THE BRITISH HORSE 17 



their origin, the agriculturists of the district having 

 sought to breed an animal of larger stature, better fitted 

 for draught purposes, such as the Clydesdale horse. There 

 is a tradition, by no means warranted by physiology or 

 probability, that the original galloway was descended from 

 a cross with a horse escaped from the wreck of a ship of 

 the Spanish Armada, cast away on the neighbouring coast. 



The original galloway was between thirteen and fourteen 

 hands in height, of a bright brown or bay, with a neat 

 head, black legs, peculiarly deep and clean. It had a 

 remarkable sure-footedness and stoutness, with a fair 

 amount of speed. Dr. Anderson thus describes the 

 breed : — 



" There was once a breed of small elegant horses in 

 Scotland, similar to those of Iceland and Sweden, and 

 which were known by the name of galloways ; the best 

 of which sometimes reached the height of fourteen hands 

 and a half. One of this description I possessed, it having 

 been bought for my use when a boy. In point of elegance 

 of shape, it was a perfect picture, and its disposition was 

 gentle and compliant ; it moved almost with a wish, and 

 never tired. I rode this little creature for twenty- five 

 years ; and twice in that time rode a hundred and fifty 

 miles, without stopping, except to bait, and that not above 

 an hour at a time. It came in at the last stage with as 

 much ease and alacrity as it travelled the first. I could 

 have undertaken to have performed on this animal, when 

 it was in its prime, sixty miles a day for a twelvemonth 

 running, without any extraordinary exertion." 



A great many ponies, of little value, used to be reared in 

 Lincolnshire, in the neighbourhood of Boston ; but the 

 breed has been neglected for some years, and the enclosure 

 of the fens will render it extinct. 



The Exmoor ponies, although generally ugly enough, 

 are hardy and useful. A well-known sportsman says 

 that he rode one of them half-a-dozen miles, and never 

 felt such power and action in so small a compass before. 

 To show his accomplishments, he was turned over a gate 

 at least eight inches higher than his back ; and his owner, 

 who rode fourteen stone, travelled on him from Bristol to 

 South Molton, eighty-six miles, beating the coach which 

 ran the same road. 



There is on Dartmoor a race of ponies much in request 



