THE HORSE. 3 



for slow draught, are covered with coarse hair and hide, have large, round, and 

 porous bones, and rugged inductile sinews. These, although large and stately 

 animals, are seldom found of regular proportions, until improved by human art. 

 These species in contrast are cited as an appeal to the consideration of those, who con- 

 jecture with Buffon, that all horses have proceeded originally from one single pair, 

 and that the specific differences and varieties which we witness, are the mere result 

 of difference in soil and climate. It seems scarcely possible that two species so 

 opposite and distinct, as well in external form and size, as internal quality, should 

 mutually and interchangeably assimilate, through any other medium than that of 

 intercopulation. The wild horses of South America, even upon the most arid and 

 desart tracks, give thus far, no countenance to the hypothesis of Buffon, retaining 

 their original specific distinctions of form, after the lapse of several centuries. 

 These arguments however, do not militate against the Count's position, that the 

 light and elegant courser is the natural production of dry soils and warm climates, 

 provident nature having originally furnished the various soils and climates of the 

 earth with animals, in size, form, and constitution, suitable thereto. The horse, 

 under the fostering care of man, will succeed and prosper under all, but the ex- 

 treme degrees of climate ; the species of the genus are numerous, and the varieties 

 almost infinite. 



From the desarts, then, the nations of antiquity were supplied with a breeding 

 stock of the most valuable species of the horse ; and Egypt, Persia, Numidia, Mace- 

 donia, and Greece, are chronicled as famous for the number and excellence of their 

 cavalry; the latter country, in the Olympic Games, being the first to use the horse 

 as a courser, and to train him to the race. The vast regions of Tartary have al- 

 ways possessed a light, sinewy, and blood-like description of this animal ; and those 

 parts of Europe bordering upon the Eastern countries, have been constantly receiving 

 improvements in their indigenous breed, from that source. The various commu- 

 nications also, ancient or modern, between the Eastern countries and Europe, 

 whether of war or commerce, have served to stock our northern part of the world 

 with the horses of the East, by which our native breeds have been so changed and 

 improved; but in Britain and Ireland alone, has the southern species been preserved 

 in a separate state and purity of blood. The Crusades, no doubt, were the occasion 

 of importing a great number of horses from the Levant into Europe. 



THE GODOLPHIN ARABIAN 



Was imported into this country, about five and twenty years after the DARL.EY 

 ARABIAN. They were the most celebrated and valuable for their blood and high 

 form, as stallions, which have yet appeared, and are the source of our present 

 best racing blood. There are sufficient reasons, however, for the supposition, that 



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