148 A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



narrow, deep chest; a long, sloping shoulder; a short, strong 

 back; very long, muscular hind parts; and legs that are short, 

 lean, and strong, with the best of feet. The skin is thin, and 

 the hair fine and silky. The most desired height is 15 to 

 15J/2 hands, and the most common colors are bay, brown, 

 chestnut, or black, though there are other colors. A fine 

 disposition and great courage are features of this noted breed. 



The Thoroughbred was first brought to America in 1730, 

 and since then, until recently, large numbers have been 

 imported. This horse is raced under the saddle with a man 

 called a jockey on his back. The fastest record of a horse 

 race of anj^ kind was made by Roamer at Saratoga, New 

 York, in 1918, he running a mile in 1 : 34 4-5. Thoroughbreds 

 have sold for enormous sums, a number of them having 

 changed hands at prices ranging from $100,000 to .1200,000. 

 The Thoroughbred has been much used in the past in America 

 to improve our racing stock, but at present is not popular 

 excepting for running races in which gambling is a prominent 

 feature. As betting at horse races is to-day a violation of 

 the law in most states, this fact has done much to discourage 

 the breeding of Thoroughbreds in America. In England 

 and France, conditions are different. This breed has had 

 a great history, and it is unfortunate that it can not be popu- 

 lar in America, except as connected with gambling. Many 

 persons in speaking of five stock use the word "thorough- 

 bred," when they mean pure-bred. Thoroughbred, as applied 

 to animals, is correct only when referring to this breed of 

 horses, which fact the student of live stock should remember. 



The American saddle horse is a breed that has developed 

 in the United States, especially in Virginia, Kentucky, Ten- 

 nessee, and Missouri. Its ancestry comes with the mingling 

 of the blood of the Thoroughbred and well made, easy- 

 moving, native saddle stock. A Thoroughbred horse named 

 Denmark, sired by an imported horse, was one of the most 

 famous early sires of this breed. The American saddle 



