>62 REMARKS ON VARIOUS BREEDS OF HORSES. 



body as compared to his height. He is, as a rule, a smaller 

 horse than the thoroughbred. Trainers of trotters prefer 

 small horses ; for they find them more lasting than big ones. 

 I am inclined to think that the pelvis of the American trotter 

 is more sloping than that of the thoroughbred ; a peculiarity 

 which would cause him (i) to be shorter in the body ; and (2) 

 to have his hind legs more under him than would be the case 

 if his pelvis were more horizontal. The best American 

 trotters vary in height, as a rule, from 15 hands to 15.2. 

 Taller trotters seldom prove to be good campaigners. The 

 following is a list of the respective heights of some of the 

 most famous American trotters : — 



Hands. 



Alix(2.03i) 15 



Floia Temple (2.192) .... 14. 2I 



Goldsmith Maid (2 . 14) . . . . 15.0 J 



Dextei (2.17I) ... . 15. oi 



Sunol(2.o8|) . . 16 (neaily) 



Nancy Hanks (2 . 04) . . . .15,02 



Diiectum (2.05-) . . . . 15.1 (at 4 years old) 



Jay Eye See (2.10) . - ^5 (under) 



Kremlin (2.072) . . . . .16 



Great Eastern (2.152) . . . . 1 7 . i 



. .0 . o X (15-2 (at withers) 



MauaS. (2.082) . ... ],3.3. (^^ croup) 



The stock of the Hambletonians are very irregular as to 

 size. The Mambrino Chiefs are tall and leggy. The Morgans 

 keep close to 1 5 hands. 



The characteristic difference between the conformation of 

 the American trotter and the thoroughbred, as regards the 

 proportion between the length of body (or rather, the length 

 from hip joint to point of shoulder) and length of limb, is 

 shown not only by actual measurement, but also by the fact 

 that many match trotters cannot go fast without '' inter- 

 fering" to such an extent that they are obliged to be 

 exercised habitually in specially made boots (''scalpers"). 

 Setting this and other not so pronounced differences aside, 

 the fact remains that the American trotter, at least as 

 regards "quality," has shown a gradual approach to the 



