OBSERVATIONS ON THE HORSES OF CANADA. 77 
and four feet of snow on the ground, and that it is like going on 
so much sand ; in addition to which they are shod differently, be- 
ing turned up at the heels to prevent slipping ; consequently there 
is less jar and concussion than on the plank or Macadamized road. 
The plank road is usually made over swampy ground, and 
where there is a difficulty in procuring material for the Mac- 
adam. The planks are ten or twelve feet long, twelve or fourteen 
inches broad, and three or four inches thick, laid upon sleepers, 
and fastened down with spikes or wooden pegs ; and, from the 
circumstance of not resting on the ground, there is a degree of 
yielding motion which proves injurious to horses which travel much 
upon them ; viz. that they get “ shook in their shoulders.” 
In travelling over the plank road between Hamilton and Port 
Dover, the summer before last, the wheels of the stage fired several 
times, and it was said to be caused by the plank, — “that it always did 
make the wheels fire and no argument would convince the driver 
but that it was solely attributable to the wooden road. Now, as re- 
gards its being injurious to horses, I am of opinion it is on the 
same principle as the wheels fire (the pace) ; but the re-action 
of the boards, after yielding to the combined force and weight of 
the animal, may, and I am of opinion does, produce lameness in the 
feet ; and that, after a time, the muscles of the shoulder diminish in 
size from want of action, which causes those unacquainted with the 
subject to believe the horse is “ shook in his shoulders.” 
In Upper Canada — a country in every respect more like the old 
country, the horses, cattle, sheep, &c., in fact every thing, being in- 
ferior to what you meet with in the lower province — the horses 
are much larger, more powerful, and well adapted for draught ; 
but any thing like a sound, good, saddle horse — like angels’ visits — 
are few and far between : with a candle and lantern you would 
scarcely find a dozen throughout the province. The best horses 
in the upper country are to be met with in the Dutch and Quaker 
settlements, about Waterloo, Wilmot, and in the Jersey settlements, 
Newmarket and Blackburn. To the Pennsylvanian Dutch, who 
were some of the earlier settlers, Upper Canada is much indebted 
for the superiority of her horses, having brought with them some 
capital brood mares ; and they have, at the present time, some of 
the best description in the country, and take great care of them, 
generally speaking: as also do the Quakers, who contribute much 
towards the few sound horses to be met with, by not allow- 
ing them to be worked at too early an age; whereas, with the 
generality of farmers, they are worked at two and three years old, 
and not unfrequently at a much earlier period, which is the cause 
of there being so many unsound horses throughout the country. 
You will have a pretty good idea of the difficulty there is in meet,- 
VOL, XX. M 
