THEIK ORIGIN. 129 



ing him, so as to develope all his qualities to the utmost, the 

 trottiiig-horse, of high speed, good endurance, showy style of 

 going and fine figure, has become, from a rarity, a creature of 

 every-day occurrence, to be met with by dozens in every village 

 of the Eastern and Middle States, and scarcely any longer 

 regarded as a trotter, unless he can do his mile in somewhere 

 about two minutes and a half. 



Thirdly, it will appear that the trotting-horse is, in no possi- 

 ble sense, a distinct race, breed, or family of the horse ; and that 

 his qualities, as a trotter, cannot be ascribed or traced to his origin 

 from, or connection with, any one blood, more than another. 



It is true and it is to be regretted, that of trotting-horses, the 

 pedigrees have been so little attended to, and probably from the 

 nature of circumstances are so seldom attainable, that few, in- 

 deed, can be directlj^ traced to any distance, in blood. 



Enough is known, however, to show that some horses of 

 first-rate powers have come from the Canadian or ISTorman 

 French stock ; some from the ordinary undistinguished country- 

 horse of the southernmost of the midland States ; some from the 

 Vermont family ; some from the Indian pony ; and lastly, 

 some, mainly, if not entirely, from the thoroughbred. 



To no one of these families can any superiority be attributed 

 in producing trotters of great speed. All have shown their p])'oci- 

 mens, by means of which to claim their share in the production. 



Only, it may be affirmed generally, that while some very 

 famous trotting-horses have been nearly, if not entirely, thorough- 

 bred, the low, lazy, lounging, daisy-cutting gait and action of the 

 full-blooded horse of oriental blood, is not generally compatible 

 with great trotting action or speed. Still, it is true that the best 

 time-trotters have not the round, high-stepped action, which is 

 prized in carriage-horses, or parade horses for show, and which 

 probably originated and existed to the greatest extent in the 

 Flemish or the Hanoverian horse, of the coldest of all imaginable 

 strains of blood ; and that they have^ in a great measure, the 

 long-reaching stride, the quick gather, and the comparatively 

 low step of the thoroughbred. 



That a strong infusion of the best blood adds both courage 

 and ability to endure, is not doubted ; and there is much reason 

 for believing that the animals most celebrated for undaunted 

 Vol. II.— 9 



