368 AMEBIOAN AGRICULTURE. 



with a well-formed head and neck ; high withers ; deep chest ; 

 round body ; short back ; long quarters ; broad flat legs ; 

 moderately small feet ; long wavy mane and tail ; presenting 

 altogether the beau ideal of the road horse. They are 

 spirited, docile, hardy and easily kept. They have an easy, 

 rapid trot, and glide along with a good load, without clatter or 

 apparent effort, at the rate of 10 or 12 miles an hour. This 

 family of horses has not of course been bred long enough 

 within themselves, to have attained to the eminence of a dis- 

 tinct breed. They are mentioned, merely as a type of what 

 the serviceable roadster ought to be, and what he may become 

 by the use of the proper instrument for breeding. And if 

 the materials already in our hands are intelligently and 

 perseveringly used, we can produce all we require of horse- 

 flesh. 



Besides our usurpassed blood-horses, we have others derived 

 from various sources, and especially from the different Eng- 

 lish breeds, all of which are variously compounded, with the 

 first and with each other. On our north-eastern frontier, the 

 Canadian prevails, a bastard but not degenerate race, made 

 up of the French Norman and the English or American 

 At the extreme south and west, we have the horse of Spanish 

 origin, obtained in his domestic state in Florida and Louisi- 

 ana ; and from another branch of the Spanish, are desended 

 the wild horses of Mexico and the more northern prairies. 

 These are diversified in character, and generally possess 

 medium size and merit. The Conestoga, a heavy roadster, is 

 principally reared in Pennsylvania, and is used for the team 

 and truck. He is an amalgamation of several breeds, but 

 probably owes a share of his character to the Flemish horse, 

 for which there was a decided partiality among the numerous 

 German emigrants of that state. Several varieties of ponies 

 are to ba found in different sections, but principally among 

 the French, the half-breed and the Indians upon the fron- 

 tiers, who have bred a stunted race from the Canadian or wild 

 horse, and such others as could survive the hard usage and 

 the scanty winter food, afforded by nature and their rude hus- 

 bandry. Many of these have considerable beauty and sym- 

 metry, and are fleet, hardy and spirited. The modern Nor- 

 man, or mixture of the old French Norman draught-horse, 

 (heavy-framed, hig-limbed but stout and hardy,) and the Anda- 

 lusian, a descendant of the Moorish barbs, has been introduced 

 within a few years, and will unquestionably become a very 

 popular horse for many purposes. He exhibits the qualities 



