292 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
'RURAL DEAN" — AN ENGLISH HUNTE R,— Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
Hints on Horses and Horse-Shows. 
We are at this season in the midst of horse 
shows and trotting matches held under the 
auspices of agricultural aud other societies and 
associations. It is considered nowadays indis- 
pensable to the fair judgment of the qualities of 
a horse, and especially of horses competing for 
a prize as breeding animals, that they should 
run a race or trot a mile or three miles togeth- 
er. The result too often is that the fastest horse, 
and not the best horse, gets the prize. The abil- 
ity to trot fast is to a moderate extent natural, 
but so much depends upon training that it is 
oftener the trainer than the horse to whom the 
prize rightfully belongs. The fast natural gait 
of all horses is the run, and though the extreme 
flexibility of the entire system, and that ability 
to apply all the strength to running is acquired 
only by practice, yet it takes nothing like the 
skill to train horses for the race, that it does for 
the trotting match. So that after all, the pow- 
ers of the horse are better tested by running 
than by trotting. Natural pacers we have, but 
natural trotters are hard to find, probably do not 
exist. Horses trot only when they do not 
want to go very fast, and even pacers when 
urged to higher speed, will break into a gallop 
or run. "We therefore object to making trotting 
a prime test in judging of a horse's parts and 
qualities as a sire or dam. Why do agricultur- 
al societies continue to give premiums -to geld- 
ings, except as they exhibit the good qualities of 
their progenitors ? Old breeding horses ought, 
we think, always if practicable, to be exhibited 
with several of their descendants, whose per- 
formances may well be counted to their credit. 
The selection of horses as sires, simply, or main- 
ly on account of their trotting powers, tends to 
deteriorate the stock. Thorough-bred or " hot 
blooded " horses will trot, and may be trained 
to excel in trotting, but there is nothing which 
so thoroughly puts the quality of horse-flesh 
to the test, as English fox hunting, if the riders 
be expert and careful. We give above the por- 
trait of one of the best horses in England, not 
a thorough-bred, but very well bred — " Rural 
Dean," out of Valentine, a valuable hunting 
mare, by the thorough-bred King of Oude, 
" one of Mr. Rarey's Alhambra savages." This 
is a dark brown horse, standing 1G hands and 
half-an-inch high ; he received the 1st prize in the 
class of Hunters at the Islington Horse Show, 
last June, and, as a newspaper reporter says : 
"last April, with the well-known hard-rider Jack 
Webster on his back, he gave a still more prac- 
tical proof of his quality by beating a field of 
eleven at the Brigstoke Steeple-chase, almost 
in a walk. His rider accompanied him to Isling- 
ton, and distinguished himself highly not only 
by the style he brought him out around the ring, 
but by putting him over the hurdles," to ex- 
hibit his ability to leap fences and ditches. 
In the language of horsemen, common horses 
are called "cold blooded," and the thorough- 
breds "hot blooded," doubtless because the latter 
are derived from the " blood of the Desert," that 
is, from the Arabian, Turkish, and Barbary 
horses, which there is good reason to suppose 
are the primogenitors of the entire race. The 
structure of the eye of the horse, and its pecu- 
liar adaptability to life on the desert, is one 
thing that leads to ..this belief. While size in 
connection with other good qualities is so very 
important in determining the value of a horse, 
it is surprising that breeding mares and stallions 
both of inferior size are so often chosen simply 
for the sake of securing, as is supposed, trotting 
qualities. The encouragement of thorough- 
breds is imperatively demanded, for by the use 
of these with large framed, well developed 
mares, we may expect to produce after a few 
generations, upon our soil, horses like the above, 
large, powerful, fleet, and of great endurance. 
The great value placed by breeders of trotting 
stock, upon the blood of Hambletonian, Ab- 
dalla, Messenger, Mambrino, or other horses of 
their character, even when it is exceedingly di- 
luted, indicates the direction of improvement. 
Country Houses— Useful Hints. 
A great deal has been written about country- 
life and the influence of rural scenes ; do we 
think enough about the influence of our coun- 
try dwellings ? Much has been said and done 
of late years, to improve our domestic architec- 
ture ; but have all the changes been improve- 
ments ? All honor to the labors of Downing, 
Vaux, aud others, yet we think an evil has mix- 
ed itself with the good which they aimed at. 
The desire to have a new-fashioned house 
often leads away from simplicity and true home 
comfort. A stylish house involves stylish fur- 
niture, stylish dress and equipage, and stylish 
ways of living throughout. Does not all this 
increase one's household cares, involve large 
expenditures for mere display, and so mar if 
not destroy domestic comfort and simplicity ? 
A dwelling house should be built chiefly for 
utility and convenience. If its outside look 
suggests comfort, it will surely please the spec- 
tator, even though it have no verge-boards, 
finials, diamond windows, balconies, and other 
such trimmings. The greatest beauty of a coun- ' 
try house is its expression of repose. There is a 
certain moral attractiveness in it ; it is like the 
beauty of a placid, benevolent countenance. 
But an ornate house suggests the idea of effort; 
effort to attract attention, effort to keep -the es- 
