THE AMERICAN TROTTING HORSE. 475 



dian horses are often called Cannucks, and by some are known as 

 French horses, a designation likely to lead to misapprehension. 

 They are of all colors, with thick, long manes, heavy tails, and 

 hairy legs. Their heads are generally very good in size and form, 

 faces dished, indicating gamy dispositions; necks well arched, 

 often heavy in the crest but carried well up; backs shoit, rumps 

 steep, particularly in those that pace ; bodies round and roomy, 

 the ribs sometimes projecting from the backbone nearly horizon- 

 tally, giving a peculiar, flat appearance to the back. Their leg^ 

 are generally good, but somewhat inclined to spring in the knees; 

 feet often narrow and mulish, but very durable. In trotting they 

 are usually short, quick steppers with very high knee action, and 

 are spirited, trappy harness horses, and long-lived. These horses 

 are often said to be degenerated from their Norman ancestry by 

 reason of the coldness of the climate, the long winters and scanty 

 fare. There have been numerous importations from France to 

 this country of the choicest specimens of Norman horses, and an 

 impartial comparison shows that the Canadian has gained in spirit 

 and speed more than enough to compensate for all he has lost in 

 size. 



The best of the Canadians that ever came to the States was, 

 probably. Pilot, a black pacing and trotting horse whose descend- 

 ants inherited trotting speed. He was often distinguished as Old 

 Pacer Pilot. Wallace's American Stud Book says of him : " Foaled 

 about 1826. Nothing is known of his pedigree. He was called 

 a Canadian horse, and both trotted and paced ; at the latter gait, 

 it is said, he went in 2m. 26s. with 1651bs. on his back. He was 

 bought about 1832 by Major 0. Dubois, from a Yankee peddler 

 in New Orleans, for $1000. He was afterwards sold to D. Hein- 

 sohn of Louisville, Ky., and was kept in that vicinity until he 

 died about 1855. His stock were very stout and fast.'^ As no- 

 thing is known of his pedigree, and as he was in all appearance a 

 genuine Cannuck, it is likely that he did not owe anything to 

 Messenger. One of his get, Alexander's Pilot, Jr., out of Nancy 

 Pope by Havoc, was the sire of many fast trotters, the fastest of 

 which was John Morgan, out of a mare by Medoc and he by Ameri- 

 can Eclipse. The dam of Mambrino Pilot was also by Pilot, Jr., 

 and, like John Morgan, was of Messenger descent on the dam's 

 side. Though the best of the descendants of Old Pilot are part 

 Messenger, there is none of that blood in Pilot, Jr., and it must be 

 confessed that Old Pilot sired some very good horses that took the 

 trotting all from I imself 



Another horse of Canadian origin, though not a Cannuck, 

 deserves notice in this connection. Royal George, called Warrior 

 before he came to the States, the sire of the fast stallion Toronto 

 Chief, and several other good trotters, was a native of Canada and 



