HISTOEY 



OF THE AMERICAN BLOOD-HORSE. 



Unlike the liiiman race of tlie United States, unlike the ordi- 

 naiy working horse, unlike the cattle and most of the domestic 

 animals of JSTorth America, which cannot be traced or said to 

 belong to any one distinct breed or family, having originated 

 from the mixture, combination, and amalgamation of many- 

 bloods and stocks, derived from many different countries, the 

 bloodhorse of America stands alone, unquestionably of pure 

 English thoroughblood. 



What that English thoroughblood is, has been already dis- 

 cussed above ; and it is only necessary here to say, that, although 

 it is not possible, in every instance, to trace the great j)rogeni- 

 tors of the English and American Turf, directly on both sides 

 to Desert blood, and although it can scarce be doubted that, in 

 the very commencement of Turf-breeding, there mnst have 

 been some mJxture of the best old English blood, probably in 

 great part Spanish by descent, with the true Arab or Barb 

 race, the impure admixture is so exceedingly remote, not 

 within fourteen or fifteen generations — since which the smallest 

 taint has been jealously excluded — that the present race-horse 

 of England or North America cannot possess above one 

 sixteen-thousandth part of any other blood than that of the 

 Desert. 



JSTor is it to be doubted, in the smallest degree, that the 

 modern thoroughbred is as far superior to the present horse of 

 the East, in his qualities and powers, as he is in size, bone, 



