H O 
fize'from fifteen to fixteen hands and a half high. This 
is a ftrong, hardy, and a£tive, fort,of horfes, which is laid 
to have been produced by eroding the Scotch mares with 
Flanders ftallions. They are remarkably, true and refo- 
lutein the. draught. This fort of horfes is chiefly predo¬ 
minant in the diitrift which bears their name in Scotland. 
The heavy black horfes are a fort that may be em¬ 
ployed with advantage for many purpofes of heavy 
draught; but they are not in general fo well adapted to 
the bufinefs of the farmer. This kind is diftinguiflied by 
the colour, being conftantly black ; by being coarfe in 
their form, and ieldom well-proportioned; flow in their 
motion ; with rough flefliy legs; fize generally larger than 
either of the preceding kinds. This breed of horfes pre¬ 
vails in the midland dillrifls, in Leicefterlhire, Derbyfhire, 
Lin col nth ire, &c. where the mares are chiefly employed in 
the fens, fed on plenty of coarfe four grals, covered by 
large heavy ftallions of the fame breed, their offspring 
being difpofed of according to-their fizes; the largelt for 
•dray-horfes, the next for draught in waggons or other 
teams, and the fmalleft for the purpofes of the artjllery. 
It is evident from the nature of thefe different forts, 
that for the purpofes of farm-labour horfes fhould be 
chiefly felefted from the-ClevMand, the Suffolk, and the 
Clydefdale, kinds: the firfl affording fuch as are adapted 
to great exertion and difpatch; the improved fort of the 
Suffolk kind being well fuited to field-work where much 
perfeverance is required, flnee they can be conftantly em¬ 
ployed in this fpecies of labour without inconvenience. 
And the lafl fort, from the great mufcular exertion that 
can be occafionally employed, as well as from their 
being true in the draught, are particularly fuited to hilly 
farms. With refpeft to economy in keep, and the ex¬ 
pence in procuring, the two laft forts are probably to be 
preferred, as they are both very hardy, and can in gene¬ 
ral be obtained at eafier prices. From the great advan¬ 
tage that has lately been found in employing, even for 
the purpofes of draught, in the more heavy forts of car¬ 
riages, fuch horfes as have a little of the true racing blood 
in them, the ufe of the heavy breeds is becoming every 
day lefs frequent and neceflary. 
Of WILD HORSES. 
Under the article Eouus, vol. vl. p. 886, we have fpoken 
pretty fully on tire natural fagacity and economy of wild 
horfes, and of the countries where they are found ; to 
which entertaining narrative we fhall now add the account 
lately publifhed by D. Felix Azara, of the wild horfes 
which abound in Spanilh America. He ftates that thefe 
horfes were originally carried from Spain by the firfl: con¬ 
querors, and are of the Andaluiian breed. They chiefly 
frequent the fouthern part of the River de la Plata, as far 
as Rio Negro, the-country of the Patagonians, &c. The 
wild horfes of all thefe countries live in numerous herds, 
fome of which, it is faid, confift of ten thoufand. As 
foon as they perceive domeftic horfes in the fields, they 
run towards them on a full gallop, pafs through the mid¬ 
dle of them, or near them, carefs them, and invite them 
with a kind of grave or prolonged neighing. The do¬ 
meftic horfes are loon feduced, unite themfelves to the in¬ 
dependent herd, and depart along with them. It happens 
not unfrequently that travellers are flopped on the road 
by the effeft of this defertion. To prevent it, they halt 
as foon as they perceive thefe wanderers, watch their own 
horfes, and endeavour to frighten away the others. In 
fuch cafes the wild horfes follow a certain kind of tallies; 
fome are detached before, and the reft advance in a clofe 
column, which nothing can interrupt. It' they are fo 
alarmed as to be obliged to retire, they change their di- 
reflion, but without fuffering themfelves to be difperfed: 
fometimes they make a great number of turns around thofe 
which they wifh to feduce, in order to frighten them ; at 
other times they retire after making one turn. Thefe 
manoeuvres are not employed during the night, for the 
. Vol. X. No. 669. 
USE. 385 
wild horfes then make no attempts. The author is igno¬ 
rant whether any thing of the fame kind takes place be¬ 
tween one herd of wild horfes and another for the pur- 
pofe of recruiting their number. He afierts that Buffon 
is miftaken in faying that thefe wild horfes have more 
ftrength and fleetnefs than the domeftic horfes of the 
country, and that they do not differ from the latter either 
in height or fhape: but he indeed obferves, that no com- 
parifon can be made, between the independent and do¬ 
meftic ftate of thefe animals, as in that country both ftates 
are almoft fimilar. 
'Thofe ‘who poffefs ejlancias, or paftures for keeping do¬ 
meftic horfes, place in them a certain number of mares, 
which are never broke or mounted. 'They remaii-qduring 
their whole lives in a ftate of perfect liberty ; and for every 
thirty or forty mares there is a ilailion, which enjoys the 
fame independence. They are counted once or twice a- 
week, in order that they may not ftray from the habita¬ 
tion. Bqt too little care is employed in the choice of the 
ftallions ; and this, in all probability', is one of the prin¬ 
cipal caufes why thefe horfes, though left at full liberty, 
are neither fo beautiful nor fo good as thofe of Andalufia, 
from which they are defeended. The induftry of man im¬ 
proves the breed of thole animals which he appropriates 
to his own ufe, and, by bringing their lhape and organs 
to perfection, indemnifies then'll for that liberty of which 
he deprives them. Each ftallioii takes pofleflion of a fmall 
troop of mares, which he keeps collefted by preffing them 
with his cheft, and by biting them if they do not obey 
with lufficient docility: the mares, on the other hand, re¬ 
main attached to their fultans. If two ftallions fight, the 
mares do not abandon the conquered for the conqueror, 
unlefs the former has Ihown among them a deficiency of 
vigour. 
The fillies remain with their mothers. When, it is time 
to break the colts they are cut, for no perlon mounts a 
horle until that operation has been performed. After caf- 
tration, a halter is put upon the animal intended to be 
broke; he is tied to a ftake ; a laddie is placed upon his 
back, and well girded, but without crupper or. breaft-lea- 
tlier, and a thong is tied round his under-lip, to which is N 
faftened, on each fide, a rein, in order to govern him. 
The horfeman then mounts with large fpurs, and rides 
out into the fields. At firft the young horfe capers and 
jumps until he is quite fatigued ; after which he is brought 
back to the ftake. This exercile is repeated feveral times 
in the courfe of the lame day, and is renewed after the 
interval of feveral days until the courfer capers no more. 
He is then employed as a broken horfe, but with a halter 
only; a bridle is not put upon him till a year after, at 
which time he quits the name of rodomont to affume that 
of horfe. 
As foon as the horfes are cut, they are feparated from 
the mares, and put among the animals of the horfe lpecies 
ufed for fervice, which receive no other Ihelter or food 
than what they find in the fields. They are accuftomed 
to live in one canton, which they never quit. Each unites 
himfelf to a companion, and with fuch iqtimacy, that in- 
ftances have been known of l'ome of them, after running- 
away, having returned more than fixty leagues to rejoin 
their old friend. Thefe friends know each other by their 
neighing, their lmell, and the noife of their pace. 
When the proprietors are delirous to prevent a nume¬ 
rous troop of domeftic horfes from feparating, they place 
among them a young mare with a fnaall bell, and which is 
then called the godmother. They all follow her, and they 
all know and leek for each other as members of the fame 
fociety. The fame efl'ecl may be produced by attaching 
the bell to one of the horfes of the troop. 
When the inhabitants have need of horfes, a man on 
horfeback, bearing a lance, proceeds towards a troop of 
thele animals, and drives'them into an inclofure formed 
of pallifades, A horfeman then enters it, and, when he 
is within reach, entangles the horfe which he willies tu 
5 F catch 
