Horse Raising in Colonial New England 899 



table of prices in " New England " for horses, cows, and hogs; so there 

 can be no doubt as to which of the English settlements Von Tienhoven 

 had in mind. 



It is thus apparent that by about the middle of the century or a 

 little later, New England had come to have an abundance of horses 

 more than sufficient for its own needs. Natural increase under free- 

 range conditions would account for such large numbers only if it were 

 assumed that the importations during the early years of settlement 

 were far more numerous than have been recorded, or else that such 

 importations continued throughout the whole period — which does not 

 seem very probable. During the latter part of the years described, 

 however, the exportation of horses, which was just beginning, had as a 

 result the stimulation of horse breeding for this purpose in a more 

 careful manner, and probably accelerated to some extent the rate of 

 increase. 



With the development of this export trade begins the second phase 

 of horse raising in New England, resulting in many changes throughout 

 the area and in the establishment of horse breeding as an important 

 and extensive industry in certain favorably located sections. 



THE BEGIXXING OF THE EXPORT TRADE IX HORSES 



As has alreadj^ been indicated, some horses were exported from New 

 England to the other continental colonies at an early date. Such ship- 

 ments, however, never came to be of any great importance, and are 

 worth}^ of mention chiefly to show the relative abundance of horses in 

 New England as compared with their numbers in the neighboring 

 colonies. The main demand that resulted in the exportation of New 

 England horses came from the sugar plantations in the West Indies, 

 where both horses and cattle were needed for draft purposes, to haul 

 the cane from the fields, to transport sugar and supplies, and to turn 

 the heavy cylinders in the cane-crushing mills. ^ Horses were used for 



3 Oldmixon {The British Empire in America, vol. 2, p. 147) gives the following descrip- 

 tion of the operation of thes" eanc-crnshing mills : • They Liriiid the canes thus in the 

 cattle mills ; The Horses and Cattle being put to the tackle, go about, and turn by 

 sweeps the middle Roller ; which being cogged to turn others at the upper end, turn 

 them about. They all three turn upon the same centers which are of Brass and Steel, 

 going so easily of themselves, that a Man, taking hold of one of the Sweeps with his 

 Hand, may turn all the rollers about ; but when the canes are put between the rollers 

 it is a good Draught for five Oxen or Horses." 



