CONESTOGA AND CANADIAN HORSES 35 



as now known was not indigenous to those countries. 

 On the other hand, fossil remains of the horse of 

 supposed extreme antiquity have been discovered in 

 Great Britain, in the Kirkdale cave in Yorkshire, as 

 well as in other caves, mingled with the bones of the 

 elephant, rhinoceros, ox and tiger, and it is therefore 

 presumed that horses were abundant in Great Britain 

 at an early period. 



The first importation of horses to this country was 

 made by Columbus in 1493. These all perished. A second 

 importation, forty -two in number, was made in 1527; a 

 third was made by DeSoto in 1540. However, Cortez 

 landed sixteen horses in Mexico, in 1519. l In 1608, the 

 French horse was brought to Canada, and in 1629 the 

 Dutch horse to New York. The Dutch horse was 

 round, short-legged and might properly be classed as 

 a farm- or light draft -horse. These horses soon spread 

 into Pennsylvania, and later were probably crossed 

 with the English draft - horse. The progeny soon 

 formed a somewhat distinctive type, developing into a 

 distinct variety known as the Conestoga. This com- 

 paratively light draft -horse, bred primarily for freight- 

 ing heavy merchandise across the mountains and over 

 primitive roads, was, notwithstanding his lightness, 

 as compared with the modern draft -horse, well adapted 

 to the pioneer's farm, where much work required 

 patience, strength and hardiness. It is unfortunate 

 that some genius did not, by selection and inbreeding, 

 improve and preserve this nascent variety of animals 

 until its valuable qualities had become fixed and 



1 Conquest of Mexico, Prescott, Vol. I, page 218. 



