DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTERISTICS 23 



and fire. His neck is long and slender, fine at the throttle, and 

 not high-crested. His shoulders are long and oblique ; chest deep 

 but not wide, and loins powerfully muscled. His croup is some- 

 what level above long, muscular quarters. His legs are fine and 

 muscular above, and fine and clean below the knee and hock. 

 His characteristics are : 



1 . Supreme speed at a running gait. 



2. Great bottom and endurance for long races and journeys 

 under the saddle. 



3. Tremendous fire and mettle which he imparts to all breeds 

 upon which he is crossed. 



4. A nervous temperament and an intelligent disposition. 



The English Thoroughbred is known in America to a less 

 extent than in England, but he has been a prominent factor in the 

 formation and improvement of all our trotting and saddle breeds of 

 horses. The French coach breed partakes largely of his blood. 

 The Hackney was improved by Thoroughbred crosses. Our best 

 saddle breeds own the Thoroughbred as an important element in 

 their origin. 



The best hunters and cavalry horses carry a good percentage 

 of Thoroughbred blood. As an improving factor on all speed 

 horses his influence is incalculable. As a saddle racer he is 

 supreme. 



The American Saddler 



The gaited saddle horse of America has been produced because 

 of a revival of saddle riding among people of wealth and social promi- 

 nence, and a certain originality of thought which has found a greater 

 elegance and attractiveness in riding at other gaits than the walk, 

 trot, canter horses can show. Just as the Narragansett pacer was 

 produced in the colonial days of saddle and pillion, to meet the 

 then existing conditions of travel, when roads were mere bridle 



A stable ihould not he dark ; admit the light. 



