CHAPTEE III. 



THE THOROUGHBRED HORSE. 



The oldest and best established breed in America and Europe — Breed built 

 on an Arabian and* Barb foundation — The Darley Arabian — Imported 

 Messenger — Imported Diomed — Imported Trustee — Lexington — In- 

 fluence of the blood in America. 



r 



THIS is the oldest and best established of all the breeds of 

 America and Europe. The Thoroughbred horse is 

 peculiarly a British production. At a very early period the 

 attention of the rulers of Great Britain was earnestly directed 

 to the work of improving the breeds of horses in that 

 kingdom. 



It appears from history that their foundation stock was 

 notoriously deficient in size, and that their earliest efforts were 

 directed to remedy this defect by the importation of heavy 

 horses from Normandy, Flanders, and Germany. Then, to 

 give gracefulness of motion and beauty of form, they intro- 

 duced* what was known as Oriental blood, that of the Arab, 

 the Turk, and the Barb. 



For several years preceding the reign of Charles II, horse- 

 racing appears to have been rapidly gaining in favor as an 

 amusement and recreation among the English people, and from 

 that time until the present, contests for supremacy upon the 

 turf have stirred the British heart as no other amusement has 

 ever done. To the constant growth and great popularity 

 of this sport, which for nearly 200 years has been regarded as 

 the national amusement of that country, are we indebted for 

 a persistence in a course of breeding that has given us the 

 thoroughbred race horse of to-day, so prominently distinguished 

 throughout the world for speed and endurance upon the race- 

 course ; and which, on account of the great care in breeding, 



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