ORIGIN OF THE OHIO STOCK. ^f 



generally fixed by the heavy Flemish bloods of the Dutch 

 fermers from Peiinsylvania, and the lighter and better bred 

 descendants of the cavaliers from Yirginia. Meanwhile Ken- 

 tucky had got in advance of Ohio in blood horses, and many 

 drafts were made upon that gallant State, which resulted in the 

 diffusion of some of the best blood, which now underlies what 

 are called the native stock of Ohio. And as from this as a 

 centre have gone forth the recent tides of emigration westward, 

 the original type of the horses of Ohio has been diffused all 

 over the great "West, and forms the basis, which until quite 

 recently had not been disturbed or improved by the admixture 

 of any better blood, and I am sorry to say, of any better style of 

 breeding. For it is a notorious fact, that most of the early 

 settlers had no just appreciation of the superiority of a well-bred 

 horse over any animal called by that name, even though as 

 ungainly as a kangaroo, and bred downwards until they had 

 as little heart and loin as a newly dropped merino lamb. 



Having thus brie% sketched the origin and identity of the 

 men and horses of this Trans-Alleghanian region, which gave 

 tone to a breadth of a thousand miles, I will now proceed to 

 particulars, in which it will not be necessary to include special 

 pedigrees, as this stock is sprung from notable animals whose 

 origin and performances are noted elsewhere in this work. 



Of the blood stock first brought to the Scioto Yalley region, 

 were several mares introduced from the south branch of the 

 Potomac, Ya., by John I. Yan Meter, and later the stallion 

 " Spread Eagle," from the same region, bred by Abel Seymour, 

 and a close descendant of Gen. Cocke's " Spread Eagle," of 

 Surry Co., Ya., which was foaled in 1802, got by imported 

 " Spread Eagle," running back through Moreton's " Traveller," 

 to a Spanish mare. The stock of this stallion seems to have 

 been most diflused arid esteemed, of any single horse's ever 

 brought to southern Ohio. He was afterward owned by Felix 

 Eenick, of Chillicothe, and after farther service in Ohio was 

 taken back to Hardin Co., Ya., on account of the popularity of 

 his stock in that region, where he died, upon the common, at an 

 advanced age. Most of the blood stock of this region runs back 

 more or less to Sir Archy. 



From the same quarter came a few of the " Diomed " stock, 



