THE AMERICAN TROTTIXG-HORSE. 179 



may attribute the superior speed in trotting of 

 the American liorse over our home-bred animals. 



During an experience in the East that extended 

 over three ^^ears, Avhere I had the fortune to see every 

 variety of Arab, from the pure-bred Medjid to the 

 Persian, I never knew one that was a good trotter 

 or was gifted with knee-action ; their paces are 

 jjrincipally walking, galloping, and cantering, their 

 movements being too close to the ground to excel in 

 the trot. Nor can this be accounted for otherwise 

 than from the great difference in the characteristics 

 of the surface of the ground in Arabia and in Bar- 

 bary, and that Nature with her wonderful forethought 

 has adapted the gait of both races to the different 

 surfaces over which they have to travel. If we are. 

 correctly informed, the districts of Asia, where the 

 pure caste Arab is reared, is undulating, very sandy, 

 and sparsely covered with vegetation ; where the 

 colt or mare can, without any fear of danger of inter- 

 ruption, lay well down to a gallop. But, on the 

 other hand, Barbary is rough, rocky, and mountain- 

 ous, intersected with ravines, and in man}'- portions 

 thickly covered with shrubs. On such grounds it 

 would be impossible for a horse to gallop with safety, 

 the velocity of his movements would certainly cause 



