ITS HISTORY— BREEDS. 



Chapter II. 

 THE DIFFERENT FOREIGN BREEDS OF HORSES, 



THE WILD HORSE. 



Troops of wild horses are found in the plains of Great Tartary, and also in 

 several parts of South America. In neither, however, can we recognise 

 an original race. The horses of the Ukraine, and those of South America, 

 are equally the descendants of those who had escaped from the slavery of 

 man. The Tartar horses are fleet and strong, but comparatively of an 

 ordinary breed. Those of South America retain, almost unimpaired, the size 

 and form of their European ancestors. 



In no part of America, or of the more newly- discovered islands of the 

 Pacific, was the horse known, until he w^as introduced by Europeans ; and the 

 origin of the horses of Tartary has been clearly traced to those who were 

 employed in the siege of Azoph, in 1657, but which were turned loose for 

 want of forage. 



All travellers, who have crossed the plains extending from the shores of 

 La Plata to Patagonia, have spoken of numerous droves of wild horses. 

 Some affirm that they have seen ten thousand in one troop. They appear to 

 be under the command of a leader, the strongest and boldest of the herd, and 

 whom they implicitly obey. A secret instinct teaches them that their safety 

 consists in their union, and in a principle of subordination. The lion, the 

 tiger, and the leopard*, are their principal enemies. At some signal, intel- 

 ligible to them all, they either close into a dense mass, and trample their 

 enemy to death; or, placing the mares and foals in the centre, they form 

 themselves into a circle and welcome him with their heels. In the attack, 

 their leader is the first to face the danger, and, when prudence demands a 

 retreat, they follow his rapid flight. 



In the thinly inhabited parts of South America it is dangerous to fall in 

 with any of these troops. The wild horses approach as near as they dare : 

 they call to the loaded horse with the greatest eagerness, and, if the rider 

 be not on the alert, and have not considerable strength of arm, and sharpness 

 of spur, his beast will divest himself of his burden, take to his heels, and 

 be gone for ever. 



Captain Head gives the following account of a meeting with a troop of 

 wild horses, where the country is more thickly inhabited. Some poor cap- 

 tured animals are supposed to be forced along by their riders at their very 

 utmost speed: — "As they are thus galloping along, urged by the spur, 

 it is interesting to see the groups of wild horses one passes. The mares, 

 which are never ridden in South America, seem not to understand what 

 makes the poor horse carry his head so low, and look so weary t- The 

 little innocent colts come running to meet him, and then start away fright- 

 ened : while the old horses, whose white marks on the flanks and backs 



* These animals are of a different race from those which go under the same names in the 

 Old World, and are very inferior in strength. 



f An EngUshman once attempted to ride a mare, but he was hooted and pelted by the 

 natives, and thought himself fortunate to escape without serious injury. 



Sir John Carr, in his Northern Summer, p. 44, states that it is only a short time since 

 mares began to be ridden in Russia. 



