THE HORSE—INTRODUCTION, 7 
remembers to have seen dun, sorrel or dapple in the true-bred Arab, and 
when these colors occur the breed has been crossed. Their aver age height 
is fourteen to fourteen and a half hands, rarely fifteen, but they have great 
strength und courage for their size. Their most remarkable power is 
manifested in an ability to perform long and arduous marches upon the 
smallest possible allowance of food and water. In consequence of such 
labor they are lean, unsightly, and therefore disappointing to travelers who 
rarely see them at their best in the freedom of spring pastures, where they 
are sleek, and indeed beautiful. The Arab has but two paces, a quick and 
easy walk, averaging four or five miles an hour, and a half-running canter. 
They are fed on camel’s milk, dates when they can be had, and sometimes 
flesh. They are rapidly deteriorating. They are shod with a circular shoe 
which covers the bottom of the foot except a small hole, and which is 
fastened on with six nails. [ Nineveh and Babylon. ] 
The Varied.—This class is the product of the union of the two pre- 
viously mentioned, or may be produced as a freak without regard to breed- 
ing at all. The laws of breeding have a wide field of operation when 
these opposite forces combine. The modern varieties of the horse seem in 
most all cases to trace their origin to this system of violent crossing. Even 
the French draught horse, the mighty Percheron, is stoutly claimed to be 
a descendant of the Arab; but it is plain that its stocky shape and heavy 
head, neck and mane never came from that source; so that it is probable he 
has the elements of both, and it is not beyond the range of probability that 
these were the prime elements, resulting in the first instances as a freak 
of nature, which cultivation and selection have at last succeeded in reduc- 
ing to a standard breed. It has been claimed that the Clyde draught 
horse originated from the Shetland pony; yet we see evidence of eastern 
blood in the white markings noticeable in this breed of horses. ‘The 
English race horse is another instance, although he leans very much more 
to the Arab; still evidence of a northern character may be seen in his 
stouter, more arched back, and general bulk of bone and muscle. We 
could thus analyze others, but this brief statement will suffice. 
The Common or Domestic.—The last classification shows the gradual 
diffusion of all the elements until they constitute an animal furnishing all 
the requisites of the horse in general and none in particular, much as we 
oftenest see him in every-day life and in daily use, ready to gallop across 
the country under the saddle, to drive in the light buggy, useful for the plow, 
the team, or the cart, for every one in fact, and for every purpose. It 
would evidently be impracticable to give an analysis of this group. It is 
only in comparatively few instances that two individual animals have even 
the same blood. 
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