Cattses of Degeneracy among other Breeds. 131 



Making the horse an animal for draught, using liim as 

 a beast of burthen ; neglect and the effect of neglect, more 

 especially in cold, damp, and uncongenial climates ; and by 

 intermixture of alien species such as the ass and quagga. 

 ' Of all nations, the Arabs alone seem to have kept the 

 horse for the purpose for which he was doubtless in- 

 tended — for riding, not as a beast of draught ; other 

 ancient nations used him for harness as well as for 

 saddle. The use of chariots was very general. If we 

 now consider a horse used for draught as spoiled for the 

 saddle, what would be the consequence in a few genera- 

 tions if he were exclusively used for harness work } 

 Would there not be naturally a gradual alteration of 

 structure } Would not his action become materially 

 changed 1 Undoubtedly great modification would take 

 place ; he would become heavier and more upright in 

 the shoulders, would lose his natural easy and graceful 

 carriage, his active and light step, his springiness and 

 elasticity. Again, taken into districts and countries un- 

 congenial to him, uncared for and neglected, a change 

 would very soon take place. If in low, damp, but fat 

 lands, where there was no lack of food, he would soon 

 assume a large, heavy, and bulky frame ; but with a loss 

 of vigour, courage, fibre, muscle, density of bone, and 

 compactness of frame, assuming more the characteristic 

 of the fatted ox. If uncared for and starved in damp 

 and cold climates, he would assume a small, wasted, and 

 ill-shaped form. In a cold, but dry climate — such as 

 the highlands of Central Asia and steppes of Russia — 

 allowed to run wild and uncared for, he would become 

 small and often ill-formed, but would retain much of his 



