THE BREEDS OF HORSES. 225 



early day create a distinct breed of pacing 

 horses. 



Horseback riding, which in the early settle- 

 ment of our country was of necessity exten- 

 sively practiced, has of late years become a 

 fashionable recreation, and the business of 

 raising and training saddle horses is now a 

 lucrative one. More attention has been paid 

 to it hitherto in the States of Kentucky, Ten- 

 nessee, Missouri, and the southern portions oft 

 Ohio, Indiana and Illinois than in any other 

 parts of the United States, and here natural 

 pacers are very common. The other so-called 

 saddle gaits, as the running walk, the fox trot, 

 the rack, and the canter, are largely the result 

 of care and skill on the part of the trainer; 

 although some strains of horses undoubtedly 

 train to them more kindly than others; but the 

 conformation which I have previously described 

 as belonging more especially to the natural 

 pacer, appears to train more naturally and 

 readily than that of the trotter to the various 

 saddle gaits, and from horses approximating 

 this form, or a medium between the two, I 

 would recommend the breeder and trainer of 

 saddle horses to make his selections rather 

 than from either of the extreme typical forms. 

 An association has been formed for the purpose 

 of promoting the breeding of saddle horses, and 

 a stud book for them has been instituted with 



