses, that it would be superfluous to describe them 

 — especially as, if the best Americans are mixed up with a number of English bred horses, 

 it is difficult to distinguish the one from the other. 



I closely examined a number of the American horses which were imported in 1878 for use in 

 the North London tramcars. They were nearly all remarkable for quality and action, with neat 

 heads and tails stylishly set on. They had courage, and were very good-tempered. The 

 defect of the inferior sort was being too long in the leg, and too much split up behind. They 

 are said to have remarkably good constitutions. Altogether, taking the number imported 

 at one time, at necessarily low prices, they were far superior to the average of anything 

 imported from the continent of Europe. There cannot be a doubt that when the American 

 breeders fully understand the nature of our demand for riding-horses, they will be able with 

 their vast tracts of grass lands and crops of maize, to supply it — 'at a price!" 



They are the only nation except ourselves that have sires with quality, size, and action. 

 The American stallions are more sound and have better trotting action than average English 

 blood-horses. 



In preparing this second edition of the " Book of the Morse," I was fortunate enough to 

 receive from Mr. J. Sharpies, "A Horseman," who had spent twenty years in various parts 

 of South America, the following practical description of the various breeds of South American 

 horses. 



HORSES OF THE RIVER PLATE STATES. 



The horse was introduced in the southern continent of America in the sixteenth century, 

 by the Spanish " Conquistadores." During the frequent commotions and "guerillas" which dis- 

 tracted their early settlements, some of their horses (both stallions and mares) escaped into the 

 immense plains (pampas), and there formed themselves into herds, which were sub-divided by 

 the natural instinct of the animals into families, called by the Spaniards " Manadas." These 



