78 THE DOMESTICATION OF ANIMALS 



never come into an House but run upon the Mountains in some places in 

 flocks, and if at any time in Winter the storm be so great, that they are 

 straitened for food, they will come down from the Hills when the Ebb is 

 in the sea, and eat the Sea- Ware (as likewise do the Sheep).... They will 

 live till a considerable Age as 26, 28, or 30 Years, and they wijl be good 

 riding Horses in 24 especially they'll be the more vigorous and live the 

 longer if they be 4 years old before they be put to Work. These of a black 

 Colour are Judged to be the most durable, and the Pyeds often prove not 

 so good; they have been more numerous then now they are, the best of 

 them are to be had in Sanston and Eston also they are good in Waes and 

 Yell, these of the least size are in the Northern Isles of Yell and Unst. 



The Coldness of the Air, the Barrenness of the Mountains on which 

 they feed and their hard usage may occasion them to keep so little, for if 

 bigger Horses be brought into the Countrey, their kind within a little time 

 will degenerate; And indeed in the present case, we may see the Wisdome 

 of Providence, for their way being deep and Mossie in Many places, these 

 lighter Horses come through when the greater and heavier would sink 

 down: and they leap over ditches very nimbly, yea up and down rugged 

 Mossy braes or hillocks with heavy riders upon them, which I could not 

 look upon but with Admiration, yea I have seen them climb up braes upon 

 their knees, when otherwise they could not get the height overcome, so that 

 our Horses would be but little if at all serviceable there. 



This Lilliputian breed, which still retains the wild habit of 

 movingin droves, and of which the smallest recorded specimen 

 was only 26 inches high at the shoulder, while the average 

 is only 40 inches, is the nearest modern representative of 

 the small race which in prehistoric days and for long ages 

 inhabited the mainland of Scotland. Yet the effects of man's 

 interference are evident in the diversity of its individuals, 

 for while some are still slender-limbed riding ponies, others 

 have assumed the thick-set characters of diminutive draught 

 horses. 



Examination of the horses of the mainland will show 

 how much further the influence of man has gone in modifying 

 the characters of the original race. 



THE HORSES OF THE SCOTTISH MAINLAND 



In the opening portion of this account, the nature and 

 distribution of the horses which inhabited Scotland in pre- 

 historic and early historic days has already been indicated ; 

 the present section shall therefore be devoted mainly to an 

 account of the methods and results of man's influence on the 

 primitive types. It may be stated in a sentence that the 

 modes of influence are the ordinary means of the breeder 



