6 The American Thoroughbred 



a great length of time, should want an animal of 

 such character to be his companion in the new 

 country. The cavalier of England brought the 

 race-horse to America and for fifty years after his 

 coming maintained the existence of the race-horse 

 by fresh importations and by crossing upon such 

 selected animals of native breed as seemed suited 

 to produce the race-horse of speed or the saddle- 

 horse of quality and endurance. 



New York's early Dutch were not horsemen. 

 They did their riding at home upon cumbersome 

 animals more calculated to carry great burdens 

 slowly than lighter ones with vim and dash. The 

 Dutch brought horses to New York, but they 

 brought the ponderous animal of burden rather 

 than the prancing steed that might carry a cava- 

 lier and his caparisons with grace. 



The Puritan of New England was not a man 

 for horse-loving nor for display. Certainly he 

 was not the man in whose heart the race-horse 

 could have honest home. He was sfiven to humil- 

 ity and to simple drudgeries, denying himself the 

 indulgences of that very class which had populated 

 early Virginia. So it is that the old pictures of 

 the Puritan of New England set him always at 

 his going and coming on foot. Ever a sturdy 



