AMERICAN TROTTERS. 263 



thoroughbred. Originally sprung from horses which possessed 

 the all-important gift of trotting, although in many cases of 

 coarse blood, they were at first but little removed from what 

 we might call ''light harness horses." By careful selection, 

 good management, and, perhaps, the judicious infusion of 

 English racing blood, the conformation of the trotter, from 

 a speed point of view, has improved immensely, as we may 

 see from the following record times for one mile . — 



^^3S^ 



Sally MiUei . 



2.37 ^ 



1845. 



Lady Suffolk 



2. 291 



^^S' 



Highland Maid 



2.27 



1865. 



Flora Temple 



2.19I 



1875 



Goldsmith Maid 



2. 14 



1885. 



Maud S. 



2.08I:/ 



1895. 



Alix . 



2.03J 



'> Old-fashioned sulky. 



Some strains of American harness-horses produce, in- 

 differently, trotters or pacers, which is a peculiarity that is 

 not found among true trotting breeds of other countries, such 

 as England or Russia. It appears that in these American 

 cases there is always a cross, more or less remote, of pacing 

 blood. Pacers never come from stock in which there is no 

 pacing blood. 



American trotting blood is eminently suited to give speed 

 and useful trotting action to all light harness horses. I 

 believe that this cross with the Hackney, under favourable 

 conditions, is productive of a harness horse of showy presence 

 and fine speed. Although conformation, no doubt, plays a 

 certain part in the result, I am inclined to think that the 

 wasteful knee action and consequent tendency to roll from 

 side to side, too often exhibited by the Hackney when going 

 at his highest speed, is chiefly due to training. 



When we consider that, in modern times, no race-horse 

 with a stain in his pedigree has ever gained first-class honours 

 on the turf, and that a considerable admixture of coarse blood 

 is no bar to high trotting merit ; we may not unreasonably 

 conclude that the gift of trotting lies more in the brain than 

 in the muscles. 



