VUU\ mr ■ ■ iiji'i iliiJf'illf I;-') '. ;] ,■".! 1:',!. lilil !!'■.■' |1'!:: IHl Kiiljhiiii;: , Ill tliii,:.:!,]^::;, i;'' ':(;i ill! :; = THE PERFECT HORSE: HO W TO KNO W HIM. I HO W TO TRAIN HIM. HO W TO BREED HIM. \ HO W TO SHOE HIM. HO W TO DRIVE HIM. BY WILLIAM H. H. MURRAY. M WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER ; AND A TREATISE ON AGRICULTURE AND THE HORSE, By Hon. GEORGE B, LORING. CONTAINING ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BEST TROTTING STOCK-HORSES IN THE UNITED STATES, DONE FROM LIFE, WITH THEIR PEDIGREES, RECORDS, AND FULL DESCRIPTIONS. " Hast thou fciven the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? . . . The glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength ; he gocth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted ; neither turneth he back from the sword. . . . He svvalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage. . . . He saith among the trumpets. Ha, ha ! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting." — Job xxxix. 19-25. BOSTON : ^ JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY, (Late Ticknor & Fields, and Fields, Osgood, & Co.) ' 1873. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S73, By JAMES R. OSGOOD & CO., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. Boston : Rand, Avery, & Co., Electrotypers and Printers. TO Ulysses S. Grant, President of the Republic, AND LOVER OF THE HORSE, I RESPECTFULLY DEDICATE CTIjis Folumc. THE AUTHOR. AUTHOR'S PREFACE. I PUEPOSE in this volume to treat of tlie most noble and useful of domestic animals, — the horse. I desire to put into a small compass and cheap form the result of many- years of reading and observation, that every farmer's boy in New England may have in his possession a book which shall contain within its covers enough of instruction to qualify him to breed, train and drive, buy and sell, horses intelligentlj^and profitably. This is my hope. I purpose, also, to lay before him the true principles of animal propagation, following wliich the breeding of fast and valuable horses shall be in no sense the result of chance or "good luck," as the phrase is, but of causes clearly understood and arranged from the start. I shall show him how to raise a vicious or amiable colt, a slow or fast one ; what to discard and what to include in liis selection of dam and she ; and how, when the perfect animal is produced, to educate him properly, and bring him forward in intelligence and docihty until he is able to con- tribute most directly and fully to his owner's profit or pleasure. ^Vhile I shall advance and strive to sustain my own views, I shall, in all cases, give my reasons therefor. I lay no claim to originality. I have no hobby to advance, or Vi PREFACE. pet theory to advertise to the public. My success, if success attend my efforts, will be due to the patience with which I have studied the subject, and the entire absence of passion and prejudice in writing out the vicAVS thus obtained. I confess my indebtedness to many books and many authors. The cumbersome volume of veterinary practice, the quaint medioeval treatise, and the sensational pamphlet of the profes- sional "horse-tamer" who perambulates the country to-day, astonishing the uninitiated with the tricks of his trained ponies, have alike supplied me with material for reflection. I wish to give in a condensed form the aggregated wisdom of all, to the end that whoever may purchase this work shall have the sum and substance of what is known concerning the horse. I do not deceive myself so far as to suppose that I have wholly succeeded ; for the subject is a vast and intricate one, and man's performance is seldom equal to his desire. Still it may be that enough has been done to vindicate the motive, and serve the public. If this should be the verdict of my patrons, I shall rest content. If any should express surprise that one in my profession should devote his leisure to such a purpose, I have this to say, That to me it has been a labor of love in the first place for the noble animal of which I write, and whose existence and services have ever been and are to-day closely connected with the commercial, social, and religious development of the country ; and, in the second place, I acknowledge the presence in my heart of a desire to associate myself in every honorable way with that class of my countrymen, to which, by birth, early education, and pres- ent aspiration, I belong, — the agricultural class. Compelled by the obligation of public life to pass the larger part of my time in cities, my mind and heart continually revert to PEEPACE. "Vii the country, where, in the cultivation of the products of the earth, and the propagation and training of the domestic ani- mals, man finds, as I judge, his most honorable and happy- employment. I have no sympathy with that professional exclusiveness which forbids to the intellect the powers and pleasure of general knowledge and universal studentship ; nor do I ever wish to see the day, when, restrained by a false sense of professional dignity, I shall refuse to impart needed information to any one, of whatever walk and pursuit of life, who may be assisted and bettered thereby. With this purpose, and prompted by this impulse, I now send this vol- ume forth, and bespeak for it the careful perusal of those who admire and are interested in the noble animal of which it treats. W. H. H. MUKRAY. Boston, 1873. AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT. In sending this volume forth to the public, the preparation of which has been a matter of profound interest and pro- longed labor to me, I wish to acknowledge the courtesy of, and return my thanks to, the scores of men, who, scattered over the country, have given me their encouragement and assistance in my work. Especially would I acknowledge the courtesy of the President of the Nation in accepting so graciously, and with such manifest interest, the dedication of the work ; and the great services done me personally by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher in contributing the Introduction, and by Hon. George B. Loring in the preparation of his most interesting and valuable article. It is not often that one can see such a grouping of names as this ; and it does of itself suggest how wide-spread and profound is the interest in and affection for the animal of which they write. To these gentlemen, and to all who liave aided me by favor and counsel in my effort, I regard myself personally a debtor. W. H. H. MURRAY. INTRODUCTION. My deah Mr. Murray, — "What do you expect ? I am not competent to discuss the mysteries of a training-farm, nor the political economy of the horse. If, now, you needed a word on the joys of riding on winged horses, or the experience of long journeys over prairies and through Western forests on horseback, I could supply such" material. I also could give you a chapter on the reverse side of the art of selecting and buying horses, so that one should be able, five times out of six, to be cheated, and pay a large price for an unsound horse. I could teach one how to buy dear, and sell cheap. But these are things aside, — the mere chaff and wastage of the subject. I reall}^ hope that you have made a standard book : first, because you are a clergyman, and it behooves all clergymen to do well whatever they do at all ; and, second, because many men think horse-culture a theme unbecoming a moral teacher. Not long ago, many people thought that good folks ought not to own good horses ; that a fast horse was a sign of a fast man ; and that only publicans and sinners had a right X INTRODUCTION. to nags that could trot inside of 2.40 ; while the righteous were doomed to amble through life on dull, fat, family-horses, fit only for a plough or a funeral. It is part of the same foolish prejudice which marvels how a preacher could write a book on horses. " Would St. Paul," say they, " pause to write on the horse ? " But would Paul have written upon astronomy ? or upon the history of the Jews ? or upon agriculture ? or on com- mon schools ? Would he have written poetry, or commu- nications for a newspaper, or magazine-articles, or Latin grammars ? If he had lived in our time, he certainly would, if he felt moved thereto, and perceived that thereby he might contribute, directly or indirectly, to the great inter- ests of political economy as included in Christian civilization. Who finds fault with clergymen for contributing to the welfare of society through any of the great channels of influence ? From time out of mind, husbandry has been deemed a proper pursuit for clergymen. But what topic in husbandry is more important, and better worthy of dignified treatment, than the history and culture of that noble animal, the horse ? Society, owes to the horse a debt of gratitude a thousand times greater than it does to thousands of men who abuse him. He has ministered to progress ; has made social inter- course possible where otherwise it would have been slow and occasional, or altogether impossible. He has virtually extended the strength of man, augmented his speed, doubled his time, decreased his burdens, and, becoming his slave, has released him from drudgery, and made him free. For love's sake, for the sake of social life, for eminent moral reasons, the horse deserves to be bred, trained, and cared for with scrupulous care ; and, if a minister can teach men how to do INTKODUCTION, XI it, it is not abandoning his profession, but pursuing a remote department of it, which has too long ah^eady been left to men who look upon the horse as an instrument chiefly of gambling gains, or of mere physical pleasure. HENRY WARD BEE CHER. Tvvix-MouNTAiN KousE, White Mountains, Aug. 27, 1873. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE. Points of a Horse, or the Marks by which a Good Horse is known . 1 CHAPTER II. The PRiNCirLEs of Breeding. — Reasons why Breeders have not been financially Successful 72 CHAPTER III. Breeding. — How to Succeed SO CHAPTER IV. The Sire .89 CHAPTER V. The Dam 139 CHAPTER VI. How TO train a Colt 153 CHAPTER VII. The Horse's Foot, and how to Shoe it 226 CHAPTER VIII. The Morgan Horse : iiis Relation to Breeding 292 AGRICULTURE AND THE HORSE 343 Pedigrees of Noted Horses 429 How TO LAY out A IMlLE TrACK 455 Gallery of Celebrated Horses 457 INDEX 473 LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS. " The White Mai:e Fearnaught Live Oak . Taggart's Abdallah Thomas Jefferson Carenaught Rysdyk Daniel Lambert Fearnaught, Jun. Harvard . Robert Bonner Manchester Morgan Abdallah Lola and Foal Frontispiece. . 8 . 32 . 64 . 96 . 128 . ICO . 192 . 224 . 256 . 288 . 304 . 352 . 416 THE PEEFECT HOUSE. BY W. H. H. MURRAY. THE PERFECT HORSE. CHAPTER I. POINTS OF A HORSE, OR THE MARKS BY WHICH A GOOD HORSE IS KNOWN. To a young man starting out in the business of breeding, or to any person about to purciiase a horse, nothing can be of greater value than the knowledge of those points or marks which characterize a perfect animal. Not that all of these desirable qualities of bone, muscle, and nervous organization, can be found once in a thousand times combined in any single animal ; for the perfect form in any order of life is rarely if ever seen. But, nevertheless, a standard is needed by which the buyer may measure the several animals inspected, in order to ascertain where to place them in the column that represents aggregate excellence, else his blunders will be many and mortifying. The question arises, therefore, — and it is of the most practical significance- to the young breeder and general purchaser, — Is there any standard or representative horse, the marks of which. 2 THE PERFECT HORSE. being known, would enable one to buy with intelligence and wisdom? How can one who lias had little if any experience with horses go to the mart or field, and in- vest his money in such a way as- to escape the ridicule of his more experienced companions and neighbors, and the censure of his after-judgment ? I reply, that such a standard can be formed, — a standard* which, when it has become known and familiar to the mind, enables it to discriminate with accuracy touching the excellences or deficiencies of every animal inspected, and qualifies a man to fix surely and at once the money-value of the animal he wishes to purchase. In other words, there are certain elements of nature, and certain peculiarities of form, and a certain style of action, which the perfect, the ideal horse invariably possesses, and which, accord- ing to the degree with which they are possessed by an animal, rank it in the column of value and pice. Nor are these marks, on the one hand, so numerous as to be beyond the capacity of the poorest memory to commit them ; nor, on the other, are they so latent, that, when once pointed out, they cannot be perceived by even the most casual glance. Nature does not disguise herself from those that seek to know her, nor so mask her excel- lences that they cannot be perceived and admired even by the careless eye. I propose, therefore, to point out to the reader those marks which characterize the perfect or ideal horse ; and I do so for the sole purpose that every boy who reads these pages may have with him the knowledge which forbids blundering and financial loss HOW TO KNOW HiiVI. 6 ill the selection of animals from which to breed, or for general or special use. Nothing is more preposterous than the idea which seems to be current, that there is something mysterious in. the art of buying and selling horses wisely, which has been hidden from the average farmer or gentleman, and revealed only to jockeys, grooms, and stable-boys. It is about time for the pub- lic to realize that the organization of the horse is too high, and his physical anatomy too intricate, for the ignorant and drunken to understand ; and that the gen- tleman's companion, as I hold the horse to be, can best" be understood and managed by gentlemen. I will now call your attention to certain elements and characteris- tics of the horse which the perfect animal must have. The first, and to my mind the most essential, point to be observed touching the horse, is his TEMPERAMENT. I ask you to distinguish temperament and temper. The temper is an accident, the result of education or treatment ; in rare instances, of birth : but the tempera- ment is a law or mode of being affecting and modifying the physical structure and the nervous forces. The temper can be modified or changed : the vicious can be made amiable ; and the amiable, vicious. Not so with the temperament: that is fixed at birth, and remains im- mutable, dominating over the entire organization. Diet, training, treatment in sickness, — these, and much beside, are suggested to the thoughtful mind by the tempera- 4 THE PERFECT HORSE. ment of the horse. There are four principles and dis- tinct temperaments seen in horses, — the nervous^ bilious^ sanguine^ and lymphatic. They are by nature distinct, dissimilar, and not seldom antagonistic. Still they rare- ly are found pure, separate. In most cases they are found to be blended, mingled, co-existent. Still, gener- ally, one is found preponderating over all others ; and according to the degree of this preponderance of the one over the rest is the constitution of the animal being inspected determined. Let us suppose that we are examining a horse with a nervous temperament. Such a horse will have a large, full brain, well-developed spinal column, and nerves ' of acute sensitiveness. From such an organization come quickness of movement, nervous excitability, and great delicacy of feeling. Such a horse will have rapidity of motion, a quick, lightning-like gather, a restless ear, and a bright, animated counte- nance. He will be apt to take the hills at a jump, and enter and leave his stable with a spring. He will suffer untold agonies on the application of the iron curry-comb in the careless groom's hand, and will need watching and a taut rein on the road to prevent his shying. This, in brief, is the picture of a horse with a 7iervous temperament The Vermont Black Hawk types this class. The next in order is the hilious temperament. This temperamental organization is associated with a large muscular system. The horse with a hilious temperament will have large bones and large muscles. The masses HOW TO KNOW HIM. 6 of fibrous fiesli about the quarters and shoulders, the shank and fore-arm, will be well brought out, and well packed in. To the hand they will feel hard and firm. Such an animal impresses you with the appear- ance of strength : you can see written all over him in capital letters the word " endurance." He will stand any amount of work. In strength he is an equine Hercules. Nothing but bad treatment and the passage of many years can break such a horse down, or wear him out. Such an animal was the Old Morrill horse; and like him, in a large measure, is the whole Morrill family, in- cluding his most famous descendant Fearnaught. They are all horses of great muscular vigor and power. Consider now, in the third place, the sanguine tempera- ment. Sanguine is from the Latin, — sanguis^ sanguinis.^ meaning blood. This temperament, therefore, as its name implies, is closely related in its origin to the blood- system, and suggests a large development of heart, lungs, and blood-vessels. A horse with such a temperament will prove long-winded. He will come down the home-stretch with wide-open and capable nostril. He will not pant and labor in aspiration at the close of the heat. Whatever, in the way of speed, he is able to do, he will do with case. Consider, also, how closely the blood and arte- rial system are connected with the nourishment and sup- port of the body. Remember that it is by the blood alone that the nutritious elements of food are dissemi- nated through the entire system, and the needed suste- THE PERFECT HORSE. nance ' carried to every part. You observe, therefore, how vital a part this order of temperament plays in the economy of the system, and how prominent a place it should hold among those characteristics and qualities which the purchaser and breeder of horses must observe in order to reach by an accurate analysis a true and proper conclusion touching the value of the animal under consideration. The horse with such a tempera- ment will not only have excellent lungs, but he will be generally healthy : what he eats will actually nourish him ; and day by day, by exercise and food, will he renew his symmetrical life. The last of the four kinds of temperament is the lym- phatic. A horse with this temperamental organization is to be shunned. He will be large in the abdomen, lazy, and inclined to lay on useless fat. He will be sluggish, slow-moving, and shambling in his gait ; a stumbler, and kicker-up of dust ; a heavy, fleshy animal, — more of a pig than a horse. I have now enumerated the four kinds of tempera- mental organization peculiar to horses as to men, and endeavored to so describe and illustrate them that my youngest reader may know them at a glance. They teach us an instructive lesson ; none the less so because generally unnoted by those who have attempted, by voice and printed page, to teach us concerning the structure and constitution of the horse. The lesson is this, — that by no study of the outward form can one judge correctly of this noble animal. You must push HOW TO KNOW HDI. 7 your analysis within, you must question tlie nervous forces of the organization, you must knock at the por- tals of, and actually gain admission to, the brain of the animal, before you can judge of his value to you, or the place he holds in the column that represents compara- tive or absolute excellence. You observe, also, that, to the breeder, this question of temperament is of vital sig- nificance. The problem with him is one of judicious mingling of the three essential temperaments in order to produce the most desirable results. The nervous temperament alone will not answer. Rapidity of move- ment is not enough. He must breed into his colts mus- cular power ; and this is represented by the bilious tem- perament. But of what avail are quickness of motion and mus- cular strength, unless to these are joined capable lung- power, elasticity of the heart-structure, and that efficient arterial and venous development, by the steady and healthy action of which the system can alone be minis- tered unto, the wasted fibre removed, and new nerve and muscular substance daily supplied. The true point, therefore, for the breeder to consider, is this : Granted such or such a temperament to the mare, what stallion is there whose temperamental organization is of such a character, that the two, meeting and min- gling together in the foal, may produce in this third or- ganization the harmonious union of the greatest number, and in the greatest degree, of the needed and essential elements? for the relative proportion in which they 8 THE PERFECT HORSE. exist will have a marked effect upon tlie life of the ani- mal raised, and his fitness for the especial service for which, in the mind and ambition of the breeder, he is to excel. And while these three temperaments — the nervous, bilious, and sanguine — should all exist, and meet in happy union, in the same animal, yet in what proportion they should be mingled in order to produce this happy union of speed, endurance, lung-power, and healthful ness, is to the breeder a matter of momentous importance ; for on this, beyond all else, as we think, and trust our reasoning proves, failure or success depends. Did the contemplated space of this work permit, I could show that this matter of temperamental organiza- tion of the horse potentially affects the entire animal, — even every minute point of the physical structure, and each separate part and function of the body. If the temperament be an active, lively one, then will the bones be fine in their texture, ivory-like, and lasting. The muscles, also, will be influenced, and become wiry, com- pact, and elastic as spiral wire. If the temperament, on the other hand, be sluggish, heavy, lymphatic, the bones will be spongy and porous in their structure, the muscles flaccid and coarse, and the nervous organization low, dull, and inoperant. I am well aware that size, all else being equal, is a true gauge of power ; but let it never be forgotten by the breeder and purchaser of the horse, that " all else " is not equal. Size alone is no measure of power ; for all can see, even with the most I HOW TO KNOW HEM. 9 casual examination of the subject, that the slightest alteration in temperament makes a corresponding altera- tion in the power and efficiency of every individual part. A horse does not draw by virtue of his weight, nor in proportion to his size. The public scales and the measuring-tape can never assure us how much a horse can draw, or how many miles he can pull a wagon and its owner in a day. Muscular action and nerve-force must be considered ; and these are both closely allied to, and dependent on, the temperament of the animal. The well-bred horse, inch for inch, and pound for pound, is far stronger than the dray-horse ; and old Justin Morgan, the founder of the most wonderful family of horses (all things being considered) this or any country ever saw, could draw logs that horses of twelve and thirteen hundred pounds could not even start, albeit he weighed only about nine hundred pounds, and stood barely fourteen and a half hands high. It is the amount of vital force, that at the end of a stick of timber, or a weary day's journey on a heavy road, tells the story. Having ascertained the temperament of a horse (that is, the inner characteristics of his nature and being), let us now examine the outward conformation, and those physical marks which meet the eye of the buyer. What is that /orm, and what should be the shape and relation, one with another, of the several parts of the body, in order to secure in the highest degree the things most to be desired in a horse ? Let us begin, then, to pass in 10 ' THE PERFECT HOESB. review those points or cJiaracteristic marlcs of a horse which assist the judgment in forming a correct estimate of his real worth. And, first of all, let us carefully consider THE HEAD. The head is the glory of the horse, as it is of man. Through it the vital forces look out upon the scene of their exercise and their triumph. The passions and emotions use it as their interpreter ; and every mood and feeling run to it for advertisement. If a man's soul, as it has been claimed, can be judged by his face, a horse may be known by his head. Granted a certain confor- mation, and you will have viciousness ; granted another, and you have amiability. Next to the human face, the countenance of a horse is most expressive of the quali- ties within, and the most beautiful form of animal life. How grave, how cheerful, how amiable, how vicious, how playful, how positive and determined, the counte- nance of the horse can become ! What brightness and vivacity, what majesty and courage, what energy and terrible power, the look and countenance of the horse are capable of expressing ! No wonder that it has always been a favorite subject for the brush of the artist and the chisel of the sculptor, and deemed worthy by the inspired writers to adorn the poetry of the Bible. The first thing for you to consider, reader, when examining a horse in judgment, is his head. First of all, get a good front view : observe the distance be- HOW TO KNOW HIM. 11 tween the ears, the length and curvature of the same, the space lying between them and the eyes, the eyes themselves, the cheek-bones, the muzzle, the nostrils and lips. Then step to one side, and scan the head in pro- file. Observe the way it is joined to the neck ; its bal- ance and pose, the conformation of the jowls, the nose- line, and the make-up of the lower jaw and lip. Do all this before you have even given a glance at the body ; for by the study of the s7^ffj;e of the head and the look of the face, beyond any thing else, will you be able to decide touching the temperament of the animal, which, as I have shown, dominates for good or ill over the entire organization. If you wish to decide whether a man is a kind husband, a good father and courteous neighbor, honest and industrious, cheerful and happy, a delight to all his friends, and a useful member of society, look at his head, and not at his body. It is the head and face that reveal to us the character and relation of those nervous and vital forces which really represent the man, and not his legs or chest, or bone and muscular structure. So it is with the horse. He, too, is an animal of high organi- zation, endowed with a large degree of intelligence, capable of forming strong and enduring attachments, subject to moods and tempers, and distinguished by the quickness and strength of his impulses. The right or wrong adjustment of these forces represents his value, and gauges the degree of his worth or worthlessness. The bones and muscles are mere servants of these high 12 THE PERFECT HORSE. and efficient forces, and used by them at will as a slave is directed by his master to serve or kill his guest. Never can a man be a good judge of a horse so long as he looks upon him as an animal of low organization, composed merely of bones, muscles, fibre, and flesh, and represented by these. Such a view of swine is correct ; but such a view of horses is most erroneous : and yet many buyers who deem themselves in every way com- petent to select good horses, and plume themselves on their ability to "buy close," never look farther into the organization of a horse than to examine his legs, feet, shoulders, quarters, and muscles, — the mere material and loiuer part of the animal ; while the qualities which really in flict represent the liorse^ and decide his com- parative value, are taken for granted. I select the following description of the head of a perfect horse from a little volume written by James C. L. Carson, M.D., of Coleraine, Ireland, published in 1859 (a little book, by the way, from which many compilers of books on the horse have copied about all the sense there was in their works, without giving him the credit of it), because I would like to bring this book into notice, and because the description harmonizes, point by point, with my own ideas of a perfect head. He says, — " The head of every horse should be as small as would be in keeping with the rest of his body. A large, coarse head is a defect, in every person's eye ; and it has no advantages to counterbalance its deformity. HOW TO KNOW HIM. 13 The muzzle should be fine, and of a moderate length; the mouth invariably deep for receiving and retaining the bit ; and the lips rather thin, and firmly compressed. A fine, tight lip is a pretty sure indication of an active temperament, and consequently affords a measure of the energy and durability of the animal. Horses with short, thick, flabby lips, lying wide apart, are prover- bial for sluggishness. The nostrils should be large, so as to be capable, Avhen open, of allowing the air to have free access to the lungs. In conformity with the uniform condition of the Creator's works, it will be found that there is a direct relation between the de- velopment of the nostrils and the capacity of the lungs for air. Hence arises' the necessity of observing the size of the nostrils. Capacious lungs would be of no use if the orifice which connects them with the exter- nal atmosphere were so contracted that they could not get properly filled. The race-horse must have very wide and dilatable nostrils to admit a large volume of air, with the utmost freedom and greatest speed, into his widely and rapidly distended lungs ; but the horse of slow work can take more time in his breathing, and consequently does not require such a very large nostril as the racer, hunter, or steeple-chaser. Care must always be taken, recollect, not to confound a naturally well-developed nostril with one which looks large in consequence of having been kept in a state of perma- nent distention by disease of the lungs or air-passages. The muzzle ought to be fine a good way up ; and then 14 THE PERFECT HORSE. the parts should enlarge suddenly, in order to give plenty of breadth to the under-jaw, as well as thickness from side to side. This is a point of great beauty, as it gives breadth to the jaw-blade, and breadth from eye to eye, whilst the fineness of the head generally is maintained. A head that is narrow between the eyes, and narrow on the side of the jaw, is painfully disagree- able to the eye of every judge. The space between the two blades of the under-jaw ought to be so broad and so deep as to freely admit the lower edge of the neck when the chin is reined in towards the counter ; but it should not be. wider than this, as it would then appear coarse. If there is sufficient room in this locality, the horse can be reined up to the proper pitch without stopping up his windpipe. The face^ on a side-view, should be dipped in the centre between the ej^es and the nose. This is generally the case in the Arabian and Engligh blood-horse ; and it is a much more beautiful formation than either the straight or convex profile. However ornamentalit may be to the human face, a Roman nose certainly does not improve the appearance of the horse. The line of beauty in the one case is very different from the other. A dish-faced horse is admired on all hands ; but a pug-nosed man, with a pro- jecting, upturned chin, will have some difficulty in car- rying off the prize for beauty. The face must be very broad between the eyes ; but it should taper a little as it approaches the ears. If the breadth is carried all the way upwards, the top of the head will be too wide, the HOW TO KNOW HIM. 15 ears ill set, and tlie horse probably sulky. Now, in re- spect to the head, it also should be examined in detail, for in it are distinct organs having distinct uses, and each contributing its share to the proper understanding of the animal to which they belong, and to which they serve. But, of all these organs, perhaps the eye is the most expressive and characteristic of them all. Through it, in all the different phases of animation and repose, we most directly behold the mind of the horse, and the character of that disposition, the various moods of which are revealed through the eye. And this will not appear strange, that, both by its location and office- work, it is in close and direct communication with the brain. It might well be called the window, through which we can look, and behold the activities going on within, and which would be forever hidden from us were this friendly window darkened. The eye of the horse should be kindly, bold, full of suggestions of la- tent heat and fervor, but spread over all a mild and gentle look. I do not favor myself an eye ringed with white, for this suggests timidity or mischief; although I have known subjects in which this eye was seen, and the animal was at the same time entirely free from fault. Still, in the main, I hold that this judgment is correct, uttered by one wise in horse-craft, that ' a horse which is always looking back so far as to expose the white of the eye is generally on the alert for mischief, and is not to be trusted with his heels.' " As to the size of the eye, I suppose that eyes are 16 THE PERFECT HORSE. nearly of the same measurement in all horses ; but the apparent size differs widely in different cases, and this difference springs from two causes as we understand it : first, whether the eye is set well forward or back- ward as to its position in the socket ; and, in the second place, to the thinness and openness of the eyelids, or the reverse. The eye should set well out, yet not so far as to be exposed to outward injury. I think too little at- tention is paid to the color of the eye, because from this, as we think, can be judged the character of the temper. A little observation on the part of the reader will substantiate this, or prove us to be in error. As to the EARS, I would observe that they should be thin, not over lengthy, free from long hairs, curved a little inward at the point, and full of vein-tracery. They should be rather close together at the base, strongly set on, quick and lively in movement, and covered with fine, short hair. You will never find an indolent, sluggish, heavy- movins: horse blessed with such ears. I think also, but to a less degree, the color of the hair should be considered. I do not think that color is a mere matter of taste, as some assert. We know that the color of a man's skin does assist one in forming a correct judgment as to his temperament. We know that the florid complexion denotes the san- guine temperament ; that with the darker skin we as- sociate the bilious temperament; and the chalky hue HOW TO KNOW HIM. - 17 points to the lymphatic. Why should this not hold true in relation to the horse ? We believe it does. Other things being equal, I should not select a sorrel horse, nor a white-haired horse, nor a jet-black. I do not regard these as liarchj colors. I should prefer rather the rich chestnut, the deep blood-bay, or a handsome brown. The former colors suggest scrofulous constitu- tions and imperfect blood-conditions ; while the latter point to fineness of bone-texture, and perfection of the venous system. The portion of the head lying between the eyes and the ears is worthy of the closest possible attention ; for it is the section occupied by the brain itself, — th^ seat of all intelligence, docility, and motive-power. This section of the head can scarcely be too full. I would never breed a mare to a stallion deficient at this point of his structure. I want no colts from a sire with a flat forehead ; for such a horse is a savage, sulky, detestable brute. To start with, he will have no memory : he will forget to-morrow what you taught him to-day. Even if he wished to remember it, he could not ; for he is incapable. To a bad memory must be added a bad disposition. He is sour, cross and crabbed, tricky and malignant. His cunning is not playful, but mean ; and his tricks are tricks of cruelty. No one ever saw a horse, with such formation of front, tractable and trusty. But if, on the other hand, you meet a horse with a bold, prominent forehead, a noble fulness at that point where the brain is lodged, you will find him to be of a docile 18 THE PERFECT HORSE. and silky disposition. You can teach him any thing ; and, when once taught, he will rarely if ever forget. Indeed, his great intelligence suggests to his owner a caution : Never teach him to do any thing that you do not desire him to do always and at all times; for what- ever he has once acquired you can only with great difficulty eradicate. I do not wish to be understood as saying that every horse with a fine brain development is gentle ; for he may have been trained under a system so essentially vicious, that no natural amiability could withstand its savage friction : but this I do wish to be understood as saying, — that every horse with this full and fine brain development is by nature courageous, docile, and loving ; and that, if they ever become other- wise, it is owing to the vicious management of those who have them in charge. THE NECK is the next portion of the horse to be considered. Nor do I think that sufficient attention is paid by would-be horsemen to it. It is evident that much of the beauty of the horse is associated with the neck. If it is too thick, or too straight, or too much arched and drawn back, the entire appearance of the animal is changed and marred. It is also to the shape of the neck that we look for traces and proof of the animal's breeding. According to its length, moreover, is he easy to the hand in driving, and safe in saddle-work. In the first place, the head and neck must have a certain adjust- HOW TO e:now hevi. 19 ment ; and this must be of such a character as to cause the nose to project forward, and out of the Hue of the perpendicular: still the projection must not be too positive, else the horse will be what is called "a star- gazer." Such an animal not only has a vicious appear- ance, but is difficult to manage, and is actually unsafe ; because the bit, which should keep a safe purchase on the lower jaw, will be drawn up into the angles of his mouth, so that the reins have little or no control over his course, and he can go how and whither he pleases. Concerning the length and thickness of the neck I have this to observe; viz., the same neck is not desii'a-- ble in every horse, but should vary somewhat according to the service to which it is to be put. For speed the neck cannot be too light, provided that it allow sufB.- cient room for the passage of wind and food. All weight carried here is dead-weight ; that is, weight that does not help propel the horse, and should, consequent- ly, be bred away. The model neck, in this respect, is found in the thorough-bred English racer ; and to this pattern the American breeder should strive to bring the neck of the trotting-horse. The Morrill neck, the Ham- bletonian neck, the French or Canadian neck, and, for the most part, the average neck of the American trot- ting stallion, is by far too gross and heavy either for beauty or for speed. But observe at this point, that, while the large neck is disadvantageous for a horse kept for speed, in the case of the harness-horse and carter, thickness of neck at the base, where it enters the shoul- 20 THE PERFECT HORSE. der, is both desirable, and actually essential. This cau- tion should always be kept in mind, that both length and lightness must not be pushed in breeding to an ex- treme, for fear that, in so doing, constitutional weakness would be the result. The centre of the neck should be decidedly thicker than either the upper or nether edge, and grow in tliickness as it approaches the shoulder ; for this thick- ness at the centre of the neck is suggestive of muscle. At the other end (viz., at the jowls) the neck can hardly be too thin. In formation along the upper edge, the neck should rise from the withers in a free and noble curvature, which, connected with the desirable length, will insure beauty of appearance when being ridden or driven, and a mouth easy to the hand. Nor is this length and curvature of the neck a mere matter of beauty, and easy subjection to the driver's will; but more yet is it desirable, because this formation is alone con- sistent with that true balancing of the body on the legs by which gracefulness of motion, and freedom from stumbling, are secured. We now come, in our analysis and description of a perfect horse, to what, perhaps, stands second only in importance to the brain; viz., THE CHEST. The reason why this portion of the horse is so impor- tant, and the accurate understanding of it so desirable, to the breeder and purchaser, arises from several causes. HOW TO KNOW HTM. 21 And, first, because it is the home of the heart. The heart, please remember, is the centre of the entire blood- system of the body. By the blood which it circulates alone can the structure be nourished and sustained in vigor and health day by day. By it, also, alone can the effete substance which is constantly accumulating in the system, as the result of every motion the animal makes, be collected, and discharged from the system. It is to the heart, therefore, you see, that we are indebted for whatever needed element is added to the system, and whatever unneeded and harmful element is removed therefrom. Heart-health means muscular health, bone health, universal health. Heart-disease means weakness of the muscles, unreliable bone substance, and a more or less impairment of the entire system. Whatever con- cerns the heart, therefore, and whatever affects it, direct- ly or indirectly, for good or ill, is worthy of the closest attention. Especially the chest, — in which the heart is lodged, by which it is protected, and which either cramps it, or allows it the needed liberty of action, — as it is properly or improperly formed, challenges our inspection. In the second place, the reason why the chest of the horse is worthy of the horseman's most careful study is because it is the cavity in which Nature has located the lungs. I shall, in another portion of this work, treat more fully of the use and condition of the lungs. But this much I will observe at this point : the blood which is circulated by the heart can be vitalized and X 22 THE PERFECT HOESE. purified only by coming in contact, in passing through the lungs, with atmospheric air. When quiet, the blood in an animal's body moves through the circulating chan- nels slowly, and respiration is performed easily : but in exertion the circulation is quickened ; the blood is pumped in and shot out of the heart with great rapidity ; the breathing becomes labored, and a fearful pressure is put upon the lung substance ; the multitudinous air-cells are dilated, and exposed to a strain which nothing but the strongest possible texture can withstand. In addition to this, the reader must bear in mind that the blood that is brought back to the heart after having gone the rounds of the system is in an impure condition, and can only be purified by the oxygen taken with every breath into the lungs ; so that the lungs and heart work, as it were, in unison, and are mutually dependent one upon the other. Every ounce of blood circulated by the heart must re- ceive a certain amount of air from the air-cells of, the lungs ; and, as the rapidity of the circulation is gauged by the degree of exertion put forth, it follows that the capacity of the heart and lungs decides, in a great meas- ure, the amount of exertion which the horse can put forth. To illustrate : The faster he goes, the greater the number of heart-beats and the amount of air required ; so that the capacity of the heart and lungs really decides (the proper temperament and muscular strength being grant- ed) the speed of the horse. Hence the necessity of paying special attention to the shape and size of the chest, in which the heart and lungs are placed. HOW TO KNOW HIM. 23 I am not writing a minute anatomical description of the cliest ; and I need only say that it is bounded on the front by the neck, on either side by the shoulder-blades and the ribs, underneath by the breast-bone, above by the spine, and in the rear by the diaphragm, which acts as a division between it and the intestines. Draw a line from the hindermost point of your saddle until it touches the back-side of the girths, near the breast-bone, and you see with sufficient accuracy the position of the dia- phragm. It is a large sheet of muscular tissue, reaching from side to side in such a way as to completely divide the power separating it into two great cavities. It is pliable in texture, and, when moved backward or for- ward, lessens or enlarges either of the cavities between which it is drawn. The front one of these two cavities is occupied almost entirely by the heart and lungs. Here they dwell almost alone in the home which Nature has provided for them, and which they monopolize. The heart is small in size, and alters little, whether in repose or action, sickness or health. Not so with the lungs: they expand and shrink with every breath. In their substance they are highly elastic, and capable of being enormously distended ; and each distention is followed with a commensurate collapse. To accommodate this mighty expansion, which results from every aspiration made by a horse when in violent action. Nature has made a wonderful provision. When the aspiration begins, the arch made by the ribs is elevated, and the diaphragm is drawn back, in order that the cavity between them 24 THE PERFECT HOESE. may be enlarged to accommodate the expansion of the lungs. When the ribs are lifted, and the diaphragm drawn back, the lungs swell out, being inflated, and fill the enlarged chest ; and the air rushing into the air-cells of the lungs, and then coming in contact with the impure blood waiting to receive it, purifies it, and is then dis- charged through the windpipe, from the nostrils. The lungs are thus reduced to their former size, and the chest shrinks to its normal proportion. This is the process of breathing ; and upon its proper performance depend the health and usefulness of the horse. An old horseman has well expressed it thus : " Wind," says he, "is the grand secret of a fast horse. Good' lungs will cover a multitude of faults ; whilst, on the other hand, perfection of shape and form are useless when the wind is out." The chest, therefore, in all cases, should be large and capacious. In shape it may vary somewhat, according to the service to which the horse is to be put. If lie is < kept for slow work and heavy drawing, the chest may be nearly circular in form, because this shape is the one for strength and bulk, to receive and bear up against the pressure of the collar ; while, at the same time, sufficient room is secured for that expansion of the lungs caused by slow and regular work. But, if the chest is circular, let it be at the same time deep, or else the lungs may be cramped. A horse with a shallow chest is worthless for any purpose. The rule, then, is this : For a draft-horse, a circular but deep chest ; but as you pass through the HOW TO KNOW HEM. 25 different degrees of speed, up to the racer and trot- ter, tlie cliest must increase in depth compared to its roundness, until, for the highest rate of speed, you must have a chest as deep as a greyhound, and, at the same time, not lacking in breadth. Every breeder should keep this rule in mind when selecting his brood-mares and stallion; for he may be sure that shallow-chested parents never beget deep-chested colts. In order to illustrate the faultiness of the circular chest, an inge- nious writer has put it thus : — " Take, for example," he says, " a piece of pasteboard, and form it into a cylinder about six inches in length, and two inches in diameter; leaving it open at both ends, so that it can be compressed equally from end to end. Place one end on a table, and compress two of its sides until the cavity assumes a perfectly oval or elliptical form, and then fill it accurately with fine shot. When it is nicely filled and levelled on the top, re- move the pressure from the sides, so that the pasteboard may again form a perfect cylinder ; and it will be found that the shot is not nearly sufficient to fill the cavity. Now, as the quantity of pasteboard remains exactly the same during the entire experiment, it is quite plain the change of capacity is owing solely to the change of form. " Let us suppose, then, that a horse has a perfectly circular chest ; and it will follow, as a necessary conse- quence, that the elevation of the ribs on the side, in place of increasing its capacity, will actually lessen it, 26 THE PERFECT HORSE. by bringing it more or less into the elliptical form. In this case the cavity of the chest would be larger when the breathing would be suspended than at any other time, because its original shape was such as not to ad- mit of an increase of size by any change of form. The farther it would be changed from the cylinder, the smaller it would become. But if, in the first instance, the chest were a great deal deeper than broad, the ele- vation of the ribs on th^ side would just serve to bring it into the circular shape, which is the most capacious of all. Hence it must be evident that depth of chest is indispensable in all cases. "As the lungs of the horse occupy a much. larger space when he is in active exercise than when he is at rest, we are justified in concluding that he requires to have the power of increasing the size of his chest in proportion as he is called upon to increase his speed. Contrary to the popular opinion, the chest must, to a certain extent, be flattened on the sides, in order that it may be capable of being changed from the elliptical into the circular form. The horse for very slow work may have his chest approaching the circle, because the trifling elevation of rib which is required by his quiet mode of breathing will only be sufiicient to complete the circular shape. Whilst he may do with this kind of chest, it cannot, however, be considered advanta- geous, as a greater power of wind might often be of decided service to him, and could never be injurious. The depth of the chest, when compared with its width, HOW TO KNOW HIM. 27 must invariably increase in direct proportion to the in- crease of speed and distance required of the animal. In the steeple-chaser or the flat-racer it should be of enormous depth, in order that the elevation of the ribs may assist in forming a capacious circle, for the purpose of accommodating the rapidly and frequently distended lungs during the trying period of the race. In such cases a round chest would be of no use, as the wind would be completely pumped .out of the horse before he had gone half the requisite distance." — Carson on the Horse. The best form the chest can possibly take in a horse used for speed is the following : It should be wide above, moderately so below (near the breast - bone), and slightly flattened, but very deep, along the sides. Such a shape to the chest will enable him to trot his mile in 2.20, and be free from pain at the close of the decisive heat. I might pursue these remarks much farther ; for the subject is profoundly interesting to the student of the horse, and I have by no means exhausted it : but my space is limited ; and perhaps enough has been said to give the reader, and young purchaser and breeder, the main, essential points most worthy of attention. But, before I pass to another section, I caution all would-be breeders of fast and enduring horses, Avhether for the racing or trotting course, as also all on the lookout for a fast horse for their private use, to remember that that portion of the horse where Nature has placed the heart 28 THE PERFECT HOKSE. and lungs sliould receive at their hands the closest inspection: for a merely circular chest, or a narrow, pinched, and shallow chest, does not give heart and lung room enouc^h ; and without this there can be no his'h prolonged rate of speed. After the head, neck, and chest have been duly in- spected, and their excellences or defects remarked, the buyer should turn his attention to the BONES, in order to ascertain whether they supply the animal with the needed upholding and supporting power, not merely when at rest or in easy action, but when, in his high flights of speed, he delivers his strokes with the energy of a locomotive. For when a horse, weighmg, perhaps, eleven hundred pounds, comes rushing down the course, the shock to his bone structure, as represent- ed by his legs, is something beyond our power to realize ; and how such a small column of bone as the canon-bone, for instance, can sustain the blow, I have never been able to comprehend. The first point for the student of the horse to bear in mind is, that the size of a bone does not give the true measure of its strength, but rather the size and texture both. The leg-bone of a thorough-bred horse, as all know, is much smaller in size than the leg-bone of the cart-horse ; but, at the same time, it is many times stronger. The reason of this is, that, in the one case, the bone is coarse and porous in its texture; while in HOW TO KNOW HDI. 29 the otlier it is fine, dense, and compact. A section from tlie canon-bone of a low-bred cart-horse, after being exposed to the action of the atmosphere, is seen to be, when held up between the eye and the sun, spongy, porous, and full of holes : while a section from the canon-bone of a thorough-bred horse is solid and hard as ivory ; so much so, indeed, that it Avill take a polish like a piano-key. This flict reveals the whole story, and prevents all future blundering. Of course, a certain size is requisite ; but . all above the absolutely needed amount is only unnecessary weight, which, without giv- ing any assistance to the animal, he is compelled to carry along. Now, when you reflect that the differ- ence of even ten pounds in the weight of two drivers will lose the heavier driver's horse the race, albeit he is in every respect equal to his rival, you will readily per- ceive how important, when we come to the matter of speed, this point of bone-weight is : for it is as bad to weight the horse in the limbs and neck as it is in the sulky ; nay, worse ; for it exhausts the horse more to carry ten pounds of lead, we will say, fastened to his legs, or tied around his neck, than to draw it on wheels. I advocate, therefore, the breeding of colts with as shm neck as is consistent with constitutional endurance, and with as small limbs as comports with strength ; for this reason, if for none other, — because every ounce of un- necessary bone substance and flesh about the neck is so much dead-weight for the horse to carry. But beyond this is the question of beauty, which, none will deny, 30 THE PERFECT HORSE. points directly to fine-bred limbs, neck, and head. I urge all my readers to remember this also, — that no one can be a good judge of the horse, no matter what his pretensions are, unless he is perfectly familiar with the size, length, and proper position of every bone in the skeleton: for they are the props and levers of the entire structure; and on their shape, length, position, and texture, the capacity of the animal for any allotted service depends. I will now ask joiiv attention to the SHOULDER. There is no one type of shoulder, either as to its bone and muscular structure or its length and position, which may be called the perfect shoulder ; because, be- yond almost any other part of the horse, the shoulder is to be considered in relation to the service required of him. Hence it becomes necessary for one to make him- self acquainted with the several kinds of shoulder; each of which, in their way, is the perfect shoulder for the work to which it is adapted. This prime fact is often overlooked by the purchaser and breeder in his selection of horses and brood-mares ; and hence the more need of some remarks, at this point, upon it. A draught-horse requires such a construction of the shoulders as to offer a fine and abundant resistance to the collar, and so shaped as to fit it evenly ; thus dis- tributing the pressure over the entire surface, with weight enough to assist the hind-quarters in moving the enormous loads which the animal is often called HOW TO KNOW HEVI. 31 upon to draw. To meet these several wants, Nature, whose results are always such as the highest reason would suggest, builds an upright, thick, and heavy shoulder formation, so rounded and filled out with mus- cles, flesh, and fibre, that the pressure is not borne by that point where it begins when the horse "settles into the collar," but is carried up and over the entire resist- ing surface. This, to a heavy draught-horse, is a "per- fect shoulder ; " and no amount of excellence in the other parts of the animal's organization can make good any variation from this construction of the shoulders. Such a horse will be a "great puller," but heavy and slow of movement, and utterly incapable of speed beyond a kind of ox-like trot. For the purposes of lighter draught the shoulders should be lighter, less circular, and more oblique, with a decidedly higher wither; for this variation in the shoulder formation will qualify him to do moderately heavy work, and at the same time enable him to move more lightly and quickly. This modified draught-horse is the one for general farm-work, and family-service on the road. The old Morgan type of shoulder formation — such as Justin Morgan had, for instance — is the best possible form for such service, and which, in connection with the other excellent qualities he possessed, made that horse able to move a heavier dead-Aveight than any other horse of his size of which we have any record. The horse destined for the saddle and carnage service should, on the other hand, have an altogether different 32 THE PERFECT HORSE. formation. The shoulders should be quite oblique, and the withers high. This height of the withers is essential, because this conformation assists the horse in lifting his fore-quarters over impediments he may meet in his course in road or field. No horse with high withers, if other- wise well made, ever stumbles, or trips even. His action will be high and safe. The obliquity (slojoe) of the shoulders adds to his capacity to stride, and also to the rider's or driver's ease. In the case of the rider, the saddle-seat is thrown back far enough from the fore- shoulders to insure pliancy, and to escape the jolt, which, if seated farther forward, he would be sure to receive. When a horse with low withers stumbles, the rider is thrown forward so that the line of weight is ahead of the fore-legs ; in which case it is next to impossible for him to recover his horse. There are other reasons why the oblique shoulder and high withers are to be preferred; but those already mentioned are sufficient to suggest to the purchaser and breeder what conformation of the shoulders is most desirable. The law, therefore, is, that in the case of roadsters and saddle-horses, or gentlemen's driving-horses as the phrase is, the withers should be thin and high, and the shoulders very oblique. But in the case of the horse to be bought and kept solely for his speed, or where the breeder is anxious to breed a 2.20 colt, speed being the sole thing aimed at, I should hreed doiun the withers decidedly ; because, in order to insure the highest rate of speed, it is essential that the horse should go close to the ground, — "go low," as the saying HOW TO KNOW HIM. 33 is ; and this no horse with high withers can do. The point is this, — that a low-going horse loses less time in his stride than a high-going one ; and this fractional varia- tion, however minute, counts in a race where the horse is timed to, and can only hope to beat his competitor by, the fraction of a second. Hence many horsemen of close observation prefer a horse whose rump is quite as high as the withers, if not a little higher ; and I confess to an agreement with them in the matter. But however men may differ upon this point, still I think all will agree in this, — that it is most unwise, in selecting a horse solely for speed, to choose one higher forward than Ijehind. Such a horse can never win a race, where, in other respects, his rival is his equal. Be this, moreover, observed, that it is exceedingly easy for one to misjudge touching the length and obhquity of the shoulders ; and this is done in five cases out of ten when you base your decision on the appearance of the withers and upper portion of the shoulder. The height of a horse's withers is not a true index of the position or length of the shoulder-blades, or of the depth of his chest. Many horses with high, thin withers, and appar- ently sloping shoulders and deep chest, have, in fact, very upright shoulders, and too little chest-room to accommo- date the heart and lungs ; while, on the other hand, many horses with low withers and apparently circular shoulders have the best possible shoulder conformation for wind and speed. This is the case especially with some of the French or Canadian trotters, and with the whole Morgan 34 THE PERFECT HORSE. family, which, in our opinion, have produced more rapid trotters, all things being considered, than any other branch of the American trotting family. And in proof of this, although the data gathered are not by any means complete, and do not show the family to the best ad- vantage of which it is capable, I would refer the reader to that section of this volume in which I discuss the Morgan family at length. There are two bones which in the skeleton represent the shoulder, and which are of such importance as to deserve prominent mention ; the uppermost of which is called the scapula. This bone, beginning at the edge of the withers, runs downward until it makes an angle with the next succeeding bone (the liumerus)^ near the front- breast. Tavo points in reference to it should be especially noted : first, it cannot be too long for the purposes of speed ; secondly, its upper extremity should lie in as close as possible to the ribs and spine. The scapula is a wide, flat bone embedded in a great mass of muscles, and so protected by Nature as to be almost invulnerable to any shock or wrench. In ninety-nine cases in a hundred, " shoulder lameness " is in reality a lameness in the foot or lower bones of the leg, no matter what the " horse- doctor" of the neighborhood may say. I have never seen an instance of hond-Jide shoulder lameness; al- though I have seen scores of horses being treated for that complaint. As a peculiarity of construction, and as evidence of that supreme wisdom with which God through Nature acts, it should be noted that the shoul- HOW TO KNOW HIM. 85 der-blade is not connected to the framework of the body, as all other bones are, by the cartilages or joints, but is attached to it by means of muscular substance only. It is literally slung or wrapped up and held by a mass of muscle. This is the reason why it is so difficult for any jar or wrench to hurt it. The upper edges of the scapula cannot, by any pressure or blow, be driven up against any other bone (the spinal column or ribs), unless by a blow that should literally drive it out through the skin, and tear it from the body. By this arrangement, Nature has amply provided both for its own protection, and also for the ease of the rider, in that the shock of the gallop or jump is thereby reduced to a minimum. A writer has well said, " If the smith were aware of this fact, he would not trace to the shoulder, as he is apt to do, one-half the diseases that are located in the foot and leg. By referring the lameness to the shoulder, he can account easily to the owner of the horse for the result of his bad shoeing." Precisely. Of the second bone in the shoulder — viz., the hume- rus — it is not necessary for me to speak, save to say that it should be of good length, and well slanted upward toward the scapula. Nothing remains, therefore, for me to mention, in connection with the shoulders, but the muscles. These — by which I mean all connected with the shoulder — cannot be too large or powerful, no matter to what use the horse may be destined. Every ounce of strength here tells. I like to see a shoulder packed in 36 THE PEEFECT HORSE. and laid over with great layers and masses of muscle ; none the worse, but all the better, if they reach up as if they would overlap even the withers. What we want in this locality of the animal's frame is substance^ quan- tity. Some admire thin shoulders : not I. Such shoulders look best when you start on a long drive : they don't look so well after you have made sixty miles, with ten more still to make. Light fore-quarters mean weak fore-quarters. A horse has to lift himself every step he takes, remember : and this is hard work when continued for hours, mile after mile ; and nothing less than a splendid muscular development about the shoulder will enable him to do it. But be sure in your inspection that the thick, strong look of the shoulder formation is owing to the presence of muscle, and not to the fact, as is often the case, that the shoulder-blades are set loosely on to the frame, and wide apart. This is a vicious conformation for a horse, and a sure evidence of weakness in the fore-quarters, from which no diet, or care on the part of the owner, can ever deliver him. Run your fingers under the upper point of the scapula., and see if it is set close in to the spinal column and ribs : if it is, and the horse still "looks thick" through the shoulders, buy him ; if not, look farther. We will now proceed to the examination of the fore- leg ; and in this fore-leg are two bones to which I wish to call especial attention, — the fore-arm, or radius, as it is sometimes called, and the large metacarpal or canon bone, as it is popularly named. Lying between these, at HOW TO e:now Hm. 37 the junction of the knee, are the three carpal-bones, of which we need not speak. In reference to the fore-arm we observe, that it can scarcely be too long, or too heavily clothed upon with''/nuscles ; for all the muscles which move the leg and foot are located here. Now, please remember that the muscles are the only moving power in the animal, and that all the muscles to lift and extend the foot and leg are placed along this fore-arm, and you will at once conclude that the size and fashion of the fore-arm is a matter of the utmost importance. No strength of shoulder can make good a defective de- velopment of those muscles wrapped around the radius ; because the strength above cannot make good the lack of strength below. Mr. Youatt well says, that, " whatever other good points the animal may possess, if the arm is narrow in front and near the shoulder, flat on the side, and altogether deficient in muscular appear- ance, that horse is radically defective. He can neither raise his knee for rapid action, nor throw his leg suffi- ciently forward." The arm should be large at the point of union with the body ; taking a strong hold, as it were, of the trunk, in order to give a sufficient basis for the attachment of muscles. On the back part of the top of the arm, where it joins the body, is a projection of bone, called the elbow. Without explaining the reason why, — be- cause it would requke an examination of mechanical principles not within the province of this book, — I would say, that it is of the greatest importance that 38 THE PERFECT HORSE. this projection should be broad and strong, and reach- ing well back from the front of the arm. If you will examine closely the fore-arm of a horse, you will observe that in it are three masses of muscles, the location and use of which are as follows : One is placed on the outer edge of the fore-arm, in front ; the second lies directly behind it : and these are employed to extend and bend the limb. The third lies inside of the fore-arm, near the junction of the leg and chest. The office which this muscle fulfils is this : When the horse is in motion, it confines the arm to the side', keeps it in a straight line, and makes it impossible for the heavy pressure from above to separate the legs too widely. You see that all of these muscles are of the supremest importance ; for in them is held the power of carrying forward the whole machine safely and swiftly. Their duty is labo- rious. Nor can they shirk it: no other muscles can do their work. A weak fore-arm, therefore, is a sad and fatal defect in a horse of whom any severe work is required. Of these three muscles, the first two must be both strong and long. The stronger these muscles, the greater the endurance of the horse ; the longer they are, the greater his length of stride. This is a law, a disre- gard of which in purchasing or breeding will bring its own penalty. Of the canon-bone, or leg, this should be said : It should be short, — the shorter the better : for, if it be short, the fore-arm above it is likely to be long ; which is a great desideratum in speed. In size it should be HOW TO KNOW HEM. 39 small, but of dense and compact substance, smooth and solid as ivory. I do not care how large the fore-arm is, nor how small the canon-bone is, unless it be so small as to amount to maleformation. Active, energetic, and hardy people are apt to have small wrists and ankles. The prize-fighter's arm and leg, when in his prime con- dition and he stands stripped in the ring, are wonderful for two things, — the apparent smallness of the wrist-bone and ankle-bone near the sockets, and the great mass of swelling muscles packed on above them ; and this is re- garded as the best conformation for agility and strength. Indeed, large bones are associated with, and found most frequently in, men and women of soft, flabby, and lymphatic constitutions. Especially does this hold true in the case of speed. The Indian runner is never a large-boned man. The deer, giraffe, and greyhound are small of limb. Why do men expect Nature to make an exception to this beautiful law in the case of the horse ? On what principle that will bear inspection can this dif- ference be argued ? " There are not many," says an Irish writer, " I imagine, who would admire the human leg with the thick end of it next the ground." But, if the canon-bone must not be of too great a size around it, it should be wide when viewed laterally, and thin when viewed from behind. A flat, compact leg- bone, devoid of flesh, with the tendons standing well out from the bone, terminating at the knee in a large flat joint, — this width at the knee-pan affords plenty of space for the attachment of the necessary Hgaments, and also 40 THE PEEFECT HORSE. gives a good opportunity for the sinews to run over -it. I do not care so much for the size of the bone as I do for the material of the neighboring parts. The sinews should be large, because a large sinew is always con- nected with a large muscle. Above all, it is desirable that they should be of such firm texture as to feel to the examining touch like so many distinct and closely- woven cords. If they are swathed in a soft, puffy material, and feel to the hand as if incased in fat, instead of being cordy and wire-like, you may well beware of them. To this may be added, that the sinews should be thrown out from the leg-bone ; be- cause if they do not, but are tied down closely to it by the ligaments which bind them to their place, they will be exposed to a dangerous friction and strain. Such a leg is a bad leg to have under any horse. I would here pause to observe, lest I should be mis- understood, that the reason why the leg of a cart-horse must be larger than the leg of a thorough-bred is not because the thorough-bred's would not answer if the cart-horse had it, but because the cart-horse does not have it : by which I mean, that, when you do not have fine bone texture, you must have size ; for sufficient strength to uphold the horse must, of course, be there in the one form or the other. And, since the leg-bone of the cart- horse is porous and spongy, it must be larger in bulk, in order to supply the needed amount of strength. The last portion of the fore-leg that I shall mention in detail is the ]pastern. A bad pastern is a great defect. HOW TO KNOW HEM. 41 It- should not only be strong, but placed in the proper position, and at the right angle of inclination. In the horse of slow work the pastern should be short, and nearly upright ; but, in the horse kept for speed, it should be long and well slanted, in order that it may be sufficiently elastic to relieve the .ends of the upright bones of the terrible concussion which would otherwise be given to them whenever the foot, while the horse is in rapid motion, is brought to the ground. A saddle-horse for instance, whose pasterns are short and nearly per- pendicular, will feel stiff and uncomfortable to his rider; while the jars and the jolts to which he is exposed by every step he takes will shortly induce disease in the feet, and bones of the leg. But the pasterns must not slope at too great an angle, as those of some animals do ; for then the weight of the horse falls so far back of the foot, that the bones do not help uphold the body, and the whole burden of support is put upon those tendons that run over the back-side of the ankle-joint. Such a formation will invariably and speedily lead to the straining and breaking-down of the back tendons. "If the pasterns are too long and too small in the hunter and steeple-chaser, they will not be able to sustain their weight in dropping from their leaps over fences ; but if they are tolerably long, very thick, and well slanted, they will have plenty of strength, combined with a suffi- cient degree of elasticity. An upright pastern, whether long or short, is highly objectionable in a horse for either saddle or harness ; and a weak one is, in all cases, un- pardonable." 42 THE PERFECT HOKSB. THE FORE-FEET. I do not propose to anticipate at this point what I shall have to say farther on in that division devoted to the construction of the feet, and the manner in which to shoe them. I will, therefore, now only speak of the outward conformation of the hoof The foot should neither be large nor small, but of a neat appearance, and medium size. I am no friend to the large, flat foot. I regard this formation as a very undesirable one. It suggests to me that the companion-bones of the skele- ton of which it is a part are likewise soft and porous. It is not the large, flat-footed man that can walk the farthest, or leap the highest; and the spry est and swift- est-footed animals of the world have small, upright, horny hoofs. The chamois, antelope, red deer, and wild horse, all have this formation of the feet. The mule has a hoof that many horsemen would call contracted / and yet who ever saw a mule lame in the foot ? My idea is, that a medium-sized and neatly-proportioned foot is as good a sign in the horse as in the man. A foot that is either exceedingly large, or quite small, is, to my mind, suggestive of disease in the internal structure of the foot. The great hue and cry about "a wide, open heel," is a humbug. The heels that never look that way are those of a Morgan or French horse, both of which are noted for foot-soundness. I do not remember that I have ever seen an unsound- foot under a Canadian horse ; and yet the hoof of the Canadian horse is invari- HOW TO KNOW HBI. 43 ably upright, nearly circular, mule-shaped. I commend these suggestions to those who are forever crying " con- tracted feet " against a horse, unless he has a foot large and flat as an old-fashioned frying-pan. Touching the shape of the foot, I would say, the hoof should be longer on its ground-surface than broad ; and the breadth should be greatest directly across its centre, lessening gradually both toward the heel and toe. Avoid a very high heel, and also a very low one. Either extreme is objectionable. The outer surface of the foot should be smooth, and of fine texture ; free from rings, depressions, or protru- berances. Brittle hoofs shun ; and select the fine- grained, tough-looking hoof The slant of the hoof on its ground-surface deserves close attention. The true and proper angle is about fifty degrees. If less than this, and the hoof is very deep at the heels, it is predisposed to contraction, and likely to become inflamed. If, on the other hand, the reverse is the case, the sole is likely to be too flat, the heels too much exposed ; and internal weakness 'follows. A low heel in connection with a very sloping pastern is to be especially avoided. The frog should be large, elastic, and healthy in appearance. It should not be allowed to become too dry ; nor, on the other hand, to be too spongy and soft. It is probably intended by Nature as a kind of elastic cushion, and should never be tampered with. Let it grow as large as Nature permits ; knowing well, that, in 44 THE PERFECT HOBSB. her adaptation of means to an end, the good old dame is wiser than a whole college of surgeons. For further remarks upon the subject of the feet, I refer the reader to the division of this book upon shoeing. We have now examined the structure of the fore-leg in detail ; but, before we part with it, let us contemplate the matter, for a moment, as a whole. When examined from the front, the space or distance between the fore- legs should be the same from the breast to the ground. A horse so constructed will rarely be a " speedy cutter " or a "brusher," or go any other way than in a clean, handsome, straight-forward manner. When viewed from the side, the leg should be, as nearly as possible, perpendicular. If it inclines backward very much, too much weight will be thrown in front of it ; while, if it be pointed out forward, the weight from above will fall too heavily upon the back tendons, and injuries be the result. I agree perfectly with Carson when he says, " The leg should drop perfectly straight from its junc- tion with the shoulder to the ground ; and the point of the toe should come as near as possible to a straight line under the point of the shoulder," The elbow, the location of which I have already de- scribed, should be examined; for it is by no means an insignificant member. The danger is, that it is likely to be pointed too far in or out. If turned in, it will chafe against the saddle-girths and belly-bands, and thus be a source of constant annoyance to the owner. It also compels a vicious knee-action, and to the turning- HOW TO KNOW HIM. 45 out of the toe when the horse is in motion, styled "paddUng." The horse with an elbow so placed will also be a "brusher;" that is, he will continually be striking the toe of one foot against the opposite ankle. When, on the other hand, the elbow is turned out, the toe is generally turned in ; which is a fault of construction far worse than the former one. Such a horse is neither speedy, nor safe to ride. I do not wish to be under- stood as saying that no horse with his toes turned in was ever speedy ; for such instances are seen every year on the road or track : but, in these cases, the turning-in of the toes was due to the peculiar way in which the hoof itself was set on, and not to the construction of the elbow. But, when the elbow is turned out, you will never find speed. In support of this opinion many high authorities could be quoted. As regards the knees, they should never be bent either forward or backward; although some defend a slight backward curve, as a sure sign that the horse Can never stumble, because, as they say, "he is so well back on his knees." For myself, if the leg must lose its exact perpendicular position, I should greatly prefer that it should incline forward rather than backward, because, by this backward inclination, the back muscles and sinews of the leg are all interfered with, and positively checked in their action ; while it is a fact of my own observation and experience, as it is of others of wider observation and larger experience than myself, that some of the very safest and fastest horses ever known have been 46 THE PERFECT HOESE. animals rather forward on their legs at the knees. Still the exact perpendicular is the true and desirable direc- tion for the leg. I feel that I cannot do better, in this connection, than to lay before the reader the opinion of one whose judg- ment I have already quoted upon another matter. He says, — "I think any person who takes the trouble of opening his eyes may see that the safety of the horse's knees depends chiefly on the slant of the shoulder and pastern^ together with the method in which the foot is brought into contact with the ground. On this last point I am at variance with popular opinion, which says that a horse, in order to be safe, requires to be a high-lifter. I look upon high-lifting as a very great fault. Just imagine a man walking down one of the thoroughfares of Lon- don or Dublin, and lifting his feet at every step half way to his knee! He would certainly gain a great deal of admu'ation at the expense of his corns, and perhaps the point of his nose. Now, where is the difference between a man and a horse, which should make such a difference in the mode of their progres- sion ? It is the laying-down of the foot which renders the animal safe. Of course, the foot should be raised sufficiently high to prevent the toe from coming into contact with the ground ; but this is very different from what is called high action. My objections are intended to apply entirely to those which are denominated high- steppers. I would avoid all such as much as the daisy- HOW TO KNOW HIM. 47 cutter. The medium course is tlie only safe one. If the horse lifts his foot clear of the road, and lays his heel first to the ground, he cannot fall ; as stumbling is usually occasioned by sticking the toe into the road, or striking it against a stone, just as the foot is being brought down into contact with the surface. A horse seldom, if ever, falls in the act of lifting his foot ; simply because, in that position, he has no weight depending upon it. He will fall only when he places the toe on the ground before the heel. Under these circumstances, a slight obstacle will bend the pastern forward ; and, as the weight of the body is now intended to be thrown on the limb, away he goes. Let the horse with a well-slanted shoulder and pastern throw his foot well forward, and then bring his heel first to the ground, and I will answer for his safety. He will also stand more work than the very high-stepper, whose peculiar action is certain to inflame his feet, as well as to pro- mote the development of a variety of diseases to which the fore-legs are liable. Of course, the observations I have made are applicable to shape and action alone, and have no reference to those cases where a fall is caused by the pressure of a sharp stone on a tender and diseased foot. It must be evident, a case of that sort is very different from one of ordinary tripping. The one is the result of disease ; the other, of development or form." — Carson on the Horse. We have now examined the head, neck, chest, shoul- ders, and fore-legs of a horse, and pointed out the 48 THE PERFECT HORSE. peculiar formation and characteristics wliicli should dis- tinguish them ; and I flatter myself that the reader who has followed me carefully is pretty well informed touch- ing these several parts of the organization. But several others still remain to be examined ; which we will now proceed to inspect. The next in order, if not in im- portance, is the BACK. The first thing to observe in judging of a horse, so far as his back is concerned, is the length of it. A long back is a weak back, the world over, and in every in- stance. By superior excellence of structure in other respects, the weakness of the back may be, in some measure, made up ; but the horse can never be the horse he would have been had his back been a shorter one. I do not care how short a horse's back is ; for it is a sure evidence to me that he can carry or drag a heavy weight a great distance, and not tire : neither, if he be speedy, will two or three seasons of turf experience break him down, as is the case with so many of our speedy, long-backed horses. Old Morrill and Flora Temple are instances in the past ; and the famous grand- son of Old Morrill, Fearnaught, and Taggart's Abdallah, are good illustrations among horses now living. This conformation of the back is, in my opinion, a grave objection against Young Morrill and Rysdyk's Hamble- tonian. I yield to both the meed of great excellence. I would speak as warmly in their eulogy as any man with reason could. But, in spite of all their excellences, HOW TO KNOW HIM. 49 I still declare that both of them would have been decidedly better horses had they been coupled shorter and more strongly on the back. If Young Morrill had had the back of his sire, — one of the most marvel- lous specimens of perfect bone structure and muscular power ever bred, — he would never have gotten so many swayed-backed colts as now stand to his charge. The same is the case, in even greater measure, with Rysdyk's Hambletonian. We know what he has done in the stud. We know, that, crossed on mares of a certain pattern and blood, especially on the daughters of Ameri- can Star, the son of the great Henry, he has given us trotters of the highest speed, and second to none in endurance. All this I admit, because it is a fact. But all this is true in spite of his hack, not because of it : and, where he has gotten one colt closely and strongly coupled up in the back and loins (as every colt should be), he has sent forth five or ten without this admirable construction ; nay, representatives of the other form. You may attend the fairs of the country, and eight out of every ten of the Hambletonian stallions exhibited will present to the eye this unfortunate peculiarity. In reply it will be urged that these long-backed horses have an " enormous stride." I grant that they do stride a great distance ; but I also notice that their feet stay under the sulhj a long time. The power to "twitch their feet out from under the wagon," as an old driver once expressed it to me, does not belong to them. You never find it in connection with a long back. I 4 50 THE PERFECT HORSE. wish to breed colts with an " enormous stride " as ear- nestly as any one ; but I wish that these colts blessed with an " enormous stride " should have the knack also of gathering quickly. A long stride and a quick recovery is what I desire to see in the colts bred on my farm. But, in respect to the length of stride, I have this to say, — that it is not in any way the result of the length of back. What we wish is a long stride and a quick gather ; and the latter you can never find in connection with a long back, and the former you can find in connec- tion with a short one. It is not the length of the back which gives length of stride, but the position of the pasterns, the slope of the shoulders, and the position of the great bones of the hind-legs. There must be length somewhere, I admit, or else the horse cannot stride far ; or, if he attempts it, he will be forever " over-reaching," or " forging" as the phrase goes. But ivliere should the length be located ? That is the ques- tion to be answered ; and we say, The length should be located heloiv^ and not above. The length should be put in hehveen the slioidder-joint and the hams of the horse. There is where it was put in Flora Temple, and which gave her such a tremendous stride for so small an animal; and there, too, is where you find it in Dexter, Fearnaught, and Taggart's Abdallah, whose stride on a sandy track I have measured, and found to be twenty feet! If that is not an "enormous stride," enough to satisfy any one, I should be pleased to know what is ; and yet Abdallah has a short, muscular, Morgan-like HOW TO KNOW HTM. 61 back, as liis sii-e, Farmer's Beauty, and Ms grandsire, Gifford Morgan, had before liim. There never was a falser theory, or one calculated to beget more mis- chief among breeders, than this, — that we must breed long-backed colts in order to get length of stride. I have always noticed that the horses long in the back, and loosely coupled at the hips, are the horses that always "come to the judges' stand padded and swathed with "pads" and "shields" and "protectors" enough to stock a small-sized horse- clothing establishment. The reason is, because there is too little strength in the back and loins to deliver their strokes in a straight line, or to "catch" quickly and handily when they "break." It is at such a time, — the supreme hour of the animal's life, perhaps, — when fame and money hang evenly in the balance, and ten thousand eyes are watching him, and the horse is going at the top of his speed, that forma- tion, and perfection of organic structure, tell. At such an hour I desire no long-backed animal to represent me. And in this connection I would observe, that it is sur- prising that so little attention is paid by breeders and trainers to this matter of strengthening the back. I see no reason why the back of a horse may not, by judicious treatment, be strengthened, as can be done in the case of the man. Dio Lewis will take a weak-backed man, and in two years, yes, in half that time, more than double the strength of his back. He will make a man with a weak back by nature have a strong one. If the muscles in the back of a man can be thus enlarged and developed, 52 THE PERFECT HORSE. why cannot the same be done in the case of a horse, and by the same method; viz., the imposition of weights, gradually increased, day by day, up to the maximum of safety ? Next in importance to the shortness of the back is the width of the bone formation over the kidneys. At this point, viewed from the side, the back should be seen to rise a little, — not too much. I do not fancy a '^ roach-backed " horse, but with a gentle, easy eleva- tion. Above all, beware of a horse with any considera- ble depression at this point. The ribs should stand straight out from the backbone, and be long, giving great width over the kidneys, and a good chance for the muscles to take hold of the framework. I do not fancy any very considerable dip behind the withers. Such a formation of the spinal column and ribs is sure to cramp and interfere with the heart and lungs within the chest, which, above all, is to be avoided : for, with- out a well-developed and well-located centre to his blood-system, the horse cannot have health ; and, with- out lung-room, he cannot have speed over any but short distances. It is lungs more than any thing else that decide how fast a horse can trot. (See section on lungs.') We now come to the examination of the most essen- tial portion of the horse's frame, — the HIND-QUARTERS. Here it is that the strength and speed lie. The fore- legs are for supports : they uphold the body, neck, and HOW TO KNOW HIM. 53 head, — that is all. They add nothing, or next to noth- ing, to the motive-power. They must be sound, and well sustained with muscles, or they cannot uphold the superincumbent weight, or move themselves with the needed quickness. But with this their function ends. They appropriate their own power. They are, as it were, altogether selfish. Not so with the hind-legs. They are the great motors of the body. They push the entu'e frame' through the air. They set the heavy wagon behind in motion. Watch a horse as he is about to start a load. How does he do it? Where is the power to imsh located ? Evidently in his hind quarters and legs. The most casual glance, as the horse lowers himself to his work, will reveal this fact. Watch a horse in the exercise-field; observe him as he rears for the leap, and see him as he goes into the air. How did he leave the ground ? What launched him up along that splendid leap ? There can be but one an- swer : The hind-legs do it all. Hence the need of power at this point. There cannot be too much ; for the effort that he is called upon to make at times is prodigious. It is well authenticated that the celebrated horse Yainhope made a leap thu-ty-four feet in length. The English hunters will clear a strong, six-barred gate with a hundred and ninety pounds in the saddle. Such feats cannot be done unless the bone structure and muscular development of the hind-quarters are simply perfect. Let us, therefore, examine this supremely important sec- tion of the horse's body, in order to ascertain what must 54 THE PERFECT HORSE. be the position and length of the bones, and the char- acteristic appearance of those muscles by the use of which a spirited animal is able to perform his mighty- deeds. How does a horse look to the eye when the formation of his hind-quarters is as it should be? Several things must be kept in mind by the student : First, that the bones must be of the proper length, of the right size, and be put together in a right position ; and, secondly, that the muscles must be of the right length and size, and have the right direction. The bones, remember, are the levers ; while the muscles are the powers by which these levers are moved. We all know that a weight is more easily lifted by a long lever than a short one ; that the lever must be large enough to have the required strength, and, above all, placed at the right angle, in order that every ounce of the applied weight may be utilized in the best possible manner. This, in brief, is the philosophy of the whole matter. When the bones are short, and badly placed, the mus- cles do not act upon them in such a way as to secure the needed power ; and the leap attempted is not made, or the wished-for stride obtained. Long bones, well placed, imply great leverage ; and long muscles mean that the contracting power by which the levers are moved is great. On these conditions, stride depends ; and therefore it is that length of bones and muscles in the hind-quarters of a horse is a thing greatly to be desired. In order to get a true and adequate knowl- edge of the hind-quarters of a horse, let us inspect the several parts in detail. HOW TO KNOW HIM. 65 THE RUMP, or haunch, should not be excessively broad : al- though it is the naiTow rump that should be most avoided ; for, if the rump is narrow, there will be a de- cided lack of power. The rump-bones should be well projected on each side of the hips. Nor do I object, when looking for speed, if the projection is so great as to cause the horse to be "ragged-hipped." Such horses, if otherwise well constructed, must, of necessity, be very powerful horses. The bones that reach from the kidneys to the projection of the hip can scarcely be too long, especially in animals kept for speed. Short- ness here means shortness of stride. The side-bones of the haunch should droop well down, and not stand out nearly level. I knoAV that some straight or level rumped horses can trot, and trot fast too ; but still, as a rule, the horse with a moderately drooping rump is the best. Such a horse, if he is in other respects put to- gether right, is sure to go. He will swing along easily. The stifle-joint will be launched out well ahead, and his leg be thrown well forward. This far-reaching-forward motion of stifle and leg will insure length to his stride, and trueness of balance. He will be a level goer. His trotting will be done with his legs, and not with his body. Note that this droop of the rump is not incon- sistent with roundness of superficial formation : for mus- cles can be so massed at this point, that the rump shall have a full and plump appearance ; and this is the most 66 THE PERFECT HOESB. perfect of all formations. Such a bone structure, in connection with such muscular development, is perfec- tion itself Let us now look at the THIGH. This bone extends from the hip-joint to that point where it unites with the upper section of the bone balled the tibia • the union of the two composing the stifle-joint. As in the case of the scapula (shoulder- blade), the thigh-bone is buried in and wrapped about with an enormous mass of muscular substance. This bone is one of the most important of the entire frame. It is connected with those great muscles which alone are able to propel the entire system. This bone cannot be too long, because the length of it decides the reach of the hind-quarters. If this bone is short, and the bone below it short, the horse may be strong ; but he cannot be fast. He will be a short-step- per; and no quickness of motion can make good the absence of a long, sweeping stride. Be sure, then, before you purchase the animal, that these two bones are long, and properly placed. The muscles also, as I have al- ready suggested, play a most important part in connec- tion with these bones. From these alone, remember, comes the power to move them. The degree of their length gauges their contracting force, by which the bones are made to move. Be sure, then, that these mus- cles are long, large, and hard. Their size can be de- HOW TO KNOW HIM. 67 cided by the fulness of the parts they compose ; their length, by the distance which intervenes between the haunch-bone and the thigh-bone, and also by the dis- tance lying between the hip and the hock. This last line cannot be too long. A hock well down towards the ground is a sight that delights the horseman's eye. In respect to the muscles that lie along the thigh-bone, — which I overlooked when speaking of this part, — I would observe, that they should be strong, and well de- veloped inside as well as outside of the thigh. Thinness and flatness of formation here argue decided absence of strength. Indeed, when looking at the thigh from behind, the muscles should absolutely swell out, giving to the otherwise flat surface of the thigh-bone a rounded appearance. This is the very perfection of shape. Such a horse will be a sturdy goer, no matter how heavy the roads. The stifle-joint should extend well forward, and be placed well down. This formation removes the stifle to a proper distance from the pin-bone as well as from the front-side of the haunch-bone, gives greater surface- room for the attachment of muscles, increases their length, and decidedly improves their leverage. The greater the distance between these several parts, the bet- ter is the formation in every respect. Look for a large- sized stifle-joint, no matter how broad it is across the front, for here is one of the points of extreme action ; and socket-room, as well as room for the muscles, is indispensable. The wider the thigh is from the stifle to the back edge of the thigh, the better. The muscular 58 , THE PERFECT HORSE. formation here should be distinct and prominent. Quantity and length of bone and muscle should be the peculiar characteristic of this section of the body. Never be persuaded, by any perfection of structure as to the rest of the body, that it can make amends for imperfection and lack at this point. The perfect in nature is reached through the perfection of all the parts which go to compose the whole. No one muscle can do the work asMgned by Nature to the other. The length of one bone cannot make good the loss of lever- age, and therefore of propelling power, which results from the shortness of another. You cannot be too severe in your analysis of the horse's frame. Every part of it must be perfect ; every bone and muscle of the proper length, and properly placed ; or else the animal will fail you at the supreme test. He will be a good capable horse up to a certain point ; but beyond that, if he is faulty in any part of his organization, no art or contriv- ance of man can push him. He will always come a lit- tle short of that line which your hope had drawn, and which, upon an imperfect examination of him, the aver- age horseman would say he would certainly attain. This great fact should never be forgotten by the breeder when selecting his brood-mares and the horse that is to be the sire of his stables. Faulty parents be- get faulty children. This is Nature's great fiat ; and it is vain for man to seek to elude it. I know that imper- fection of structure can be modified somewhat for the better by judicious crossing ; but the instances in which HOW TO KNOW HIM. 59 it is entirely remedied, so far as my experience and ob- servation go, are exceedingly rare. There is nothing certain about it. Such breeding is, in spite of every thing one can do, unreliable, and too much the matter of luck. The only sure way, as it is the only business- like way, is to have perfection m both parents ; and then the great law, that like produces like, will tell in your favor, and insure you success. Beware of choosing for the sire of your colts an excessively long-backed horse, or one faulty in the construction of his hind-quarters. Never be led away and enticed by the gloss of his coat, the fineness of his neck and head, the splendid develop- ment of his chest and shoulders, into breeding from him, if he is poor in the muscular formation of his quar- ters. It is in his haunch and thigh that strength and speed lie ; and here every thing should be long, broad, and full. If you are a breeder, you can disregard this, and because of cheapness, or facility of service, content yourself with an inferior sire ; but I wish you to dis- tinctly understand, in this case, that you are not to blame the principles of breeding for the result of your folly, but your own foolishness in discarding them. With here and there an exception, your colts will be what the parents are, — imperfect animals ; which is all you have deserved. You have just what you bred from over again ; and this is all that was possible for Nature under the circumstances to give you. The men who cry "that breeding does not pay" are men who make it impossible to pay by the substitution of ignorance in 60 THE PERFECT HORSE. the place of intelligence, and niggardliness in the place of wise liberality, in the selection of their brood-mares and the horse who sires their colts. I never knew any business to pay, especially one demanding so much of intelligence as breeding, when the sole condition of success — the knowledge how to adapt means to an end — was totally lacking. We will now pass to the consideration of THE HOCK. The principal reason, perhaps, why this is worthy of the closest attention, is because it is the seat, for the most part, of all the lameness that occurs in the hind-quarters ; and this liability to lameness doubtless springs from the fact, that the strain put upon it by the propelling muscles is so sudden and heavy, that it requires to be remark- ably well formed in order to remain sound. To be well formed, the hock, in the first place, must be of large size. No matter how symmetrical it may look to the eye : if it is not large^ it will never stand severe work. Never be afraid or ashamed of large, coarse-looking hocks. Such hocks are always beautiful to me. Re- member that here the great motor sinews are; and sufficient room must be given them to play freely and easily, and without the least friction. Remember, that, the larger the bones are which make up this joint, the wider will be the surface to which the great powerful ligaments which keep these bones in their places can be attached, as likewise the greater will be the surface HOW TO KNOW HEM. .61 over which will be distributed the concussions to which this joint is inevitably exposed when the horse is in rapid action. But size alone is not enough. It should be well proportioned, each and every part of fit and adequate size, so that symmetry, also, shall be attained. The bone that forms the hindermost point of the hock can scarcely be too large ; for, the farther it is pushed up, the greater is the leverage capacity of those im- mense sinews which are inserted into it. This bone should be strong and of great size, as should also be the sinew which runs upward towards the thigh. This should stand well out fi'om the bone, so as to be clearly perceived by the eye, and easily examined by the pressure of the finger. The lower thigh-bone should run into the hock-joint at a pretty sharp angle ; but here the angular formation should cease. From this point down to the pastern the leg-bone should be as straight as a perpendicular line ; for whatever curve there may be to it, will, as you can understand, cause the back sinews to work at a great disadvantage. Friction with every movement must result; and it is friction which begets inflammation. Such a horse is ever liable to become curbed. A word about this curb. The back sinew which runs down along the edge of the hock-joint is held safely in its place by a ligament specially de- signed for this purpose, called the annula ligament. This spans the joint at the lower end of it like an arch from one side to the other. Of course, if the bones are so placed as to allow the sinew to run in an exact per- 62 THE PERFECT HORSE. pendicular line, there will be less strain brought to bear upon this annula ligament, which keeps it in its place ; and it will be able to bear the strain which the horse with every stride or leap puts upon it. But if any considerable variation from this formation occurs, either by the rounding of the leg-bone at this point or the turning-in of the hocks towards each other, there will be a corresponding friction and strain brought to bear upon the annular ligament. The sinew will be liable to start out completely from its natural position, the beautiful arrangement of Nature at this point disrupted, and an unseemly tumor be the result. This tumor is the curl). Once formed, the joint is forever impaired. The sinew, you see, is actually torn out of its place ; the band that should have held it in its natural position is unduly strained or parted ; and perpetual v;-eakness is the result. In purchasing, beware of a curb. Any protuberance, however slight, at this point, should be regarded with grave suspicion ; and the money which you were to give for the horse, keep in your pocket. In addition to the curb, another evidence of unsound- ness is to be looked for at this locality. I refer to the sjmvin. The bones of the hock are the natural seat of this disorder or infliction. Protection from this terrible evil lies in the size and symmetry of the hock-bones. Coarse-looking and strong joints are not likely to get out of order; but your smooth, neat, dandy -looking joints rarely, if ever, stand any consid- erable amount of work. I do not think that spavin, in HOW TO KNOW HIM. 63 as many cases as some imagine, springs so much from the imperfect formation of the hock as from scrofulous tendencies in the animal, which render him constitution- ally exposed to joint and bone disease ; and so it happens that no size and symmetry of the hock can ever be regarded as an infallible protection from the spavin. Another cause of spavin, and perhaps the greatest, especially in America, is injudicious shoeing. If a horse, for instance, brushes, the smith will say, " Oh, I can cure him of that ! " and so indeed he can, and without the employment of any marvellous amount of wisdom either. All that he needs to do is to cause the shoe to be thicker on one side of the heel than the other, and the horse will not brush ; but this construction of the shoe, it should be remembered, causes so much more weight to be thrown upon one part of the hock-joint than another, that disease is pretty sure to be the result. "I wish," says an intelligent writer, "that these smiths had the one side of their boot raised an inch higher than the other in order that they might enjoy the same pleasure that they have conferred upon the horse. They would then, especially if compelled to run and jump, have an opportunity of knowing how long their ankle and knee joints would continue sound." The last cause of spavin I shall mention, and perhaps the most frequent, is the smallness of the shank-bone at its junction with the hock. The hock has not sufficient surface to rest upon. The force of the concussion to which it is exposed is not sufficiently distributed ; and spavin is the 64 THE PEKFECT HORSE. result. I have seen horses so badly constructed in this respect, that, in looking at them from a side-view, the front of the shank-bone immediately below the hock-joint looked as if it had been shaved away. I need not say that this is a fearful defect ; for the bone at this point, in order to receive and carry the joint properly, should be wide and thick. A broad, firm basis for what is above to rest upon is one of the best possible assurances that the owner can have that his horse will never be spavined. In further description of the shank-bone, I would remark that it should be short, stout, and flat : a long, round 'formation is as bad a one , as perverted nature can form. " Wide as a slab " was the description which an old stage-driver in Vermont once gave me of his ideal shank-bone ; and a very good description it was too. In a well-formed leg the back sinews should be brought well out from the bone, and feel to the finger like finely-twisted cords. See to it that they are free from all irregularities of surface, such as puffs, notches, and globules of fatty substance. Let them, rather, be smooth and hard as scraped bone. Ob- serve, also, that the lower end of the shank-bone, as well as the upper, should be of sufl&cient size to make a strong and solid connection with the pastern, which should be longer, stronger, and more oblique, than the pastern of the fore-leg. In short, see to it, that, from the line of the rump to the ground-surface of the hind- foot, bone and muscle alike look as if they were of such size and strength, and so admii'ably adjusted in HOW TO KKOW HIM. 65 their proper positions, that they can do and endure all things. A horse with such an appearance in the hind- quarters, if otherwise well formed and of right tempera- ment, will never fail you, but will remain, until old age diminishes the natural forces of his well-constructed organism, the pride and ornament of your stable. I have now gone over the several parts of the horse, upon the character of which his structure, and hence his usefulness, depends. I have striven to avoid the employment of such terms as would be difficult for the average reader to understand. If I have suc- ceeded to that extent to which I aspired, the reader who has carefully followed me in my remarks has such knowledge of the organs, bones, muscles, and general shape and appearance, of the horse, as to qualify him to select with wise discrimination the animal or animals which he needs for either general or specific service, or for the purposes of breeding. He cannot hereafter be deceived by the cunning of dishonorable men, or have any but himself to blame, if he invest his money unwisely in his future purchases: But I ask him to ob- ' serve, that all data for man's information are worthless, unless, when attained, they are used in connection with his own observation and intelligence? It is by the use of your own eyes and fingers, my reader, in connection with the knowledge I have now put in your possession, that you can become wise in horse-craft. Suffer, at this point, two or three cautions. The first is. Buy on your oiun judgment^ and not on that 66 THE PEKFECT HOKSE. of another man. I would speak with all modesty ; and yet I would say, that it is my firm belief, that if you have closely perused the preceding pages, and thought- fully pondered them until the main suggestions I have made are well fixed in your memory, you are better prepared to go forth and purchase horses discreetly and profitably than nine out of ten of those professional horsemen as they are called. Exercise your own judg- ment, then, getting greater wisdom by your mistakes ; which, I warrant you, under the conditions supposed, will not be many nor grave. But, if you are to thus trust wholly to yourself (which I decidedly advise), be deliberate and thorough in your examination of the animal under inspection. Note every point in order as I have followed in this work. Let eye and finger alike contribute to your decision. Feel of the bones, muscles, and sinews. It would be difficult to cheat you, even were your eyes bandaged, if you would receive the knowledge of the animal's shape and condition which might come to you through your hands alone. Be sure that the horse you purchase has symmetry ; viz., is tuell projportioned throughout. Never purchase a horse because he has a splendid development of one part of his organization, if he be lacking in any other. Above all, keep well in mind what you are buying /or, and buy the horse best adapted to the work you will require of him ; and, when such an animal is yours, be content. Never jockey. An occasional exchange may be allowable; but this daily "swapping" of horses HOW TO KNOW HEVI. 67 advertises a man's incompetency for any thing higher. Another caution is this : Never purchase a horse until you have seen him move, and under the same condi- tions to which he will be exposed in the service you will expect of him. If for a draught, see him draw, back, and turn round in both directions ; if for the road, see how he handles himself, not merely on level ground, but on going up sharp declivities, and, above all, in descending them. In this way you will ascer- tain the faults or excellences of both his temper and structure. In these exercises drive him yourself. The reins in a skilful hand, aided by the whip or mouth, can be made to conceal grave defects. Let him move with a loose rein, so that he may take his natural gait, and not his artificial y for, by so doing, you will detect any mis- takes of judgment that you may have made when look- ing him over in a state of inactivity. Many a time unsoundness will appear in motion^ which no inspection of the eye and finger, however close, can ascertain. When you have walked him and jogged him, if he is to serve any other than mere draught-purposes, put him to his speed, and keep him at it for a sufficient distance to test his breathing capacity : then pull him up ; jump from the wagon, and look at his flanks ; inspect his nostrils ; and put your ear close to the side of his chest, in order to ascertain if the action of the heart is normal. If this exercise has caused him to perspire freely, all the better ; for you can then see, when you 68 THE PEKFECT HOKSE. have returned to the stable, whether he "dries ojQF quickly," which a horse of sound constitution does when in perfect health. Watch him also carefully when he is being taken from the stall, and while the harness is being put upon him: you will in this way ascertain his temper, and detect any thing that may be undesirable about him. Above all, in dealing, deal, as far as possible, only with honorable men. Act so as to live above the hint or suspicion of dishonesty yourself. No gentleman will have anything to do with a mere jockey ; and the worst reputation that a breeder can get is one for cunning and trickery. Such a breeder will find it hard work to sell his colts. Everybody suspects him. He may have a fine young horse ; but his evil reputation makes men shun him, because they fear they shall get cheated if they buy of him. In no business does honesty pay more surely, or larger dividends, than in the horse- business ; and the reason is, because gentlemen who pay liberally for young horses are very often distrustful of their own ability to judge as to the merits of a horse, and so, naturally, desire to purchase of men whose word they can depend upon. No breeder or horse-dealer in regular business can afibrd to cheat, even if he has no conscience to restrain him from so doing. Raise good colts, and keep a good character, and you will make money by breeding. I cannot resist the inclination to put on record in this place and manner my strong protest against the HOW TO KNOW HIM# 69 conduct of certain people, who, by slurs and innuendoes and misrepresentations, seek to bring into popular disgrace the most delightful and elevating branch of American agriculture, — the breeding and training of fine horses. Such behavior is both disgraceful to them- selves, and, so far as it has any influence upon the public, hurtful to the best interests of the country. As a branch of business, it represents an enormous amount of capital, as the national statistics show, — of capital, too, contributing actively, year by year, to the commer- cial prosperity of the land, and also largely and directly to the health and happiness of its inhabitants. From the settlement of the country, the horse has been intimately and honorably associated with our social and religious life, as he has also most potentially contributed to the development of its trade and commerce. With- out the assistance of the noble animal these thoughtless people persist in associating with gamblers and jockeys, our religious congregations could never have been as- sembled sabbath by sabbath in the churches, nor our political gatherings held, nor, as we all realize in view of the revelation of the last winter, during the epizootic season, could our business enterprises have been carried out. Why an animal so noble by nature, and useful to us all, should be singled out for reprobation, or to en- gage in his propagation and training be stigmatized as a low and vulgar pursuit, passes my comprehension. For one, I acknowledge a debt of gratitude to those, who by importation of blooded animals, or careful attention 70 OJHE PERFECT HOESE. to the principles of breeding, have contributed to the improvement of the American horse. The world is ' happier and better conditioned to-day because Lafosse, Rarey, Hiram Woodruff, and men of their intelligence and character, lived. And not alone to these great masters, who revealed to us the true method of shoe- ing, training, and driving horses, are we indebted, but to all of lesser note who in any sensible measure assisted in the improvement of the animal himself, or of man's knowledge of his wants, and his capacity to serve the human race. If it be a disgrace to teach men useful knowledge; to add to the intelligence and humane impulse of the country in respect to the humblest of God's creatures; to show those of small fortunes how to increase their limited means, and hence to improve their own condition, and swell the aggregate prosperity of the country ; to fire with a worthy am- bition the young agriculturist to produce better stock than his father bred before him, — if this, I say, be a disgrace, then I rejoice to share it with those, who, in every State of the Union, are laboring to accomplish the same noble end, — men whose public spirit I admire, and the integrity of whose characters I hoj^e to equal, but may never expect to excel. I love, with an attachment which increases with the passage of 3^ears, my native soil ; and hold that its cultivation, and employment in those pursuits connected with it, is most conducive to the practice of those virtues which ennoble man,' and minister to his happiness. I love the earnest, honorable HOW TO KNOW HEVI. 71 industries of the field, and the stimulating companion- ship of the spirited denizens of the stable. The strong, healthy odor of the earth, the scented hedges, the tremulous happiness of harvest-heads, the welcoming neigh of glossy favorites greeting my coming steps with the pride of their arched necks and expectant eyes, — all this is a delight. Hail to this life of innocent and humane sovereignty, in which care sets with the setting of the sun, and gentle night brings gentler repose ! I cherish the ambition, that, in some limited measure, I may contribute something to the intelligence of those of my generation who share this feeling with me, by which they shall more perfectly understand the prin- ciples that underlie success in those pursuits, which, while they minister to the truest pleasures of life, supply, at the same time, the needed support and profit. Enough for me, if, when that crowded hfe which lives in cities, and to which I am now a teacher, shall have forgotten me, — as it surely will forget, — I may still be remembered in the scattered hamlets of the country, and be occasionally mentioned by the farmer's fireside, as having been a friend of the farmer, and .of the farmer's best friend, — the gentle, serviceable animal, — the horse. CHAPTER 11. THE PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. — REASONS WHY BREED- ERS HAVE NOT BEEN FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL. No one who is at all acquainted with the history of breeding in New England and the country at large — at least, so far as trotting-horses are concerned — can deny that much money has been lost, and many failures made, by those who have embarked their property in the enterprise. The fast horses of the country seem to be rather the result of accident or good fortune than of design. In other business, men invest one or five thousand dollars with the reasonable certainty that they will receive their money back again, together with a profitable rate of interest. This is what is called doing a safe busi- ness ; and it is this certainty of return that renders the business legitimate. By as much as the result is uncer- tain, accidental, the business loses in dignity, ceases to be attractive to a well-constructed intellect, and be- comes a species of gambling. Now, breeding of fast horses has been a business, up to within a few years, and 72 PEINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 73 even now, in tlie majority of cases, is a pursuit, notori- ously tainted with this fatal element of uncertainty. The history of almost every breeder is a history of ex- travagant hopes and bitter disappointments. His Avhole career has been one of struggle, delusive successes, and total failures. If now and then he has made a "hit" as the saying is, if occasionally he has produced a fast colt, the very success served only, in the way of con- trast, to make his failures all the more noticeable. The great trotting-horses of the country have not been foaled, in the proportion that one might reasonably ex- pect, in the great stables of the country : they have come, rather, before the public from obscure sources. In many cases, as with Dutchman and Flora Temple and Ripton, no one can tell up to this day any thing of the sire or the dam. The fact that three such horses, and scores of others of almost equal merit, have no known parentage, reveals how rude and unsuccessful the breeding efforts of the country have been. Who can conceive of three winners of the Derby with no known pedigree ? Who can imagine a horse arising in England, who should win all the principal prizes, and remain king of the English turf for six or ten years, and no Englishman be able to tell the stable in which he was born, the dam that foaled him, or the horse which was his sire ? Such a thing would be impossible : for there the principles of breeding are understood ; the result that shall come from the union of two strains of blood can be predicted ; and successes 74 THE PERFECT HORSE. are in the line of sequence, and not of accident. But here we have had few, if any, impartial and intelligent students of the problem. The most intricate and deli- cate of all endeavors to propagate great excellences by the harmonious union of desirable qualities, possessed in part by the sire and in part by the dam, has been, for the most part, undertaken by men too ignorant or prejudiced to grasp comprehensively the rudimental principles of success. Hence it is that breeding in America has been an innocent kind of gambling ; that is, a venture in which good luck, rather than an under- standing of and attention to the business, was rehed on for success. Hence many of our fastest horses are sent to us annually from the barn-yards of unknown, and, so far as principles of breeding go, ignorant farm- ers. We find them — as Dutchman was found, in a tan- dem-team, drawing bricks ; or behind a drover's wagon, as Flora Temple was discovered — without name or fame. They come unheralded by any expectation, the result of no plan, no knowledge, no wisely-invested cap- ital. This seems an indisputable proposition, therefore, — that one of the causes of the financial failures which have attended attempts at breeding is to be found in the gross ignorance of the breeders themselves in the principles of propagation. This is the more to be won- dered at, because, in all kindred branches, knowledge is universally admitted to be the great essential of success. No one, for instance, will invest money in trout-culture until he has examined into the principles which under- PEINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 75 lie tlieir propagation. He becomes a student of trout ; studies tlieir structure and habits, tlieir favorite diet, and the treatment which is most favorable to their rapid increase and growth. All this is preliminary to the grand undertaking. He invests no money, he makes not a move, until the knowledge of the business neces- sary to the proper understanding of it is obtained. So is it in the c(jLse of fowl, sheep, and the like. Knowl- edge first, investment of money next, is the rule and order. It is just this rule and order that men seem to reverse in their attempts at breeding the horse. With no knowledge of what is needed in the sire or the dam ; with no power to discriminate the qualities of either ; with no ability to say that these qualities^ are such as to warrant harmonious union of all that is most desirable in either parent, — in the foal, or the reverse, — they breed, not along the line of certain well-ascertained principles or clearly-discerned similitudes, but haphaz- ardly, as chance furnishes the opportunity, trusting to luck to produce a fast colt. The grossness of this blunder can only be appre- hended and realized when you consider that the breed- ing of fast horses is not only a business, but a business the principles of success in which are most delicate and hidden. The man who engages in it not only undertakes to deal with the outward and material, but more yet with the inward and the spiritual. The problem is the propagation of a high order of life ; and not only its propagation, but its propagation in such a 76. THE PERFECT HOESE. form and spirit, that its expression shall be marked with certain specific characteristics. The breeder must be, in the most thorough and ele- vated sense of the word, a student. His capital is his power to observe and infer. From what is seen, he reasons to what is unseen ; from that which is, to that which shall be. His study is the study of nervous forces, — their origin, and law of descent-; of muscular power, — its source, how accumulated, and how sustained. Nor is this all. He is a student of an organization of so high and fine a quality, that its condition, and states of temperament, are as variable as the wind. The horse is an animal of exquisite construction. In him we behold one of the finest results of creative skill. In nervous structure he is exceedingly sensitive. Sensitive and sympathetic, he suffers from those changes in condition and treatment to which other animals are indifferent. Even so slight causes as changes in his food and bed- ding, interruption and difference in grooming, ay, even the subtle changes of the atmosphere, affect him. Nor is it alone the horse before him that he must study. To know a man, you must know something of his ancestry. Man is not a simple, he is a complex, being. He is the result of many antedating causes. He is the embodi- ment of both harmonious and antagonistic forces. Five generations are represented in him. He is the child of ten parents; and each parent positively or negatively exists in him. So it is with the horse. He is the result of antedating causes. Sire, grandsire, and a long line WHY NOT FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL. 77 of ancestry, — with all their peculiarities of spirit and structure, of like and unlike qualities, of elements harmo- nious and antagonistic, — are represented in him. To study him is to study them. To know him is to know them. You must gauge the force that is not before you can gauge the force that is. History must assist observation, and reading be joined to sight. Is it extravagant, then, for me to ask, What higher study can there be than this, — this study into life mus- cular and nervous, mental and emotional ? What nobler subject than this, — the investigation of those laws by which life, in all its changes and gradations, is transmit- ted from sire to son ? What more difficult problem than this, the solution of which should reveal to us the forceful properties which repeat themselves in animal as well as human life, and which may, therefore, be re- garded as truly representative of that order of exist- ence with which we behold them associated ? And yet men have expected, without knowledge or study, or fa- cilities whereby to conduct the business advantageously, to make great fortunes out of breeding ; and people can be found all over New England and the country who will question the profitableness of breeding fine horses, on the ground that many of those who have attempted it have not been successful ; failing to see, or else pur- posely ignoring the fact, that the reason why these gen- tlemen have failed to achieve success in their efforts is because their efforts were not directed by a sufficient in- telligence in respect to the business they had undertaken. 78 THE PEEFECT HOESE. Now, the writer firmly believes that breeding of handsome and fast trotting-horses in America is, and will continue to be, a most profitable business. He believes it will yield for the money invested a larger return by twenty per cent than any other branch of agriculture ; and he believes that this is especially true in the New-England States. The fact is, agriculture proper — by which I mean the tillage of the soil, and the production of those products that grow directly out of the soil — can no longer be relied upon to keep alive the .agricultural spirit, or sustain the agricultural wealth, of New England. We cannot compete successfully with the Middle States and the Great West in the raising of cereals, or, indeed, in the breeding of those animals whose market value can never rise beyond a certain moderate price, and to fit which for the market the products of their great wheat and corn fields are ser- viceable. Hence it comes about, that in swine and beeves, and the lower-price horses. New England can never compete with Ohio and Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. When horses of good serviceable quality for family and team use can be shipped from Michigan to Boston, and sold in our sale stables at a hundred and seventy -five dollars per head, no Massachusetts breeder can afford to raise colts of ordinary quality. So long as the cost of transporting a horse fi^om the West to the seaboard is less than the difference of the cost of supporting him from the time he is foaled to the time he is ready for the market. New England cannot afford "WHY NOT FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL. 79 to breed low-priced animals. It is, therefore, only in raising such animals as are of fine quality that we of the Eastern States can find our reward. Here it is that we see another reason why breeders have been unsuc- cessful in their investments. They have bred on the level of too low an average to make it pay. The prin- ciple on which they acted, that low-priced stallions and dams could produce high-priced colts, is a false one. I wish the reader to observe, then, that, while I main- tain that breeding can be made in New England to yield a liberal return for the money invested, it cannot be made to do this save when it is conducted with knowl- edge and understanding of those principles which insure success. In brief, it is like any other business : it can be conducted successfully only by those who understand it. The first thing, in order to do any thing, is to learn lioiv to do it. CHAPTER HI. BREEDING. — HOW TO SUCCEED, In the preceding chapter we discussed the subject of breeding from a philosophical standpoint. We called the reader's attention to the fact that the successful breeding of any class of animals demands, on the part of the one who attempts it, a most thorough knowledge of the structure, temperament, and habits of those ani- mals whose species he would propagate. We reminded him that the horse belongs to an order of animals of high organization, both nervous and muscular, — so high as to be easily marked by those from which he descend- ed ; and that, in order to breed fine horses successfully, he must become a student of one of the most intricate and difficult problems in natural history. We now propose to point out some of the more pal- pable means of success in detail. At the risk of reiteration, we would say to every young man in New England who is proposing in his own mind to raise a certain number of colts. Put your- self in the way of learning something of the busmess 80 BREEDING. — HOW TO SUCCEED. 81 upon which you are to enter. To your own observa- tion add the observation of other men. Re-enforce your own knowledge with the wisdom of those who have grown gray in the business. Above all, become a student of the horse. Obtain such books as you need to inform your mind of the history, habits, and peculiarities of the animal you admire. Make yourself familiar with the history of the noted horses of your own country, and also of other lands. Make yourself acquainted also with their shape, size, peculiarity of going, character of their temperament, and the ancestry from which they sprang. Study pedigrees, that you may know by the union of what bloods, and the intermarriage of what families, great results have been obtained. Study the horse, not only with the e?/e, but with the Tiand and fin- ger. Make yourself familiar with every joint and bone and tendon. Know the horse in his skeleton, until you know the place of every bone, muscle, and member of his frame. No one ever knows a horse by merely look- ing at him : he must look through him as well. Learn to distinguish the weak points and good points of a horse at sight as an artist distinguishes a mere daub from a finished picture at a glance. If you intend to make breeding a business, it is a good plan to engage yourself to some practical breeder, and remain with him until you have mastered the minutice of the business, and become familiar with the hundred and one points of interest that can be learned only by actual service on a brood-farm. The reader will see, that, while I demand 82 THE PEEFECT HORSE. no more than is universally admitted to be the condi- tion of success in other branches of business, I do de- mand this ; and I lay it down as a law, which executes its own penalty when transgressed, that he who breeds a horse while ignorant of the correct principles of breed- ing will breed a failure. If he ever make a success, it will be based on no broader and surer foundation than mere luck. The second point, in the way of suggestion, that I make, is this : Whoever wishes to raise a fine colt must be willing to put himself to a certain amount of trouble and expense. There is an old saying, " that the gods never drop nuts already cracked into men's mouths; " and it is the law which runs through the world, and puts its equal pressure upon all, that the effort put forth shall exactly gauge the degree ^f success. Now, the country is full of men who are ambitious to raise a five-hundred-dollar colt, but Avho are at the same time unwilling to be at any considerable trouble or ex- pense to do it. They wish the five-hundred-dollar colt ; but they wish to get it in such a way, that it shall not cost them over fifty or seventy -five dollars: in other words, they desire some three or four hundred per cent return for the money invested. It is needless for me to say that such an expectation is futile. In the very nature of things, it can never be realized. The law of cause and effect is against it. It is not difficult for an intelligent breeder to raise a five-hundred-dollar colt ; it is not extravagant for such a person to expect to raise a BREEDING. — HOW TO SUCCEED. 83 colt, which, at five yccars of age, shall command a thou- sand dollars for every year of his age : but it costs time, attention, and considerable money, to insure such a re- sult. An ordinary dam will not produce such a colt. An ordinary stallion will not beget such an animal. To raise a handsome and fast-moving colt, you must have handsome and fast-moving parents to bring him forth, and favorable conditions of birth and culture such as money and intelligence can alone provide. Like pro- duces like ; and a fine-blooded colt must have fine-blood- ed parentage. This is a law ; and no 'one can escape its application. Stallions whose service can be obtained for ten or twenty dollars, and mares of low blood and negative characters, can never beget or conceive such a foal. If you are willing to pay for a mare, and for the service of a stallion, of the needed character, and then are willing to bestow upon the dam, before and after the foal is cast, the proper management, your expectation can be realized ; otherwise not. Luck has nothing to do with breeding. Knowledge, and a wise use of means, can alone secure you what you desire. You can ignore this rule, and fail ; you can comply with it, and succeed. The election rests with yourself I will now proceed to suggest certain facts, and items of information, of a character to assist the breeder in his enterprise. I say, suggest • for no statement which I may make is supposed to be able to take the place of thought on the part of the breeder. You must use your own mind, reader, say what I or any one may. My 84 THE PERFECT HORSE. object, then, is to help you think, to stimulate you to thoughtfulness, to make you a student of the question yourself, rather than impose upon you certain deduc- tions I may have made, and insist upon your accepting them as the ultimate truth. Indeed, there is much of mystery hanging around this matter of procreation. What is this power which shapes things yet to be ? What is it that dictates structure, temperament, destiny, causing the initial germ to be prophetic of the per- fected result ? It is difficult to answer, I know of no one who has answered these questions ; nor do I expect to solve the problem : I only make my contribution to- ward the fuller discussion of the subject. I sim|)ly propose to lay before the reader the conclusions which my mind, in examination of the subject, has already reached, with the reasons therefor. In addition to knowledge, certain means and facilities are needed in order to make breeding a success. Some money, and more care, must be spent in the enterprise. The stall in which the brood-mare is kept should be dry and roomy. A damp stall, where the mare stands and sleeps on a manure-heap pervaded with the odor of ammonia and decaying substances, is totally unfit, as any sensible man can see, for an animal so sensitively organ- ized, and in such a delicate condition. The brood-mare should have a good-sized stall in which to stand during her pregnancy, and be well and warmly bedded, and in every way well treated. Not only humane impulse, but pure selfishness, prompts the owner to this. In a narrow BREEDING. — HOW TO SUCCEED. 85 stall, ill kept, the mare is liable to get " cast," and, in her struggles, so displace the foal from its natural posi- tion, that, when the time of foaling comes, the colt can be delivered only with the greatest effort and pain, if indeed it can be at all. Many brood-mares are annually lost from this cause alone. The worst accident that can happen to a brood-mare when in foal is this getting " cast " in her stall. It should be most carefully guarded against. Especially tie luitli a short halter. The man who "ties long," as grooms say, warn once; and, if he does not heed your warning, discharge. Have no mercy on him : such carelessness is too gross and fearful in its consequences, often, to be tolerated in the management of valuable horses. I came near losing one of my finest brood-mares, a thorough-bred from the South, from this vicious method of tying in the stall. The groom left the halter so long, that, when she started to get up, she reached one of her fore-legs over the rope ; and there she was ! In her struggles, the rope cut into the fore-arm, tearing the hide and flesh away from the muscles, and causing a most ugly wound. Good treatment and a sound constitution in a state of entire healthfulness brought her out of the peril in safety; but that groom never " ties long " now ! Near the time of foaling, — say two or three weeks previous, — the dam should be put into a " breeding- box " or " foaling-stall." This should be some twelve by twenty feet in size, well strewn with tan-bark, saw-dust (dry), gravel, or sand ; indeed, with any thing that will 86 THE PERFECT HORSE. make a soft, warm bottom. Over this the straw-bedding should be strewn a foot deep at least. If the mare is inclined to eat her bedding, put a muzzle on her (an ordinary wire or splint ox-basket will answer) ; for it is not wise to have the mare fill her stomach with coarse feed at this time. The floor should be level, and "banked up" a little round the sides and in the corners, lest in rolling, or perhaps in the act of foaling itself, the mare should get over upon her back, or doubled up in a corner in such a way as to embarrass her. Too much care cannot be exercised by the breeder at this juncture ; for it is the time when every thing may be lost by inattention and neglect. And I put it down among the necessities of a breeder's outfit, that he construct a good foaling-hox for the mare, and attend to the matter essentially as I have suggested. Such a box is not necessarily expensive. I have seen those that cost five hundred dollars, and others that did not exceed fifteen ; and, for all practical purposes, the one was as good as the other. The conditions I suggest are not those essential for ornament, but for safety. Another matter of prime importance to a breeder is this : How far is he from a good stock-horse ? Trans- portation costs : it is also perilous. When the writer began to breed, he was compelled to transport his brood- mares two hundred miles to be covered. He has seen half his stable of choice animals go rushing along through the darkness and fog in a miserable old freight-car, at the rate of thirty miles an hour ; and the sensation he BEEEDING. — HOW TO SUCCEED. 87 experienced was not an agreeable one. A man dislikes to see his property treated in that way, especially if it is property selected with care and at large expense, and of a character not easily to be duplicated. The expense, also, is considerable, and eats into the profits disastrously. I presume my first three colts cost me, when weaned, four hundred dollars each. Even at that price, it paid ; but it lessened the per cent of profit decidedly. Among the conditions of success in breeding, therefore, I place this as a» prime one, — local nearness, and easy access to a desirable stock-horse. The cost of his service is of less account, because this is generally settled by the reputation of himself and his get ; and so the breeder shares in the profit of his fame Avith the owner. But the distance of his stable from yours, which includes transportation, with its attendant cost and risks ; the interruption it brings to your business, &c., — these must be carefully considered by the breeder, or he will find that his profit is gone before the colt is foaled. A distance that he can drive in two days is of no great moment ; but farther than this I should advise no breeder who is breeding on business-principles, for financial profit, to go. To attempt to breed from a stock-horse at a great distance from your stables, is, so far as my experience and observation go, unwise, and likely to result in loss. Above all, it is folly to breed inferior stock. Nothing is to be made from it, as mountains of testimony prove. " The best or none " should be the motto of the Eastern breeder. 88 THE PERFECT HOUSE. There are other conditions of success to be enumerated ; but, as they relate more to the knowledge derived from the study of the horse himself than in the surroundings and appointments of the establishment, they more natu- rally fall into another division of this work ; to which we now invite the reader's attention. Let us now consider the principles that underlie successful propagation of the horse, and the elements needed in either parent. CHAPTER IV. THE SIRE. There are certain general views touching the influ- ence of the sire on his stock, which every one who is intending to breed should be aware of. There are certain cautions which it behooves every writer, who attempts to give people instruction in the business of breeding, to give frankly to his readers. I propose, therefore, in this division of the work, to enter into a full discussion of the matter, and give my ideas at length concerning the influence of the sire on his stock. In- deed, as I have already sketched the outlines of a per- fect horse, and described the diflerent points and char- acteristics which must distinguish such an animal, I now propose to sketch a perfect stock-horse, and there- by supply my readers with a standard in breeding, as I have already done in purchasing. In short, having described a perfect horse, I will now describe the way in which he can be propagated. The first, and to my mind the most essential fact to be borne in mind by a breeder is, that the propagating 89 90 THE PERFECT HORSE. principle or capacity does not inhere in all stallions alike. It does not follow that a stallion, however per- fect he may be both in conformation and temperament, will make a good stock-horse, or prove a source of profit to those who patronize him. It is at this point that so many blunders are made, and from which so many failures result. At this point two roads diverge, one of which leads to success, the other to certain disas- ter. How essential, then, that a warning and directing hand should be set up at this point, seeing which no breeder can be uncertain which path to take ! The fact is this, that in addition to temperament and per- fection of structure, over and above desu'ableness of nervous and muscular organization, there does exist in certain horses the power to propagate their most perfect points and characteristics, which other horses, equally perfect in themselves, perhaps do not have. What this power is, or ivliere it is, or how the horse comes by it, no one can tell. It cannot be mq:)lied: nothing short of an actual demonstration can prove that it exists. It is this which makes a stallion wor- thy to be kept as a stock-horse ; and notliing else can. No matter how beautiful, nor how sound, nor how speedy, nor how well connected in pedigree, a colt may be : he should never be advertised to the breeding public, until, by actual service with his own brood-mares, his owner is made aware of his capacity to reproduce his own excellences in his get. I main- tain that any other course includes a fraud upon the THE SIEE. 91 public, in that he advertises as certain what he knows, or should know, is extremehj uncertain ; for this rejjro- ducing capacity is withheld by some strange freak or unascertained reason of nature from most horses, and bestowed only upon the few. Out of a hundred stallions in a State, only two or three ever become justly famous. The strangest and most unaccountable thing of the whole matter is, that many horses for which the best judges vfould surely predict success, prove, upon trial, lamentable failures; while others less esteemed become heads of families, and live Avith increasing honor with the birth of every generation of their descendants. It is not from the winners of the St. Leger and the Derby that England has received her fastest stock. These winners, in cases numberless, were out of the loins of horses by no means noted, but which gave to their sons and daughters that which made both parent and chil- dren immortal. Instances too numerous to mention might be quoted ; but the principle is too fully admitted to require argument and illustration. The fact stands admitted, that, until a stallion has been actually tested in the stud, it is useless to predict whether he will be valuable as a stock-horse or not, and folly for the gen- eral public to breed to him. Among the horses which excel in this peculiarity, at the very head of the list may perhaps be placed old Justin Morgan. The reproducing capacity of this horse, considering the treatment he received, was simply marvellous. Unappreciated and abused half of 92 THE PERFECT HOESE. his life, it was the merest accident that his vahie as a stock-horse was discovered at all ; and even then he was bred indiscriminately to mares, unassisted by the least intelligence in the matter. Still, in spite of all obstacles which neglect and ignorance opposed, the reproductive faculty was so superlatively strong in him, that he founded a family truer to the original type, and more able to protect itself from the infringements of foreign blood, than any family of horses, perhaps, that the world has ever seen. Whatever men may say for or against the Morgan horse per se, none can deny that his blood was strong enough to dominate over every blood with which it was brought in contact. No matter to what mare he was bred, the offspring was invariably a Morgan colt. In outward conformation of structure, in color, in temperament, in style of action, and even habits of the stable, the foal grew up to look and act like the sire. Not only was this reproductive faculty strong in the old horse, but he transmitted it to his sons • which is the highest form of all excellence in a stock-horse. Nor did this power die out in one or two generations, but continued on like a stream having a constant source; and might have been prolonged, doubtless, unto this day, had not the State which had been enriched and made famous by this animal and his descendants committed financial suicide by allowing the family to be scattered, and the family type itself bought away from it. Not alone Vermont, but the en- tire country were losers when the Morgan family ceased THE SIEE. 93 to have " a local habitation,*' although it could never cease tb have "a name." In proof of the perpetuation and continuity of this reproductive faculty in the Mor- gan family, even in our time, might be mentioned Ethan Allen, sired by Black Hawk ; and Taggart's Abdallah, whose grandsire was the famous Gilford Morgan, — per- haps the most beautiful horse ever ridden at a military parade. Of the speed of these two famous stallions — the former of which has trotted a mile faster than any horse that has ever lived, and the latter of which is, in our opinion, the highest type of a stock-horse in the country — we shall speak more fully hereafter. Enough at this point to say that they are lineal descendants from the original Morgan, and illustrate the assertion which we made above. As a further illus- tration of this principle, if any were needed, running all through the Morgan family, especially in case of the male colts, I might mention Old Morrill, gi-andsire of Draco, Mountain Maid, Hiram Woodruff, and the justly celebrated Fearnaught. Here is another descendant by a direct line from Justin Morgan, marked strongly with the family type ; marking his colts with the same type, fighting bravely, and maintaining himself against the incoming of foreign elements, — elements too, be it said, of the most potent character. Look at the pedigree of Old Morrill as exhibited in Table V. of the Supplement, and observe how the Morgan blood has to contend for the possession of the channel against three currents that find their source in imported Dio- 94 THE PERFECT HORSE. med, and three other streams that come pourmg in like a torrent from imported Messenger ; and yet the Morgan blood is royal enough to contend at odds against royalty, and takes the six streams of imported blood, mingles it with itself, and rolls along as calmly and as true to itself as before. I trust I am not opin- ionated; but I would ask. What other horse, imported or home-bred, has ever founded a family able to per- petuate its characteristics, and defend itself against the intrusion of foreign blood, as has the Morgan? Where is the imported Messenger type invariably true to itself? Where is imported Diomed, as discerned in his descend- ants ? Where is imported Bashaw, out of whose trunk the Clay branches have all sprung ? Where is any horse, or family of horses, whose type of outward con- formation and temperament even have survived seventy years of outcrossing and admixture ? The horse and family do not live, I reply. The Morgan, and the Morgan alone, is worthy to stand upon the pedestal in answer to such an interrogation. Whatever else he lacked, neither he nor his descendants lacked or lack the power to reproduce themselves. It is for this reason that I give it as my deliberate opinion, that, other things being equal, the stallion with the largest amount of Morgan blood in his veins will prove the best stock-horse. It is undoubtedly to the presence of this blood in their veins that Fearnaught, Ethan Allen and his son Lambert, Taggart's Abdallah and his descendants, and the Morrills of Vermont, are able to mark THE SIEE. 95 their offspring with their own characteristics. They are indebted, every one of them, to their old ancestor, Justin Morgan, for the possession of that rarest of all faculties in horses, — the power to reproduce their own excellences, — and which, derived from him, has won them fame, and their owners large incomes. We all live in debt to-day to an animal which so many horse- men underrate, if not despise, but which, in our opinion, gave to the country more handsome, docile, serviceable, and fast horses, than any animal America ever had. But, leaving this topic for subsequent dis- cussion, — and we propose to give the reasons for our emphatic assertion before we are done, — we lay it down as the first maxim of intelligent breeding, tliat a stock- horse is to he judged hij Ms stock rathe}' than hy himself and that the stallion that gets the best colts is the hest one to ijatronize. But what is it that the sire gives to his descendants ? and how far, and in what, as compared to the dam, does he dominate over his offspring ? This, perhaps, should be the next point for us to consider. We will proceed to do so ; premising, at the start, that the answer will not, in all points, be full or satisflictory. Indeed, the processes ot Nature are often hidden, and the springs of her influence concealed ; nor can man by searching find them out. Especially is this true in this matter of the causation and reproduction of life. The mists and vapors which geologists tell us swathed the infant world in the creation period swathe all infant life 96 THE PERFECT HORSE. to-day. It exists in unknown conditions and obscure relations before it is seen. How much the boy owes to the father, and how much to the mother, and how he came to owe the same, or more, to one than to the other, we do not know. How much nature is shaped in the germ, independent of condition and circum- stance, or how much, on the other hand, circumstance and condition affect the germ, who can say ? We can speculate; we can dogmatize: but, while the created mind is ignorant of the processes of its own creation, life, in its origin and pre-natal conditions, must remain largely a mystery. Before I express my own views, I will put before the reader the following principles of breeding, as published in " The Horse-Owner's Cyclopae- dia," page 99, and which have been highly indorsed by no less an authority than the late Mr. Herbert (" Frank Forester"). The author says, under the head of THEORY OF GENERATION, "1. The union of the sexes is, in all the higher ani- mals, necessary for reproduction ; the male and female each taking their respective share. " 2. The office of the male is to secrete the semen in the testes^ and emit it into the uterus of the female, in or near which organ it comes in contact with the ovum of the female, which remains sterile with- out it. " 3. The female forms the ovum in the ovary; and at THE SIRE. 97 regular times, varying in different animals, this descends into the uterus, for the purpose of fructification, on re- ceiving the stimulus and addition of the sperm-cell of the semen. " 4. The semex consists of two portions, — the sperma- tozoa, which have an automatic power of moving from place to place, by which quality it is believed that the semen is carried to the ovum; and the sperm-cells, which are intended to co-operate with the germ-cell of the ovum in forming the embryo. " 5. The ovum consists of the germ-cell — intended to form part of the embryo — and of the yolk, which nourishes both until the vessels of the mother take upon themselves the task ; or, in oviparous animals, till hatching takes place, and external food is to be obtained. The ovum is carried down by the contractile power of the Fallopian tubes from the ovary to the uterus ; and hence it does not require automatic particles like the semen. " 6. The embryo, or young animal, is the result of the contact of the semen with the ovum^ immediately after which the sperm-cell of the former is absorbed into the germ-cell of the latter. Upon this a tendency to in- crease or ' grow ' is established and supported at first by the nutriment contained in the yolk of the ovum, until the embryo has attached itself to the walls of the uterus, from which it afterwards absorbs its nourishment by the intervention of the placenta. "7. As THE MALE AND FEMALE Cacll fuTUisll their 7 98 THE PERFECT HORSE. quota to the formation of the embryo^ it is reasonable to expect that each shall he rejjresented in it j luhich is found to be the case in nature. But^ as the food of the embryo entirely depends upon the mother^ it may be expected that the health of the offspring.^ and its constitu- tional poiuers^ luill be more in accordance luith her state than tvith that of the father: yet^ since the sire furnishes one-half of the original germ., it is not surprising., that., ill external and general character., there is retained a FACSIMILE, to a certain extent^ of him. " 8. The ovum of mammalia differs from that of birds cliiefly in the greater size of the yolk of the latter, be- cause in them this body is intended to support the growth of the embryo from the time of the full forma- tion of the egg until the period of hatching. On the other hand, in mammalia the placenta conveys nourish- ment from the internal surface of the uterus to the em- bryo during the whole time which elapses between the entrance of the ovum into the uterus and its birth. This period embraces nearly the whole of the interval betAveen conception and birth, and is called utero-gesta- tion. "9. In all the mammalia there is a periodical 'heat,' marked by certain discharges in the female, and sometimes by other remarkable symptoms in the male (as in the rutting of the deer). In the former it is accompanied, in all healthy subjects, by the descent of an ovum, or ova, into the uterus ; and in both there is a strong desire for sexual intercourse, which never i THE SIRE. 99 takes place at other times in tliem (with the single exception of the genus Dimana). "10. The semen retains its fructifying power for some days if it is contained within the walls of the uterus or vagina, but soon ceases to be fruitful if kept in any other vessel. Hence, although the latter part of the time of heat is the best for the union of the sexes, be- cause then the ovum is ready for the contact with the semen, yet, if the semen reaches the uterus first, it will still cause a fruitful impregnation, because it remains there (or in the Fallopian tubes) uninjured until the descent of the ovum. "11. The influence of the male upon the embryo is partly dependent upon the fact that he furnishes a por- tion of its substance in the shape of the sperm-cell, but also, in great measure, upon the effect exerted upon the nervous system of the mother by him. Hence the pre- ponderance of one or other of the parents will, in great measure, depend upon the greater or less strength of nervous system in each. No general law is known by which this can be measured ; nor is any thing known of the laws which regulate the temperament, bodily or mental power, color or conformation, of the resulting offspring. "12. Acquired qualities are transmitted, whether they belong to the sire or dam ; and also both bodily and mental. As bad qualities are quite as easily trans- mitted as good ones, if not more so, it is necessary to take care, that, in selecting a male to improve the stock. 100 THE PERFECT HORSE. he. is free from bad points, as well as furnished with good ones. It is known by experience that the good or bad points of the progenitors of the sire or dam are almost as likely to appear again in the offspring as those of the immediate parents in whom they are dormant. Hence, in breeding, the rule is, that like produces like, or tlie likeness of some ancestoi\ "13. The purer or less mixed the breed, the more likely it is to be transmitted unaltered to the offspring. Hence, wdiichever parent is of the purest blood will be generally more represented in the offspring: but as the male is usually more carefully selected, and of purer blood, than the female, it generally follows that he ex- erts more influence than she does; the reverse being the case when she is of more unmixed blood than the sire. "14. Breeding 'in-and-in' is injurious to mankind, and has always been forbidden by the divine law, as well as by most human lawgivers. On the other hand, it prevails extensively in a state of nature with all gre- garious animals (such as the horse), among whom the strongest male retains his daughters and grand-daughters until deprived of his harem by younger and stronger rivals. Hence, in those of our domestic animals which are naturally gregarious, it is reasonable to conclude that breeding ' in-and-in ' is not prejudicial, because it is in conformity with their natural instincts, if not car- ried farther by art than Nature teaches by her example. Now, in nature, we find about two consecutive crosses THE SIRE. 101 of the same blood is the usual extent to which it is car- ried, as the life of the animal is the limit ; and it is a remarkable fact, that, in practice, a conclusion has been arrived at which exactly coincides with these natural laws. ' Once in and once out ' is the rule for breeding: given by Mr. Smith in his work on the breeding for the turf; but twice in will be found to be more in accord- ance with the practice of our most successful (early) breeders. ■ "15. The INFLUENCE OF THE FIRST IMPREGNATION seems to extend to the subsequent ones : this has been proved by several experiments, and is especially marked in the equine genus. In the series of examples preserved in the Museum of the College of Surgeons, the markings of the male quagga, when united with the ordinary mare, are continued clearly for three generations beyond the one in which the quagga was the actual sire ; and they are so clear as to leave the question settled without a doubt. " IG. When some of the elements of which an indi- vidual sire is composed are in accordance with others making up those of the dam, they coalesce in such a kindred way as to make what is called 'a hit.' On the other hand, when they are too incongruous, an animal is the result wholly unfitted for the task he is intended to perform." The above rules, or " principles " as the author names them, appear to me to be in the main correct, and of great value to the student of the question ; but they do 102 THE PERFECT HORSE. not supply that detailed knowledge required by the breeder, nor are they sustained by such testimony of fact and illustration as one might desire. The Arabs hold that the essential portions of the body, such as the bones, tendons, nerves, and veins, pro- ceed invariably from the sire; and it is undoubtedly true that the shape of the bones, and nervous dis- eases, and weaknesses of the bone-structure, are derived principally from that source. I would sooner breed, for instance, a diseased mare to a healthy stallion, than a healthy mare to a diseased stallion. Certain it is that from the sire the colt commonly derives his nervous vigor, and those moral qualities which serve to distinguish and ennoble the well-bred horse. The Arabs have this maxim, "A horse of noble race has no vices;" and also this, "The foal follows the sire." With this estimation I do not at all agree. The instances in which the foal does not follow the sire are too numerous for us to allow that the Arabian maxim is worthy of being regarded as a law. Even a casual inspection of my own stables, or the stables of any breeder, would cause a grave suspicion to arise in any thoughtful mind touching the Eastern adage. I have, for instance, in my stables, dams whose foals invariably resemble the sire in size, shape, color, style of going, and even in temperament ; and these mares are valued by me as almost beyond price, because of this peculiarity. / know beforehand what I shall get On the other hand, THE SIEE. 103 I have two other mares whose colts invariably resemble themselves, or some one of their parental ancestors. So true is this, that I can calculate before the foal appears what he will not be, although I may not easily tell what he luill be. Such are the facts in my own stables ; and they harmonize perfectly with the results of observa- tion in many other breeding establishments. The law plainly suggested by inference from these facts is this, that the animal luith the strongest vitality marks the foal. If the dam be most highly organized, then the foal will resemble the dam ; if the sire, then the foal will resem- ble the sire. This is the law, as we all know, in the human family : if the mother be of nervous, sanguine temperament, and the father lymphatic and sluggish, the child will take after the mother ; if the conditions be reversed, the result will be the reverse. Exceptions there may be and are ; but the law stands firm, vindi- cating its truth with each successive generation. I am bound, nevertheless, to say that this law does not hold good in cases where we should naturally expect it would. To illustrate : According to the law, when a low-blooded mare is bred to a thorough-bred horse, the foal should resemble the sire ; but, alas ! too often he does not. On the other hand, according to the law, a blooded-mare bred to a low-blooded horse should bring forth a colt like herself ; but neither is this true. What, then, becomes of the law ? I confess that I do not know ; nor have I been able to find in the works of any author a satisfactory answer to the puzzle. Practically 104 THE PERFECT HOESE. although I cannot philosophically account for my pref- erence, — yet ])racUcallij^ I say, we know that it is far better to have a high, fine organization in the sire, and let the low organization, if it must exist in either parent, be on the side of the dam. The fact is, both parents should be highly organized ; and any thing short of this introduces uncertainty as to what the result of the ex- periment will be. The only infallible rule — the best statement ever given touching the reproduction of any form of life — was published by God himself in his inspired word, when he said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after Ms kincV This, never- theless, must be observed, — that the power to bring forth after his kind — if hy his Mud we mean personal resemblances rather than generic attributes — does not belong to the horse as a race, but to the horse as an indi- vidual ; for, as we have already pointed out in the case of Justin Morgan, this faculty of reproducing excel- lences is individual, and not general. And so we come back to the same observation previously made in regard to what constituted a valuable stock-horse, — viz., that the best horse is he, who, being good in himself, most surely and closely reproduces himself in his ofF- gpring ; and to this formula should now be added the words, lohen hred to the mares of the greatest variety of form ayid temperament. Let us, then, turn our atten- tion to the consideration and enumeration of those attributes, which, being possessed, render a horse unfit for stock-purpo.^es, The first we have already meu- f THE SIKE. 105 tioned, — the inability to reproduce theraselves. The second point to be observed is this, — avoid A LOW-BRED STALLIOX. This term "low-bred" is not a mere technical term, a creation of a ring of horsemen, but represents some- thing solid and tangible to the understanding. A low- bred horse is faulty in his bone-structure, vicious in his temper, sluggish in action, and lacking in those higher qualities — such as courage, docility, and beauty — which distinguish a well-bred horse. The term also describes his ancestry, and links a base result with base causes. I do not wish to be understood as saying that a thorough-bred stallion is invariably worthy of the stud ; for, as I have already pointed out, only now and then one is : but while the thorough-bred may be, or may not be, a low-bred brute never is. Beware of nothing so much as a low-bred stock-horse. His services cannot be offered so cheap, that they will not, in the end, prove dear ; because the colts from such a horse, when ready for the market, will bring less than they have cost the owner to raise them. No stallion without a good sound pedigree should ever be patronized. The law in respect to this matter is, that the foals will, in most cases, resemble the father, or some precedent ancestor ; in either of which cases the result w411 be equally unfortunate. It cannot be denied that the characteristics of ancestors do continue, ever and anon, to re-appear in their descendants : and hence, in breed- 106 THE PERFECT HORSE. ing horses, pedigree — that is, the character not only of the parents, but also of grandparents and great-grand- parents — becomes worthy of close attention ; and when the pedigree of dam and sire both is known to be good, and they themselves are good, it is evident that little fear may be felt touching the character of the foal. For if he resembles his immediate parents, or if, skip- ping these, he appears stamped with the impress of some ancestor, the result must, in either case, be the same. This it is which gives to the pedigrees their value in the eye of the breeder. It guarantees him against total failure, to say the least; and insures a greater success than the quality of the immediate parents would per- haps make possible. But, if a horse without a pedigree should never be patronized, the breeder should bear in mind that a good pedigree does not make a good horse. I have known animals, with a pedigree as long as your arm, who were not worthy of the least attention. Find the horse first ; then examine the pedigree : and if they correspond, and mutually sustain each other, then pur- chase ; for you have met an animal greatly to be desired. Remember always, that none save the highest types of a family can be expected to reproduce the valuable char- acteristics of the family. Because a stallion was sired by Eysdyk's Hambletonian, it does not follow that he is worthy of being bought or kept for a stock-horse ; and yet, with many of our committees at agricultural fairs, the fact that a colt was sired by a Rysdyk's Hambletonian is enough to secure for him both attention and the prize. THE SIEE. 107 VICIOUS STALLIONS. Especially I would urge all breeders to avoid vicious and irritable seed-horses. The idea that a stallion is less amiable than a gelding is both contrary to nature and observation, and, in common with many other erroneous opinions resulting from ignorance, confined to this country. An irritable temper and a vicious dis- position are hereditary — superlatively so — in horses as well as in men. I know families that have been noted for fretfulness and ugliness of spirit for generations. Viciousness seems to be the family mark : it comes down from sire to son in uninterrupted sequence. So it is with horses. A vicious sire begets a vicious colt. Exceptions there may be ; but the law holds good in the main. I have known a seed-horse at death leave the county where he stood full of ugly brutes : they were intractable, fretful, hard to teach ; they would rear, bite, and kick. You could never make them docile and kind: they were unpleasant and dangerous. Now, I hold that no one should breed to such a horse. No perfection of muscle and frame, no high-sounding pedigree, no marvellous record on the turf, would in- fluence me to put one of my mares to such a horse. I want no vicious colts in my stalls. None but an amia- ble, docile, kindly-disposed animal should be selected for service in the stud. This rule is of special impor- tance to the breeder, as it is directly related to the successful sale of his colts. Gentlemen do not wish to 108 THE PERFECT HORSE. buy an uneasy, fretful, and fractious thing. It is uncer- tain and dangerous business to train and teach such an animal. There is too much risk about it. Nothing ad- vertises a family of colts so badly as viciousness, or that fickleness, or irritability of temper, bordering close upon it. Seeing that this matter is clearly within one's control, I hold that it is a high misdemeanor in a breeder to breed a vicious colt. He has no right to introduce a force into the world which man cannot easily and safely manage. But, if one has no right to breed to a vicious stallion, neither is it wise for him to breed to one when he is in an artificial state. I will explain this more fully. When life is propagated in the animal kingdom, the life produced is the product of the union of two lives, and takes its character from the character of the parental source. The foal is a representative of the sire and dam both, and of the sire and dam, not as they might have been, but as tlieij actually tuere at the time of its conception. Not alone the general health of the two parents is transmitted to the offspring, but the par- ticular habit and mood of life in which they then were. The nervous and temperamental states and conditions were transmitted also. Hence it comes about, that as, in the case of human species, the babe conceived in drunk- enness is apt to be idiotic, and in other respects imbecile ; so the foal conceived when the sire and dam, or either, were in an unnatural, excited, feverish state, will come into the world sensibly affected and weakened from THE SIRE. 109 this cause. The influence of the nervous stcate on the offspring of the human fiimily is well understood ; and not alone of the nervous state, but of the state of the blood, the condition of the bones and muscles: these are regarded as potential in their influence on the life destined to be born. These things have not been con- sidered by breeders of the horse with the close atten- tion which they deserve ; but he who has observed how high the organization of the horse is will see that these influences must be duly regarded by one who seeks to breed the perfect horse. ' The law is, that the state of the parents is the state of the child. As the dam and sire are, so will the foal be. Fevered parents beget fevered children : this is the rule. Now, horses, when in training for the turf, or engaged in actual contests, are in a most artificial state: their nervous system, their blood and stomach, are in an unnatural condition ; they are strung up, excited, inflamed. How true this is may be seen from the fact, that, when they have passed through the grand prepcuxdion^ they often get sick if the race for any reason is deferred. They, as well as their trainer, know that a great occasion is to come off in Avhich they are to figure ; and they are uneasy and excited until the great feat has been done or attempted. Moreover, it should be remembered that training and track work take stuff out of a horse. The animal is able to do one great deed ; but this ability has been secured at the expense of a great constitutional disturbance. The normal, healthy course of nature has been inter- 110 THE PERFECT HOESE. rupted, and made subordinate to another consideration. Now, all this, continued season after season, affects the animal most injuriously. He may not actually break down ; but the reserve force has been drained away, and his stamina impaired. Now, let a stallion thus superficially in the highest possible condition, but latently and in fact in an impaired condition, become a sire, and the foal will share, not the original constitutional characteristics of the horse, but those artificial peculiarities introduced by his public career and training therefor. Hence it comes about, that few horses of either sex noted for their public performances have ever become the parents of horses good as themselves. Hence it happens that the foals of these horses not only fall short of that degree of excellence which their ^^arents had, but are actually, and in many cases fatally, crippled in force, or made heirs of an evil inheritance. Ethan Allen, for in- stance, — a horse of superb bone-structure, and belong- ing to a family noted for constitutional vigor, — got a great many colts with feeble legs : he bred his high- fevered, artificial state into them. Many of his colts have been unpleasantly nervous and excitable; to drive which was a task and a risk, rather than a pleasure. The fact is, no stock-horse should ever be trained for a race, or gotten into abnormal state or condition of health or mood. He should be kept in a healthy, normal state, quiet, and with all his powers and faculties in even poise. The severe training to which colts intended to be kept THE SIKE. Ill for the stud are put between the ages of two and six years is one of the greatest obstacles in the way of breeding sound and perfect horses ; and the habit of stinting mares to such horses, on the part of breeders, is unmitigated folly. It is the surest way of commit- ting hari-kari in breeding that I know of My advice, therefore, is, Avoid stallions kept, or that have been kept, for the purposes of the turf, and put your mares to stallions of good pedigree which show good trotting- action, — able to trot, say, a mile in 2.40, — of amia- ble disposition, of undoubted constitutional vigor and soundness, and in a natural state. Such a horse will — if, in addition to these other qualities, he have the power to transmit them to his offspring — prove a good, safe, reliable stock-horse. His colts will be healthy, strong, and vigorous. They will have lasting legs and lungs, stomachs able to digest food without the help of "con- dition powders," and tempers fine, but reliable as a Damascus blade. Breed to such a horse, and you will have gone far, in so doing, along the road of success. Furthermore, suffer this caution : Never breed to a horse because he has a high-sounding, fashionable name, with a corresponding pedigree attached. It is as- tonishing how many Fearnaughts and Abdallahs and Morrills and Hambletonians there are. Perhaps the last-mentioned name is abused the most. All over New England and the country, you will find Hamble- tonian this and Hambletonian that advertised to the* breeding public, that are not worth, for stock-purposes, 112 THE PERFECT HORSE. the bedding they stand on. Big-headed, big-legged, but-ended things, they point the satire on human cre- dulity that could be persuaded into breeding even a third-rate mare to them. The fact is, the Hambletonian family, great and worthy of patronage as it is, is worthy of patronage only in the case of its finest repre- sentatives. If Dexter had not been castrated, he would have been about my idea of a stock-horse in every thing but his temper ; and I am inclined to think that that was naturally excellent : but Dexter is the result of that one especial cross with a star-mare which Hambletonian "hit" well with. A son of the old horse with a star- mare, or indeed any thorough-bred mare, for its dam, is, generally speaking, a good horse : but it is a notorious fact that Old Hambletonian (Rysdyk's) does not cross well with the average run of mares ; neither do his sons. With the exercise of proper discrimination in respect to the dam, this family of horses does well ; if not, not. If this is true as regards the finest types of the family, what must be the chance in reference to the coarser specimens ? I reply, No chance at all ; and I look upon it as most unfortunate for the country, and sure to result in the disgrace of the family, — whose fame, prop- erly guarded, might endure indefinitely, — that so many of the third-rate colts of this horse's get are now being advertised for the stud. With a great many people it is enough that a horse is a son of Hambletonian ; failing to make the distinction, that it is better to breed to the most perfect specimen of a poor family than to the THE SIRE. 113 inferior specimens of the best families. These people cannot be persuaded that a name does not make a horse. But they will find this out to their cost after a few years of silly experimenting in a direction in which experimenting has already been conducted to. a demon- stration. I would here reiterate the truism, that a pedi- gree does not make a horse ; and that a string of noble names is of no account in breeding, unless a noble animal stands at the end of it. Look at the horse before you pay any attention to his pedigree. A wise man may have a fool for a son ; and a great horse improperly crossed will often get a foal in no sense worthy of him. Those who expect, that, because a stallion happens to be half-brother to Dexter, he will necessarily get colts that will grow up to rival Dexter, represent in their mental structure a most unhappy cross themselves. The rule is, that the foal will re- semble the immediate parents ; the exception is, that he will resemble the remote ancestor : and those who breed to a poor specimen of a family, expecting that the colts will be like the founder of the family, and not like the immediate sire, are breeding in the face and eyes of this prime maxim. - Select a stock-horse who is great in himself and Ms ancestry^ and not noble only in his parentage, and you will be following the rule which the law of nature and the evidence of all observation indorse as correct and imperative. The moment that this law is apprehended and obeyed by the people, a great many stallions — great only in the greatness of 114 THE PERFECT HOKSE. their sires — which are now being offered as stock- horses to the piibhc will go to the string-team or to the dogs, where they belong : and it makes no difference to which ; for they are absolutely worthless for the pur- poses of the stud. Concerning the proper age of service, authorities differ, and men disagree. Every one has a right to his own views ; but I am disposed to think, that, the ex- tremes of age and youth being avoided, no difference exists in the value of the get. Many are strongly prejudiced against breeding to young stallions before they have reached full maturity, and become "thoroughly seasoned," as they say ; but the facts show that some of the best horses ever foaled were sired by mere colts. As a matter of interest, and as a case in point, we give below the ages at which Hambletonian got his best foals : — Alexander's Abdallah was got when Hambletonian was two years old. Volunteer when he was four, Edward Everett when he was five, Dexter when he was eight, Bruno when he was eleven. Sentinel when he was twelve. Jay Gould when he was fourteen, Gazelle and Aberdeen when he was sixteen, and Startle when he was seventeen. Here are horses sired all the way from tivo years to seventeen ; and certainly none would say that the old horse ever got a better stallion-colt, or one that has reflected, in the main, more honor upon the sire, than Alexander's Abdallah. Aberdeen is a noble horse, but THE SIKE. 115 no better than Volunteer : Jay Gould is remarkable ; but Edward Everett is equally noted. The dam of Ethan Allen, if my memory serves me, was twenty-four years old when she dropped him ; and yet I might mention others as famous after their kind as the little bay stal- lion, whose dams were fillies of three or four years. The prejudice, therefore, against breeding mares to young stallions, is not warranted by facts. No horse can reach maturity, perhaps, before he is eight or ten years of age ; and many horses have sired their grandest colts long before they came to that age. It is also known that many of the most talented men and women of the world were the first or last born of their parents ; and that in no respect are those born in middle age, when the physical and mental powers of the j^arents may be said to be in the state of high development, superior to the earlier or later born. Nor does it seem to injure in any way the colt to serve a reasonable number of mares, — in his second year, from five to ten ; in his third year, from ten to twenty ; in his fourth year, from twenty to thirty : this I hold to be well within the line of safety. A colt well put together, and fed and exercised judiciously, would not, in my opinion, be injured by such service, but rather imj^roved. At this time of life he is manageable, and can be educated to cover the mare properly, and in gentleness of fervent but controlled desire, and not in the frenzy of wild and savage license. The proper education of a high-bred stallion-colt for the purposes of the stud is the duty, as 116 THE PERFECT HORSE. it should be the ambition, of every owner. A fractious, lawless, violent horse is a disgrace to the head groom and the stable. A horse that cannot be controlled by a word is not fit to serve a mare. The squealing, plun-' ging, savage sort are unfit for public service, and should be avoided by the breeder. In addition to the fact that they endanger the health and life of the mare, they also impress her unfavorably ; and these parental impressions have, as I hold, much to do with the life and character of the foal. Every fortunate birth, over which the Fates smile propitiously, is the result of fervent but amiable intercourse, to which either parent yields with gladness, and not the result of an insane and brutal act from which the female seeks to fly in fear and terror. And I hold it to be a law written in the very nature of things, that a violent, ungovernable stallion is unfit for the purposes of the stud. When breeders refuse to stint their mares to such brutes, they will disappear, and not before. The owners of such creatures can only be reached through the pocket. Mercenary considerations they feel the force of, and none others. Let these violent stallions alone, and their owners will get better ones, and not before. Touching the state of the stallion's health at the time of service, this should be said : It should be perfect ; and perfect health in the horse kind, allow me to remind the reader, is not shown by fatness. A horse is not a hog ; and that state which types the excellence of the one does not type it in the other. Fat stallions are THE SIEE. 117 unfit stallions to breed to. A stock-horse should, by- judicious exercise and dieting, be .kept at just that point at which the nervous and muscular forces are at the flood. It is astonishing how much exercise a stock- horse can take, and keep improving in his nervous and muscular condition all the while. From ten to twenty miles a day is not generally too much work during the covering season : with this amount their condition will be superb. What a coat, what eyes, what limbs, they will have ! How little like a pig, and how much like a horse, they will look when led from the stall ! A horse thus treated will also be a sure foal-getter. Half of the mares he served will not be returned upon him the next season. Indolence on the part of the sire during the covering season is the curse of American breeding. I know stallions in New England that are fat as swine, and are rarely driven a mile, but stand day after day in sluggish, vigor-sapping idleness. What colts can you expect from horses kept in such a condition ? I have already given my views as to the degree of influence derived from either parent; but I may say here, that I would never breed a mare to a stallion with the expectation of getting a trotting-colt, unless the stallion could trot. The trotting -action seems to be peculiarly the gift of the s'ire, prouided that he is not weak in those nervous and constitutional forces which enable him to repeat himself in his offspring. A horse with trotting-action, but weak in vital force, will not be apt to transmit his way of going, or any thing else of 118 THE PERFECT HORSE. himself; but, other things being equal, you may expect that the sire will give his action to his colts. I might mention horses remarkable for this, — horses that mark their colts so decidedly with their action, that it alone is sufficient to designate their parentage. Such a horse, if his style of going is good, is invaluable to the breeder. I emphasize "style of going," because many stallions that trot, and trot fast too, do not trot ivell. Consider- able speed can and does often co-exist with a faulty action ; and this should be noted. A great many stal- lions trot too ivide ; that is, they have too oj^en a gait. Such an action is faulty ; and the reason is this : It is necessary, as all admit, that, in speeding, the action of the hind-legs should be wide enough to allow the feet to pass outside of the forward-legs. This is indispensa- ble. But it should be borne in mind that every inch of lateral action requires exertion, costs effort, and ex- hausts strength; and that the horse should be gaited, therefore, so as to "open up" no wider than is abso- lutely necessary in order to get safely by his fore-legs ; for every inch of side-action beyond this is unneces- sary, and a source of exhaustion, when every ounce of strength is needed to bring him home in time. What we want is motion in a straight line^ or as near a straight line as the circumstances of the case will permit ; and he is the best horse who "spreads" enough to go clear and free, and stops there. I hold, therefore, that these over- wide-gaited horses are of faulty action. They and their get show excellently on the exercise-ground, or when led THE SIRE. 119 at our fliirs up and clown before the judges' stand to the halter ; for they literally make a great spread, attract the popular eye, and enable every fool to see that they have got trotting-action. But these colts that trot so wide, that they could trot with a flour-barfel between their legs, do not trot so well, I notice, at the end of the heat as they do at the beginning, and are generally found at the wrong side of the distance-posts at the conclusion in a well-contested race of the fourth or fifth heat. I have a stallion in mind, as I write, that trots a three- minute clip — so perfect is his knee-action, and quick is his gather — without "opening up" at all, but that can "open up" enough to show his heels to many wider- gaited horses, when it is necessary to get his nose to the judges' wnre quicker than 30 sec. And, what he can do the first heat, he can keep on doing the fifth, sixth, or seventh heat, or all day, for that matter: and the reason is, because he does not waste any force by szt/e-action, but delivers his strokes in a straight line ; and every inch of movement brings him an inch nearer home. And this is the style of horse that will invariably win when the con- testants are many, the race a close one, and endurance every thing. Now, the colts of this horse resemble their sire in this their style of going. When led to the halter, they do not "open out" at all, or very little, because the groom cannot make the pace fast enough for them to feel the need of effort ; and I doubt if many judges at the New-England fairs would ever regard them as worthy to 120 THE PEEFECT HOKSE. compete for prizes among colts of the wide-going, Morrill action. But when these little trappy, quick-stepping fel- lows are grown up, and happen to be called Dauntless' or Ned Wallace, the backers of the Morrill and Tom Jef- ferson stock find that they have trotting-action enough to get them round to the wire about two lengths quicker than it was for their interest to have them get home. I must confess to a growing dislike to this excessive wide "action of the hind-feet: it may impress the crowd, and secure purchasers from that large number of people who never reason upon any thing, but who buy a horse, as the drunken sailor bought his ladder, "because it was so well ventilated ; " but to me it argues weakness or faulty construction where both are fatal to the highest form of success. While, therefore, I would breed to no stallion who had not a trotting-gait, I should not be especially attracted to one noted for " wide action " as the phrase is ; and if this width of action is associated, as is often the case, with slowness of gather, — that is, if his hind- feet went very wide apart, and staid under the sulky a good luliile^ — I would not breed to him anyway. This tardiness of gathering is a bad feature in a horse : a slow- gathering horse will never trot fast^ no matter how open his gait, or how long his stride. I have seen horses stride a distance of seventeen feet when they were not trotting better than a 2.50 gait. These slow-gathering horses are generally long-backed horses ; and horses with long backs, unless splendidly developed over the loins, are apt to gather slowly. The power to bring their feet up THE SIRE. 121 from under the sulky with a twitch, and shoot them ahead as the arrow is shot out of a bow, is not in them. Select a stallion short in the upper line, and long in the lower line, strongly coupled over the hips, and the dis- tance between the hip-bones and spine-bone swellmg with ridges and masses of muscle that you can see play and work like great pulleys when taking their exercise, and you will get colts from him that will stride far, and gather like lightning. As to the height and size, I say unhesitatingly, that the perfect horse in these respects is one that stands fifteen hands and two inches high (sixty- two inches), and weighs ten hundred and fifty pounds. This is the standard of perfection ; an inch either Avay in height, or fifty pounds in weight, is allowable : but for speed and endurance, for the purposes of general driv- ing, and for the track, and, therefore, for the purposes of breeding, no stallion should weigh less than a thou- sand, or more than eleven hundred pounds; neither should he stand higher than sixty-three inches, nor lower than sixty. It used to be thought, that for the purposes of the track, and in order to be good weight- pullers, large-sized horses were indispensable ; but when men saw Flora Temple, barely tipping eight hundred pounds, pull the same weight as the great stallion George M. Patcheu, and get her nose in at the wire a little quicker than he could, heat after heat, they had to go back on their favorite theory. Theory and specu- lation are excellent in their place and way ; but they are useless when put over against the logic of facts; 122 THE PERrECT HOESE. and tlie fact is, that the best weight-pullers of the country, since the first trotting-race was made, have been horses of medium size, and, in many cases, even under-sized. Many illustrations of this I might offer in way of proof Now, if horses of this weight and size can do all that any of the horse-kind can do, why should they not be regarded as the model horse ; that is, the size and weight with which the Creator has associated the greatest speed and endurance ? Nor, indeed, is excessive weight a proof of strength. Old Justin Morgan, when weighing less than nine hundred pounds, would pull a log heavier than any twelve-hundred-pound horse that could be found in the States of Maine and Vermont. He would not only pull a log that these heavier horses could not even start, but pull it with two heavy men sitting astride of it. In view of these facts, is not all weight above the standard suggested excessive weight ? Does it not burden a horse, endanger his limbs, imperil his feet, and detract materially from his general value ? The Hambletonian and Morrill stock, because of the speed and general excellence of their get, set the fashion, and caused large-sized horses to be eagerly sought for and demanded, and the Morgan family of horses to be de- spised as undersized. But this was only an accident, and the fashion of an hour. After twenty years of breed- ing and use, we know that heavy horses cannot stand work on our paved avenues and stone-bedded roads ; and we also know that they can neither trot faster, nor THE SIEE. ' 123 stay longer, than the ten-hundred or ten-hundred-and- fifty pound horse. My advice, therefore, is, to breed from a medium-sized stallion ; and, if you wish to enlarge the size of your colts, get the extra size by a cross with large-sized mares. I do not say that this is the indis- pensable way ; but it is the better way, as I judge ; and I therefore recommend it. This matter of crossing naturally introduces the vexed question, "What shall we cross with? " The matter of blood — what it symbolizes, and where it can be found — and of in-breeding come before us naturally at this point for discussion; and we will here group together what we have to say, choosing for our general caption the word THOROUGH-BRED. All over the country, from Maine to California, in every State where horses are bred, this word is being spoken in hot debate. It has been the cause of more verbal strife among breeders and horsemen than any other word in the dictionary ; and still the fight goes on, and with varying fortune. The advocates and oppo- nents of breeding trotting-mares to thorough-bred stal- lions, and vice versd^ have their alternate successes. One will say, "Nothing but a thorough-bred mare is fit to breed to a good stallion." Another will deny that a trotter can be got from such a cross. One will declare, "We must warm up our cold-blooded mares by breeding to thorough-bred horses, in order to give game, and power to stag a distance, to the colts." 124 . THE PEEFECT HORSE. Another will point you to a dozen horses that have drifted up to the cities from the barn-yards of Maine, or been bought out of string-teams, — as Dutchman the Wonderful was, — about whose pedigree nothing was known, and of some of which nothing is known up to this day, that were able to trot fast, and trot all clay, and say, "If that is low blood, then low blood is good enough for me." Then there is another class, who are neither ignorant nor prejudiced, who doubt the expediency of breeding to running-stock at all, on the ground that the running- gait is so opposite to the trotting-gait, and at the same time so strong and true to itself, that it cannot be over- conib in the cross, but will remain dominant in the foal ; and that the breeder will find, that, in breeding in the running-gait, he has bred out the trotting-action. To this view I give assent ; and my opinion is based both upon actual trial in my own stables, and upon observation of many other stables. I hold that a thorough-bred mare of running-action will very rarely produce a foal of trotting-action when bred to a trotting- stallion, or vice versa. I hold that two styles of going, so unlike, cannot harmonize. Like two hostile cur- rents, they fight each other, and come to a stand-still. The colt is neither a trotter nor a runner. He is an excellent, stylish roadster and saddle-horse; and that is all. He is a good horse for many purposes, but not such a horse as the breeder desired and expected. This, I say, is my opinion. I thrust it offensively upon no one ; but I hold to it. THE StRE. 125 The question — and it is one of tlie utmost impor- tance — arises, therefore, "Where shall we get blood, if we cannot go to the thorough-bred running-family ? How can we breed colts of sufficient beauty, courage, and endurance to meet the demands of the purchasing public and the turf, if we cannot go to the thorough- bred for our crosses ? for it is admitted on all sides that hlood tells. ''^ In response to this interrogation I reply, Th/it we must go to thorougli-hreds to find what we need ; but we must go to the thorough-bred trotting.^ and not to the thorough-bred running horse. And now I would ask the reader's closest attention to what I am to say ; because I deem it of prime impor- tance to the breeder, and likely to be attacked by many. The word "thorough-bred" has an artificial and a natural, a technical and- a practical, significance. Techni- cally considered, the thorough-bred horse is one whose pedigree can be traced back through imported stock to the English stud-books, and through these to the East, whence the modern English thorough-bred horse ances- trally came. This is what I call the artificial or technical significance of the word " thorough-bred." It does not prove that a horse is a good animal ; for many, both in this country and in England, whose pedigree can be traced back to an Arabian source, are comparatively of little value. In England you can find hundreds of "weedy" colts, with neither lungs nor legs able to 126 THE PEEFECT HORSE. stand the necessary work to fit them for a race, or, indeed, of any considerable value any way ; and the same is true with us. To buy a horse simply because he has a long and noble pedigree is to buy as a fool buyeth. And especially does this hold true in the case of breeding ; for which purpose, none but the best speci- mens of the family you desire to cross with should be purchased. A poor horse is a poor horse the world over in all families, and in spite of pedigree. A good animal with a good pedigree is what the breeder needs ; and this rule should be closely adhered to. To vary from this principle is to risk all. Beyond this technical sense, the word " thorough-bred" has another and a practical significance, which I will now explain. In the practical sense, the word stands for and symbolizes certain indispensable qualities which give value to the animal, and decide his rank and place in the grade to which he belongs. Among these may be mentioned beauty of form, toughness of bone and muscular structure, vivacity and docility of tempera- ment, intelligence, and above all, perhaps, in value, the poiver of endurance, and the desire to do ; what horse- men express by the word "game." All pedigrees are worthless save as they indicate and warrant that the horse with the noble ancestry is noble himself It is a help to the judgment, as to the value of a colt, to know that its dam is a Star mare; because a Star mare is a daughter of American Star; and American Star was sired by Henry, who ran against Eclipse in the famous THE SIRE. 127 match between the North and South, To a breeder such a pedigree is of the utmost value, because it is a guaranty that the colt out of such a mare will have, to some extent at least, the noble qualities which made his ancestors famous. Now, then, the question comes back to us, "What makes a thorough-bred? " And I say, that, for all practical purposes, a horse which has a certain perfection of form, a certain degree of intelligence, the power to do great deeds when called upon, together with the high courage to attempt and to actually perform them, is a thorough-bred horse. That is my answer to the question; and I think that it will recommend itself to the common sense of the reader. Observe, then, what are the facts of the case as connected with the trotting-horse. The facts are these : that, beginning with Dutchman, and coming down through Lady Suffolk, Flora Temple, George M. Patchen, Ethan Allen, Dexter, and Goldsmith's Maid, we have had for the last fifty years in this country a race of horses of trotting-action of as fine a spirit, and as great powers of endurance, as any that were ever bred. In perfection of structure, in the symmetrical adjustment of all the parts, in intelligence, — that surest proof and crown of good breeding, — in dauntless resolution that stopped not short of death itself in the hour of supreme performance, these horses, and countless others like to thein, were, I claim, second to none that ever delighted the eye and made j^roud the heart of man. I hold that it is unjust to these 128 THE PERFECT HORSE. noble horses to call them of vulgar or basely-tainted blood. They were kings and queens in that order of life to which they belonged, and proved their royal qualities on many a contested field when the lookers-on stood breathless. I object, both on the ground of senti- ment and proper classification, to such a definition of thorough-bred, that, in order to be just to the one class of horses, one must be unjust to the other. Where they are equal in performance, they should be equal in honor. Who shall say that Old Topgallant, when he went against Whalebone four-mile heats, and trotted them in 11.16, 11.06, 11.17, and 12.15, —that is, making his sixteen miles in forty-five minutes and forty- four seconds, which is just 2.52|- to the mile, and that, too, when he was tiventy-tioo years of age, — is not worthy to stand beside Eclipse, or Henry, or any other horse that ever ran a race ? There is a right and a wrong to this thing; and, for one, I assert that the nomenclature is faulty, and the classification vicious, which covers Longfellow and Harry Bassett with laurel, and leaves Dexter and Goldsmith's Maid without a spray. There is, therefore, as I understand the merits of the case, tivo great families of thorough-bred horses, instead of one^ in this country. The one is the thorough- bred running-horse : the other is the thorough-bred trotting-horse. The time has come for horsemen to understand this, and no longer be fettered by a classification applicable only to a country where the trotting-horse is not known or honored. The English THE SIRE. 129 stud-books are sufficient for England, where the running- horse embodies all excellence; but they are entirely insufficient in this country, where the trotting-horse finds his ancestry, his birthplace, and the field of his glory. There is, therefore, in this country, a family of horses possessing the very qualities for which the Eng- lish running-horse has so long been noted, and in as great a derjree^ as the history of its performances shows, but which are distinguished from the English thorough- bred by their style of going : and to this family, by every law and rule of justice, the same honorable nomenclature must be given ; and we now give it the same, and ask your attention to what we have to sug- gest touching the THOROUGH-BRED TROTTING-HORSE. We have alluded to the matter of out-crossino; in order to get "blood," — that is, those high qualities which it symbolizes, — and we have said that it were not wise to go to the running-family for the cross ; and this we repeat. First, because, in doing this, you lose the trotting-action ; and, secondly, because there is no need to do it, since the same perfection of courage you seek can be found in the trotting -family itself. Those of my readers who know any thing of Ethan Allen, Taggart's Abdallah, Old Morrill, or his famous grandson Fearnaught, and Lambert, and the get of these horses, know, that for beauty, intelligence, fine- ness of temper, and courage to "do or die," they are 130 THE PERFECT HOESE. not excelled by any stdlion of the running -family living ; and I will not except the great Leamington, or his greater son Longfellow. I have passed from the stall of Dexter to the stable of Harry Bassertt ; I have seen Leamington and Longfellow one w^eek, and Fear- naught and Taggart's Abdallah the next ; and I solemnly aver, that neither in the sheen of their glossy coats, the bright, conrageous look of their faces, the symmetry of proportion, or suggestions of muscular power, did these highest types of the one family excel these highest types of the other. There is no doubt but that originally we were depend- ent entirely upon the thorough-bred running-horse to re-enforce the common breed of the country with more generous qualities. It is to imported Messenger and Diomed and Bashaw especially that we are indebted for those excellences which now distinguish our trotting- horses. I would be the first to recos-nize the oblio-ation that the trotting-family is under to the running-family ; and there was a time when the breeder must needs go to the racing-stables for those crosses from which the needed re-enforcement to the weak common blood of the native "^breed might be obtained. But now, owing to this very outcrossing with the imported thor- ough-bred and the success which naturally attended it, the trotting-flimily has become, to all intents and pur- poses, thorough-bred itself, and able to supply within its own membership every desirable quality and attri- bute. In localities where this transmission of thorough THE SIRE. 131 blood has not occurred, and only vulgar mares can be obtained, I do not hesitate to advise the importation of mares from running-families for dams. This plan will improve the stock immeasurably ; and, after two or three generations of judicious crossing, the trotting-gait will appear in the colts, and the breeder will thus ultimately reap his reward. But, where well-bred trotting-m^res can be found, give these the preference over mares of ')mn7img-tictioB. alone, if your object is to breed trotters. Some breeders, I know, are possessed with the idea that one must resort to the thorough-bred running-family in order to find that symmetrical structure and beautiful appearance which all lovers of the horse delight to see. With this ambition to breed beautiful horses I most heartily sympathize. No degree of speed can atone in my eye for the lack of beauty. Beauty and speed must co-exist, if possible, in every colt bred in my stables. Many, I know, are indifferent to this, and care little how a horse looks, if he can only go. This I hold to be against the course of nature, which ever seeks to pro- duce the perfect ; and no horse that is ugly to the eye can be called perfect. Away, then, I say, with your heavy-limbed, ragged-hipped, long-haired, big-eared, bucket-headed horses ! I wouldn't drive one a rod if he' would trot a mile in a minute. I like the exhilara- tion of rapid movement, the excitement of the rush, and the royal joy of passing ; but the animal that gives all this to me must please the eye. But those who suppose that the thorough-bred running-horse is neces- 132 THE PERFECT HORSE. sarily beautiful to the eye are greatly mistaken. Im- ported Messenger was a large, ungainly -looking horse ; Mambrino, his son, was badly string-halted ; Abdallah, his grandson, was a large, angular-looking creature, with big head, scarcely any mane, ragged- hipped, and a rat-tail The Melbournes of England are lop-eared. Many of the Clays, descendants of imported Bashaw, are large-headed, coarse-looking horses. I have seen thirty brood-mares, whose blood had flowed down to them through twenty generations, absolutely untainted ; and among them all there was neither a head, neck, coat, or form, more beautiful than I can find in a dozen daughters of the old Green-Mountain horse in Vermont. So far as beauty goes, Gifford Morgan was, perhaps, the handsomest horse ever seen on a parade-ground in America. Coat, eye, ear, form, and style, all that man might long to see in a horse, could be seen in him. One of his grand- sons, Taggart's Abdallah, is the most beautiful horse I have ever seen, either of the trotting or racing families. ]\Iany of the descendants of the Old Morrill horse, whose dams were Morgan mares, and the sons and daughters of Vermont Black Hawk, were so beautiful, as to leave little, if any thing, to be desired. I do not think, there^ fore, that the breeder need to go outside of the trotting- family to find the highest type of equine beauty. In another portion of this work I have given my views of the Morgan stock at length ; and will only say at this point, that no better cross can be made, by a breeder who would breed handsome horses, than this THE SIEE. • 133 half-cross witli the Morgan blood. This essentially is the cross that produced Ethan Allen, Fearnaught, Taggart's Abdallah, and many other stallions, whose symmetry of proportion, beauty of color, and no- bility of carriage, would have made them celebrated, even if they had not been speedy. There are some daughters of the old Green-Mountain horse in Vermont yet, whose heads are worthy the pencil and brush of a Bonheur. A Hambletonian stallion, if he be a good specimen of his family, put to such a mare, would be likely to get a colt that would look about right when exhibited to the halter, or when flying down the home- stretch. I have now given my views in all frankness touching this somewhat vexed question of "blood." It is prob- able that many, to whose judgment in any question relating to what is wise or unwise in breeding grave attention should be given, will not agree with me : such entertain the conviction that we must still rely on thorough-bred running-stock for assistance in our effort to produce trotting-horses that shall have the re- quisite stamina and courage to stand the work required to fit them for the supreme effort, and the resolution on the day of the race to do the deed demanded of them. But, for one, I am persuaded that this opinion cannot be maintained in the face of the facts in the case. The record of every year is clearly proving that colts bred from trotting-stock on both sides, unassisted by any cross with the thorough-bred running-stock, are abun- 134 THE PERFECT HORSE. dantly able to do all that horses may be expected to do, and do it right along continually. If this be true, the subject is beyond the need of argument, and outside the boundary of speculation ; and breeders of trotting- horses may henceforth regard it as a law in breeding, that trotters can be safely inbred to trotters, as run- ning-horses are inbred to running-horses. And to this maxim my judgment gives a full, unhesitating assent. In reference to this matter of inbreeding, I am in- clined to think that not only should it be done between members of the trotting-family, but that it may also be done Avith profit in the case of blood relations. I know that many have strong prejudices against this, and that physiologists claim, that, in the human family, it is at- tended with grave and lamentable results ; but, to my mind, the case does not seem to be made out. In the hrst place, it should be remembered that mar- riage in the human llimily cannot be regulated as in the case of animals. You cannot elect and discard at will. Other than scientific principles prevail to bring about the union. Hence it comes about that faults and weak- nesses, both as to the mind and body, are increased, instead of decreased ; and the child sufters in a double measure from the infirmity of either parent, because he represents the infirmity multiplied by two. But, in the case of animals, the election of partners for the union can be arbitrary, and so imperfections avoided, and excellences greatly and quickly increased. The cases are so unlike, you perceive, that it is not fair to THE SIRE. 135 reason from the one to the other. But, in addition to this, certain facts exist of a character to cause one, at least, to suspend his judgment. The world began with a single pair ; and, in the human family, inbreeding, and that, too, of the closest kind, must have been the rule. Who can doubt but that the perfect produced the per- fect? The Jews were forbidden to marry with foreign nations ; and in the earlier portions of their history, when under the government of the patriarchs, and comparatively few in numbers, it is fair to suppose that intermarriage must often have been between blood relations. But the Jews, instead of losing stamina and constitutional vitality,, have held their own in numbers and mental character, while a thousand nations have perished. Europe also furnishes us with further data. There, by reason of the law of primogeniture being enforced in order to retain their great ancestral estates intact, marriages between first-cousins have often been made a necessity. I might mention noble houses, whose ancestral records run back beyond the Norman invasion, whose children have furnished England with her orators, statesmen, and poets, and whose female mem- bers have been among the most beautiful, vivacious, and long-lived of the land, in which, nevertheless, for state and property considerations, marriage between cousins has been the rule rather than the exception. I might adduce other illustrations equally to the point ; but those already given are enough to make the thoughtful pause 136 THE PERFECT HOESE. before they pronounce judgment touching the extent and limitation of those laws which the all-wise Creator ordained to govern the propagation of the species. That a limit exists somewhere is undoubtedly true ; but, just where the point at which we should stop is located, it is not so easy to affirm. Now, in respect to the horse, history, so far as it goes, seems to be in favor of in- breeding. Indeed, the evidence is unmistakable, and all tending in one direction. To begin with this country, and in the trotting-family : the old Abdallah was the result of a cross between a half brother and sister ; Mambrino and Amazonia, his sire and dam, being both gotten by imported Messenger. The old Hambletonian was by Messenger, out of a daughter of Alessenger. One-Eye, the dam of E-ysdyk's Hambletonian's dam, was again the result of a cross between a son and daughter of Messenger, Then, again, the Charles Kent mare, whose dam was the result of the incestuous union between the son and daughter of Messenger, was bred to Abdallah, the result of a like incestuous union ; and the result is Rysdyk's Hambletonian. Observe this order : A son and daughter of Messenger produce Ab- dallah, — this certainly is as close inbreeding, almost, as one can have, — and the result is the most famous horse of his family ; and he gets a son, when bred to his cousin, that founds a family whose fame is known the world over. If we should go to the English stud- books, a list of any required length might be made out, THE SIBE. 137 all going to sliow that inbreeding, — even to the degree of incestuous union, — when properly directed by the breeder, has been and may be the means of producing horses of a degree of excellence otherwise unattaina- ble. Observe the emphasized words, because the limi- tation they mark out touching this matter is a very significant one. The rule, as I understand the matter, should be this : When inbreeding closely, allow the union to take place only between ^ez/ec^ animals. Never forget that the same law which enables you not only to keep, alive, but to increase, the average excellence of their ancestors and themselves, at the same time oper- ates to the perpetuation, in an exaggerated form, of all vices and faults. Deficiencies as well as excellences, base as truly as noble qualities, will have a double chance of becoming dominant. If one parent alone is vicious, then the offspring may be good-natured ; but, if both parents be vicious, then will the foal be sure to be an ugly brute anyway. This is the law which makes all close inbreeding hazardous, and impossible for the average breeder to follow out. I recommend it, therefore, only in those cases where both of the intended parents are perfect animals. Having such animals, I should breed fearlessly in and in. Nevertheless, even in this case, I should outcross occasionally, and after- ward breed back again to the original stock. By this method, as I conceive, great benefit might be derived, and all peril shunned. Such are my views concerning this much-debated and 138 THE PERFECT HORSE. vexatious question, — vexatious, because no precise con- clusion can be drawn as to it. The full solution calls for such a penetration into the secrets of life and life- begetting functions and causes as mortal may never hope to have. But this much is beyond contradiction, — that beginning with Eclipse, who was very closely inbred, down to Hambletonian of our own times, many of the most noted winners, and getters of winners, have been the product of in-and-in breeding so close as to be incestuous ; and, while facts have due weight in men's estimate of what is wise and unwise in action, this will be remembered, and will influence breeders, in spite of theory and mere speculation, no matter by whom held or advanced. To me it seems not only safe within certain limits, and advisable on general principles, to breed in and in when the stock is perfect, but the only way in which the breeder can retain in his stables the characteristic excellences, which, by years of selection and experiment, perhaps, he has succeeded in producing. CHAPTER Y. THE DAM. I HAVE given at length my views of what consti- tutes a good stock-horse, and the qualities which he should possess, and what may be his influence on the progeny. I will now take up the subject of the dam's influence upon the foal, and what are the qualities which should characterize her. Touching this subject, I would say, to start with, that the influence of the dam is much more considerable in the majority of cases, in shaping the character of the future colt, than many imagine. To me it seems natural that it should be so. Without reiterating what I have already said in a previous section of this work, I would ask the reader to observe how intimately the foal is connected with the dam, not only previous to its birth, but for a long period afterward. From the very beginning of its life it is fed by the mother's blood, and affected by her moods. Before ever it has seen the light, she has had the time and the power to stamp it with her vices or her virtues, impart to it her weakness or her strength. 139 I-IO THE PEEFECT HORSE. Not only the bone-structure, the muscular tissues, the arterial and venous system, and the measure of bodily growth, are decided by the mother's constitutional powers and condition, but the very nerve-structure and brain-force receive from her tone and quality. The foal may be pictured as lying at her mercy, dominated by the sweet tyranny of nature. When thinking of these things, I cease to wonder that many of the most famous horses, both of the past and present time, closely re- semble their dams. Dexter takes his look from his mother, the daughter of American Star, who was sired by the thorough -bred running-horse, Henry. Neither in body, limbs, head, nor temperament, does he bear any likeness to his sire, Rysdyk's Hambletonian. The same may be said of Goldsmith's Maid, Lady Thome, Major Winfield, and others of almost equal celebrity. They are all mother'' s children, as we should say in respect to mem- bers of the human family. Every breeder has observed this peculiarity. I have a filly in my stables, sired by a horse of high breeding and great vitality, to whom, nevertheless, she does not bear the least resemblance, but is a facsimile of the dam. Color, size, shape, style of going, expression of the countenance, even the way in which she eats her oats, or neighs before they are given her, — in all these things she is the dam over again. But, where the facts are admitted, an allusion to them is sufficient ; and he who considers the facts must wonder that the dam's influence on the foal has been and is still regarded by many breeders as comparatively insignifi- THE DAM. 141 cant. To this general law there are certain exceptions. Now and then you find a brood-mare that seems to have no marking power at all : they give nothing to the foal save the food on which he grows. From the moment he is born, he is perceived to be the sire's own child. The dam seems only to have carried it ; been, as it were, a receptacle for it; carried it as something that did not belong to her, but to another, and which she was to feed and nourish and introduce. Only this, and nothing more ; for this literally was all she did. She left no stamp or impress of herself upon it at all, either as to size, color, structure, or temperament. Such brood-mares to the breeder are simply invaluable. With them he hioivs what he shall get ; and that which defies all calculation, and baffles all intelligence, is re- moved, — uncertainty. But this is, as I have said, the exception : in the average order of nature it is not so ; and hence the character and condition of the dam from which the foal is to come, is, to the breeder, a matter of gravest concern. Several things a brood-mare should be sure to have, which we will now enumerate ; the first of which is blood. The value of pedigree in this connection can scarcely be over-rated. We take it for granted that no respectable breeder would breed to a horse of unknow^n lineage. That would be queer breed- ing indeed!' The pedigree of the stallion, then, being known, and the pedigree of the brood-mare being also known, the breeder can forecast, with a reasonable de- gree of certainty, the characteristics and qualities of the 142 THE PERFECT HORSE. future colt ; the law being that the foal will resemble the parents, or some one of the less remote grand- parents. The reader perceives how practical, in this connection, is the benefit derived fronl pedigrees in breeding. Without them the uncertainty of what the get will be is increased twenty per cent. I do not say I would not buy a mare for brooding-purposes whose pedigree was not ascertained; for I would: but I do say, that, with the pedigree well verified, I should regard her worth considerably more money for the pur- pose for which I was buying her than without one. But the purchaser should always remember that the animal herself is a better assistance to his judgment than any pedigree, and that no mare should be bought for brooding-purposes because of her pedigree. The horse first, and the pedigree too, is the way to have it stand in your mind. Hemember, also, that pedigrees can be created. It is astonishing how long a pedigree can be got up at a moment's notice. Only let the horse-jockey ascertain what blood you prefer, and he will lead you out a daughter of that flimily in a minute ! I do not wish to suggest that horse-dealers are less honest than dealers in other, commodities ; for men of peculiar moral idiosyncrasies find a playful exercise of their powers in commercial transactions : but I do say that I have met men — dealers in horses — who did not seem to have a full realizing sense of the apostolic injunction, " Lie not at all," especially in this matter of pedigrees, about which more lapses of memory probably occur than any THE DAII. 143 other subject within the scope of human recollection. It will do well for the tyro to bear it in mind, lest he pay too high for both horse and pedigree. Touching the frame of the brood-mare, I need give no instruction beyond what is contained in the first ninety -five pages of this work, wherein I describe the structure of the perfect horse. Let her be in every respect good as the best, — that is, as near perfection as you can find, or your purse command, — and you will not go amiss in your selection. But one thing should be mentioned, because, concerning it, men differ, and, as I think, some err. I refer to the size of the brood-mare. Many say that the breeder should select a large mare / and perhaps, as a general thing, where you wish to breed colts of greater size than the parents, it is better to have the mare larger than the horse. On this plan you escape risk in the act of foaling ; for small mares bred to large stallions are sometimes unable to deliver the foal without great effort, and sometimes not at all. To avoid this risk, it is wise to have the dam larger than the sire when you Avish to breed uj) in size; but, be- yond this, I think the size immaterial. " A large, roomy mare " is a favorite phrase with many breeders ; but I could never see what mere bulk had to do with value, unless you are breeding for the cart. Quantity does not dictate quality. The children of large-sized parents are no more gifted than those whose father and mother weigh less. The amount of flesh does not decide the character of spiritual essences, and of those 144 THE PERFECT HORSE. subtle forces wliich make life virile ; and, for one, I never allow the matter of size to affect my judgment in the least, as I hold that it cannot affect the result. I would not breed a mare that weighed less than nine hundred, or one that weighed more than eleven hundred pounds. From nine hundred and fifty to a thousand and fifty is Avhat I regard as the best weight. Nor does the sJiape affect me much, provided that it be such as makes her good for service. The old breeders thought — and many breeders think to-day — that a drooping rump is the best form for a brood-mare. They argued, fi'om such a formation of the structure, an easy delivery of the foal ; whereas they conceived that a mare with a flat or straight rump formation could not deliver the foal easily. But my experience and observation disprove this. The mare that delivers the foal more easily than any other in my stables is one of nine hundred and thirty pounds' weight, with a slim round barrel rather "picked up," narrow between the hips, and her back- bone running out nearly straight to the root of the tail ; and yet her colts are invariably strong, and she herself so little exercised in the delivery, that her pulse is never feverish, her appetite not in the least disturbed, nor her digestion affected. We have never even given her a warm mash ; and she has brought three large-sized colts into the world. Other instances by the dozen I might give, if it were necessary. I pay no attention, therefore, to the talk about "large, roomy mares for breeders," but hold that size alone neither improves the foal, nor THE DAIVI. 145 insures greater safety to the dam when bringing it forth. It is quality, not quantity, we need in our brood- mares. The texture of the bones, and the way in which they are adjusted, and not the size of them; the charac- ter of the temperament, and not the fleshy bulk, — are Avhat give value to the dam, and, through her, to the foal. This matter of temperament is of the utmost impor- tance ; and I refer the reader to what was said under that head earlier in the volume. Here I need not ex- pand the subject, save that the lymphatic, sluggish tem- perament is to be avoided. Never select a low, base- spirited mare to breed from. Touching the temper, be particular: under no consideration ever breed from a vicious mare. You have no right to do it ; and it will not pay to do \l. It is the chief glory of the American horse, that he is the most enduring and the most amia- ble of his kind on the face of the earth, the Orient ex- ce^^ted. Next to the Arabian in docility and intelli- gence, in love for man, and general hardihood, stands the American. The English thorough-bred is a devil ; the Spanish and Italian horses are brutes ; the French racer is to be admired at a distance : but the American horse is kind and gentle ; and, in the gloss and bloom of grooming and virility, the American stallion can be petted by women, and fondled by children. I confess that I am very proud of this. It argues intelligence and humanity among the people, and noble qualities on the part of our horses. It should be the great ambition of 10 146 THE PERFECT HOESB. the breeder and groom to keep this just as it is. Now, the . dam, beyond doubt, has immeasurably more to do with the temper of the foal than the sire. I have inva- riably observed that a timid or vicious dam would stamp these peculiarities upon her foal. If she leered, and was ugly, the colt would do just as the mother did ; and who can endure a leering, biting, kicking colt in his stables ? Never breed from an ugly-tempered mare : for her colts will surely be like her ; only, in seven cases out of ten, worse. Depravity gets an earlier develop- ment in the child than it had in the parent. Lastly, under this head, see to it that the mare selected for the stud be in perfect health. Feel that there is no exception to this ; for every trace of disease in the blood of the dam will, from necessity, be. imparted to the foal. The embryo will, from the very beginning, be tainted with disease. All impurities lurking in the parent's system will settle in it. So true is this, that unhealthiness is often bred out of the dam into the foal. The colt is worthless ; but the mare is cured. The disease left the mother, and entered into the offspring, as is the case, often, in the human spe- cies. See to it that the mare is in perfect health when the horse has connection with her ; and, being healthy, then Iceep her so. See to it that she has dry, clean bed- ding, and a good stall. Do not over-feed, lest she accu- mulate fat. Idleness is bad. Give her due measure of exercise. More brood-mares are hurt by standing still than by over-work. My brood-mares do moderate THE DAM. 147 work, in tlie team and on the road, from tlie time they are stinted to the horse until within a month or six weeks of foahng. This keeps them healthy and strong, and prevents them from laying on fat. A mare should be kept in an active, muscular condition during preg- nancy. The question is asked, whether it is wise to speed a brood-mare when in foal. I hold it is, provided it be done with caution. An occasional spurt of fifty rods or so does them good : it keeps their mood right ; that is, vivacious, sprightly, and full of healthy anima- tion. This mood they impart to the foal. The mater- nal disposition and spirit are impressed upon it ; for the mental state of the dam does have, beyond doubt, a vast influence upon the nervous organization of the foal. As the time of foaling approaches, let the mare rest. Exer- cise her only to the halter, if at all. Remove her from the narrow stall to the " foaling-room." This should be at least twelve by fifteen feet in size. The floor should be perfectly levels — this is essential, — in which she should have her liberty. Give her plenty of clean, dry bedding. If she is a gross feeder, and is inclined to stuff herself with it, put on a muzzle : an ordinary wire ox- muzzle will answer. As the day approaches on which the long-anticipated event is to occur, do not feed very high : especially reduce the amount of hay she is accus- tomed to have by one-half Feed Avith dry food, lest milk be produced too fast. If this be the case, and her bag cakes, wash it in cold water in which a quart of Indian meal has been soaked. This wash will reduce 148 THE PERFECT HORSE. the fever. If necessary, milk away a considerable amount; but do not milk her upon the ground, but into a pan or basin. Some mares make milk too soon and too fast, but not ordinarily. The rule is, that the foal will be delivered within twenty-four hours from the time when milk, or a milky secretion, first shows itself on the teats. For a month previous to the date of foaling, handle her bag and teats, by which she will become familiar with your touch, and not dread the nose of the foal, as some mares, if not thus educated, do. When all is done that you can do, let her alone. Nature in parental exercises loves seclusion, and enjoys silence and secrecy. You should visit the stall from time to time ; but be very quiet in your movements, and do npt hang round the stall as some inquisitive grooms will. Treated in this discreet manner, ninety-nine mares out of a hundred will deliver their foals safely. When the foal is born, help it to its feet, and assist it to its mother. Be very gentle in your movements, and caress the dam. Some mares, especially young ones, are unnatural at first, and will not own the little thing ; but patience and kindness on your part will soon prevail. It is well to give the dam half a bucketful of warm gruel, made thin ; and, soon after this, a warm bran or oatmeal mash. If it is cold, and the foal shivers, wrap it in a warm flannel sheet ; and, in cases of emergency, give it a table- spoonful of wine, or brandy even ; but if brandy, be sure and dikite it well. In a few days the dam will have recovered from whatever organic disturbance she THE DAM. 149 may have undergone, and be well. Nine or fifteen days after foaling, she should be stinted to the horse again ; for then she is quite sure to conceive again. This, in brief, is the order of procedure at this critical and often anxious period in the breeder's experience. The foal should be presented, in the act of delivery, head-foremost, and resting on the forward-legs as a dog lies often when asleep. This is the natural way ; and, when so presented, have no fears. If the head should be doubled under, or only one leg come forth, then man's help is needed. Having dipped his hand in warm water or oil, the groom should take hold of the part that is visible, and gently and very sloicly push the foal back until room is made for Nature to correct what is in fault. If the mare still labors in vain, and a more serious displacement has occurred, send for a veterinary surgeon ; or, if no such assistance is at hand, then do the best you can. Circumstances alter cases ; and no gen- eral written directions will avail. But if the mare is healthy, and has been well treated, the breeder has little to fear ; and the chances are a hundred to one that all will go well, and the foal be safely delivered. Now that the foal is born of known and noble par- entage and shapely, let the breeder " rejoice and be exceeding glad." The most desirable form of property, as I conceive, has been added to his estate. To his care and skill some man shall be indebted for a most useful servant and noble companion. By his enter- prise he has put the world under obligation to him, in 150 THE PERFECT HOESE. that he has given to it an agent that it needed, and which, without his efforts, it would not have had. He deserves the benediction of mankind; for he has added another unit to the long column which represents the aggregate happiness of the race. At this point, the question of how the colt should be fed — whether, during the sucking-period, from the dam's milk alone ; or whe- ther this should be re-enforced by other sustenance, such as cow's milk, oatmeal-gruel, cracked oats, and the like; in short, what is called by many "the forcing-system," or the reverse — comes up for our consideration. As to this, several things, often lost sight of, must be taken into account. In the first place, it is agreed on all sides that the youngster should not starve : but this he often will do, unless other food than that which comes from the dam is given him ; because many dams are such poor milkers, that they do not yield the foal nearly enough to supply his evident wants. In such a case, the breeder must feed the young thing himself Cow's milk is good, when properly warmed and sweetened. Let it be prepared half blood-warm, and as sweet as the foal will drink it. Three weeks after birth, give some oatmeal, or cracked oats soaked to tenderness in water, or, better yet, in milk. Begin with a handful or two, and increase as the need is. If the mare is a very poor milker, the colt may need two quarts per day. The rule to govern this matter is, — heep the foal in liealtliy groiutli. As long as his stomach and bowels are in good condition, and he not gaining fat unnaturally, he is doing well; THE DAM. 151 and your rule of feeding is, by that fact, approved. This, also, should be considered, — that nothing is so bad as to underfeed the colt; and according to my ideas and observation, taking the land through, ten colts suffer from want of needed food to one that suffers from overplus of it. The fact is, nothing is more erroneous than the opinion that prevails among farmers and the smaller breeders ; viz., that it makes little difference what a colt has to eat the first two years of his life, or whether he has much to eat at all. The truth is, that the first two years of his life decide the colt's entire future. Then it is that the length of his bones, the stomachic and intestinal de- velopment, the quality of the skin and coat, and the constitutional powers and vigor, are decided. Feed your colt well the first two years of his life, and, com- paratively speaking, you cannot spoil him afterwards: starve him during these years, and you cannot, on the other hand, ever make the lack thereby caused good. New England is, to-day, full of horses that have been ruined in this way. The moment you put your eyes upon them, you know that they were starved in youth. They are under-sized or ill-proportioned, bigger at one end than at the other, ungainly and weak. These are the animals that were compelled to "pick up their living " in the barn-yard with the cows and sheep, and came out each spring lousy and hide-bound. I know that a great hue and cry has been raised about "the forcing-system," and much said against giving oats and 152 THE PERFECT HORSE. corn to colts. This is said to result in faulty bone- texture, and premature breaking-down of the constitu- tional powers. This is all humbug. I would not feed corn to a colt, because it is too heating and rank, and unfit, in the main, to give to any horse that is not used for heavy and slow work : but oats are the natural food, as one might say, of the horse ; and no colt will ever bq hurt by being fed liberally on them.- Colts, like grown horses, differ. One requires more food than another, and so no exact rule in feeding can be laid down as regards quantity ; but the quantity can be regulated by the con- dition of the colt, as in the case of older horses. Feed liberally the first two years, and you will never regret it. For the first month of the foal's life, great caution should be exercised to protect him from accidents, espe- cially in taking his exercise. A foal in good health, after he is a week old, is very playful, and even violent, in taking his exercise ; but his eyes are not as yet strong, nor accurate of sight. Especially is he unable to meas- ure distances correctly. I have seen a foal, two weeks old, run -full tilt against the side of a barn in broad day- light. The foal should be led, therefore, to a field level and smooth ; and, while the dam is held by the groom near the middle of the field, he should be allowed to exercise to his heart's content. In a few weeks he will have got experience, and he can run loose with the dam in the yard or pasture. The matter of his educa- tion must now be considered. CHAPTER VI. HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. " With a glancing eye and curving mane, He neighs and champs on the bridle-rein : One spring, and his saddled back I press ; And ours is a common happiness. 'Tis the rapture of motion ; a hurrying cloud When the loosened winds are breathing loud ; A shaft from the painted Indian's bow ; A bird, — in the pride of speed we go." Upon the proper education of the colt his entire use- fulness depends. Whether the young life shall prove a source of blessing or of trouble to man will be decided by the manner in which he is trained. The education of horses is a question, therefore, of supreme importance to the public, in the discussion of which every one is interested. We approach it with the profound desire to give such, and only such, suggestions as shall quicken profitable thought, and result in giving to young horses a better preparation for man's service than they now, on the average, receive. From the time the colt is born, he should be taught to 153 154 THE PERFECT HORSE. regard man, wliom he is afterwards to serve, as his pro- tector and friend. A human hand should first Hft him gently to his feet, and direct his little mouth to the source of maternal nourishment. With the human touch he should thus early be made to associate caresses and a supply for all his wants. Instead of yells and oaths and kicks and rude blows, he should hear only gentle, loving tones from the attendant's mouth, and pet- tings from his kindly palm. He should be taught to expect and watch for man's entrance to the stall or paddock where he is kept, as a dog waits for the coming of the master, as the season of joy and happiness. His little deer-like limbs should be handled, and he be taught to yield them promptly and without fear to the master's touch. In short, every thing that loving ingenuity can devise should be done to impress upon his mind thus early in life that man is his natural protector and friend, between whom and him an intimate companionship has been ordained by beneficent Nature, which insures that he shall be protected and cherished while he serves. Ah, me ! if colts could have such treatment, how few vicious horses we should see ! and how much greater, in the aggregate, would be the happiness which life would bring to them and man! I say, hajjpinessj for He who made all things hath given unto each creature, according to the class and order of its life, powers, and capacity for impressions, sufficient to make existence sweet, and fill the days of its life to overflowing with satisfactions. Especially is this true in respect to those animals HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 155 SO endowed with high organizations and subtle forces, that they are able to apprehend and communicate pleas- ure ; and to no class does this fact apply with greater force than to that one, the members of which are evi- dently designed by the Creator to be both servant and companion to man. Kindness to animals is, as I under- stand it, therefore, a duty, an obligation, resting on every one with the force of a moral injunction. Indeed, God so ranks it in his Holy "Word, and gave it honora- ble place in his ancient legislation. The horse has a heart-claim upon us. The young colt is, in some sense, a member of the family, one of the owner's household, second in rank and dignity only to the children. So the Arab regards him. The beautiful young thing, with its shining coat and gazelle eyes and sprightly antics, so full of bounding but docile life, is literally his children's playmate. He shares their food, and often theu' sleeping-mat ; and a blow dealt him is as promptly resented as if it had been dealt the oldest son, for whose service in peace, and safety in the hour of battle, the young thing is being raised. When the colt is three weeks old, or thereabouts, he should be broken to the halter. And this should be done properly ; for this is the first act which brings his will and strength in opposition to man's, and should be so done as to convey clearly and decidedly man's superiority, and his inability to contend with him. Early impressions in the case of animals, as truly as in the case of children, are lasting ; and here and now, in 156 THE PERFECT HORSE. this the first step in educating the colt, the impression should be indelibly stamped upon his mind that man is his master. And this can and should be done without violence or cruel force. I will explain my method of treatment, and the reason therefor. Inquire, then, what the groom or educator of the colt proposes to do. This evidently: He proposes, in the first place, to teach the colt to follow after or by the side ; that is, keep close to the one who is leading him by the halter. In the second place, he proposes to show the colt that he can- not successfully resist him ; that he is not so strong as a man. This lesson once taught the colt, this impression once fairly embedded in his mind, he will never after, in all his life, forget it. He will live and die with the idea in his head that man is stronger than he. And this is a most valuable lesson for a colt to learn, and to learn early : it saves much after-labor and many risks. Well, then, to the method : I put a head-halter on, made of soft material, so that it will not cut into his tender _ skin, and so made that the cheek-pieces will not draw into his eyes when he pulls back or struggles ; and when this is done quietly and gently, with pleasant words and kind caresses, I step out in front of him, and planting myself squarely, so that he shall not with all his efforts move me from my tracks, pull steadily on the halter, saying all the time, while the pressure on him is being increased, " Come, sir ; come ! " Sometimes the colt will come, yielding readily to the pressure ; in which case pat him kindly, so as to make him feel that he has done HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 157 the right thing ; and then step forward, and repeat the slight pressure and the kind command. In many cases I have found this enough; and the colt was "halter- broke " before you knew it, as one might say. But more often, as soon as the little fellow felt the pressure of the pull upon the halter, alarmed, and vexed too, perhaps, at this (as he regards it) rude interference with his liberty, he would "set back" upon the halter, resisting the pressure with all his strength. When this is the case, stand firm: simply liold your own. Don't twitch him, or "yank" him about, or drag him forward vio- lently. Let Mm indl. Every moment is exhausting his strength, and increasing the pain he feels by reason of the halter-bands being drawn into him ; and, after a few seconds of resistance, discouraged, and unable to endure the pain his own effort is causing him, he will give one great wrench, rear up, and plunge toward you. The pressure and the pain are remitted ; and standing by your side, your arm over his moistened neck, and hand kindly patting him, he learns this sweet lesson, — that nearness to the one that is leading Mm means absence of jpain. This once understood by the colt, he is thoroughly halter-hroJce. With this he has also got another idea, — that you are stronger than he. Had you tied him to a post, and let him "pull it out" as the phrase is, he would have got no such idea: the post or tree, not man, would have been his master. Or, had you waited until he was a year or even six months old, he would have been stronger than you ; and he would have found 158 THE PEEFECT HOKSE. it out too. In his first match against man, man would have been beaten. He, not you, would be the master at the halter-exercise at least ; and, while he might have followed you after a time, still you would have lost the opportunity of impressing him with his powerlessness when arrayed against man, which a wise educator will always seek to give to every colt he takes in hand. How unwise, viewed in this light, is that neglect to break colts to the halter even until they are three or four or even five years of age! "Children," says a thoughtful writer, " are made obedient before they are old enough to talk ; " and colts, it might be added, are made obedient to man, if properly educated, long before they are old enough to use in harness. Now and then, the colt, if he be of high spirit and lusty, will struggle long, and make a real "fight over it;" and, to avoid accidents in case that he should reel and fall, select for the school-ground a spot of soft greensward, free from stones, in order that his falls may be harmless to him. Be sure also, in case of falling, that you keep his head from striking the ground heavily ; which you can always do, because your hand is on the halter, by which it can be supported. This, in brief, is the manner in which I give my colts their first lesson in that course of education, which, when completed, has brought them to that degree of intelligence and docility at which they can be ridden without bridle or halter ; driven without reins, hold-backs, or breeching-band ; and find their joy in serving me, as I find mine in watching and. caring for them. HOW TO TKATN A COLT. 159 When tlie foal is fifteen months old, I begin again to educate him. My object now is to get him thoroughly acquainted with the harness, and to teach him to stand quietly to be harnessed. To this end I dii'ect my efforts. If the colt is high-mettled or timid, great care must be exercised, and patience also. Most colts, remember, are timid : they are born so. Animals that are not armed with claws and teeth, with which to pro- tect themselves when attacked, are created by the all- wise Creator with the power to fly and the timid heart. The horse is constitutionally timid, then. It is natural for him to shrink fi'om strange, new sights, and jump at sudden movements and loud noises. Remember this when you come to harness your colt, and have patience. This is the order of procedure in my stable : The first day, I simply put the saddle without the back-strap on, buckling up the belly-band loosely. This is done many times, increasing the pressure of the band until I have it quite as tight as is the custom. Then I take the neck-col- lar, and put that over his head, first permitting him to smell of it, and touch it with his nose^ until he is entirely convinced that it is not calculated to hurt him. In like manner I continue adding part to part until the colt is fully harnessed. He is then allowed to stand with the harness on him until he has time to reflect upon the whole matter, and become accustomed to the unusual sensations by the pressure of the several parts of the harness against his sensitive skin ; for we must re- member that all this performance seems very queer 160 THE PERFECT HORSE. to him, and startling. When he has fully composed his mind, and settled down into the conviction that every thing is all right and as it should be with him, he is then luaXked about., the harness still being on, and brought back every few minutes to the spot where he is to be unharnessed and gentled, and taught to stand as long a time as it would naturally take to remove the harness from him. Straps are loosened, buckle-tongues started, saddle and collar eased; in short, every thing done that would be done in unharnessing, save actually removing the harness. After doing this several times, this standing still while being unharnessed has come to be, in his mind, a part of the programme, and he under- stands it, and assents to it as such. Once learned, in the case of an intelligent horse, always learned ; for the horse is highly organized as to his memory, and in all his after- life he never will forget what you have so kindly taught him. This same process should be gone through with several times; indeed, in the case of a high-spirited, valuable colt, once or twice each day, for a week at least, because it is a most important part of his edu- cation. And you should remember that he is learning many lessons in one, including that greatest of all lessons a colt can learn; viz., to have confidence in, and yield his will to, man. Have great patience at this point of his education, even as a teacher must have when teaching an inattentive, and perhaps a dull child, the alphabet. Do not count the days you spend now : judge your success by the result, and pro- ^^■'i\ . HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 161 ceed step by step, advancing no faster tlian your pupiVs success justifies. Hurry here and now, and you will "make a nest of it," as the phrase is. During these harness-exercises^ as they might be called, accus- tom the colt to pressure against the breast and shoulder by tying long cords into either side of the collar ; and, by pulling gently, cause him to brace himself, as he will naturally do, against you. This gives him the idea of draiving loeigJit somewhere behind him ; and, by permit- ting him to pull you along, hb will soon grow to feel that he can jj?f/Z an?/ thing. By this you will, as it were, teach him to draw a wagon promptly from the start, before you have ever hitched him ahead of one. A colt so educated will never "balk," or refuse to " go " at the word, if the weight behind him is not beyond his strength; because the signal to go, and the habit of pulling, have been already taught him. At this point, also, he should be taught to hacJi. And here let me urge the trainer not to jndl him backward bodily by main force, as I have seen trainers and gentle- men do. " Bacldng " is to a horse lualldng backward.^ — an unnatural and awkward way for him to move. He was not made to go that way, and does not understand it ; and hence, very naturally, resists it. In order to un- derstand how awkward and incomprehensible it is to him, put a stick into your child's mouth that is some eighteen months old, say, and pull the little thing back- ward for a few steps. I pray you not to take offence at this illustration : I seek only to impress upon you the 11 162 THE PEKFECT HOESE. idea of patience and gentleness in handling one of the most sensitive, and at the same time one of the most abused, of God's creatures. Rightly managed, the colt can be taught to walk backward or side-wise, on all his feet or on his hind-feet only, or in any way possible for quadruped to move : nor will it require much time, either, to impart the lesson. In order to do this, when the bridle is on, step directly in front of him, and, with your hands grasping either rein, put a slight pressure upon his mouth, using the word " back," spoken clearly and distinctly (not loudly) at the same moment. He will naturally, even before he understands what you are at, move a little backward, in order to escape the slight pressure of the bit. This done, pat him and gentle him. Then grasp the lines, and do the same thing over again. He will soon associate the sound with the motion back- ward, and, even before the close of the first lesson, often, will readily comply with your request. Do not overdo the thing by keeping it up too long ; for, by so doing, you may exasperate him, and every after-effort to teach him will be the signal for a new fight between you and him. The second or third day, buckle in the lines ; and leading them through the breast-collar and breeching-straps, so that he cannot turn around and face you, take your posi- tion behind him, and repeat the lesson. In a few days your colt will hioiv what you wish him to do, and, I war- rant you, be ready to do it The pressure on the bit, after he has once associated the word "back" with the motion required, should accompany the command, and HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 163 be instantly remitted on his compliance. No steady pidl should be put upon him. What you are after is, not to so develop the muscles of your arms that you can pull or drag him backward, but to teach your colt to back at the ivord of command', and no colt is fit for market until he will back any reasonable weight with the lines lying loose at a word from the driver. To teach a young horse to push hack a load is a longer process, because he does not know at first the proper position in which to put himself to perform this feat, nor are his back- muscles strong enough to do it ; but, by patience and kindness, all horses can be taught " to throw themselves into the breeching " with a force and directness of propulsion sufficient to move great loads. Perhaps I have "overrun my game," as hunters say of dogs that have left birds in the rear ; and I will stop, and beat back until we find one branch of my topic which perchance should have been mentioned sooner. I refer to the " bitting-process " as it is generally termed. It is astonishing how much nonsense and humbuggery trainers and grooms tolerate in connection with this point of horse-education. To see the bits that have been invented, and the " bitting-machines " that have been patented and sold, to serve this purpose, is enough to set the satirist on edge, and arouse the ire of the humane. The truth is, the only use of any "bitting- machine," if it is any thing more than a plain bar -bit in a bridle without blinkers or check-line, is to make money for some ignoramus, and torture the horse. The 164 THE PERFECT HORSE. philosophy of bitting horses, upon which these "bit- ting-machines " are founded, is a fraud and folly. There is no more need for them in a trainer's yard than there is in a nursery. I make no limitation or modification of this statement at all. Their true name is "fool's ma- chine," and not " bitting-machine : " or more properly, if you wish to designate their use and result of it, call them "machines to spoil horses' mouths; " for this appel- lation precisely describes them. A man using one ought to be indicted before the common law of the country, which should at least be able to prevent such cruelty to animals. If any owner of a colt who reads this owns or uses one of these " bitting-machines," I urge him to burn it or bury it, as the most mischievous and hurtful thing that he can have about his stables. If I wished to make my colts " hogged-mouthed " and desperate pullers^ I would iise one of these "infernal machines," as I have no doubt the colts themselves call them, and as they deserve to be called by colts and men. I will show you how this plan of using these " machines " works. To begin with, a colt's mouth is almost as tender as a babe's when teething. The tongue, gums, lips, and bars of the mouth, are as sensitive as the reader's. By this very sensibility to pain. Nature has guaranteed man against any trouble in reining him or controlling him. He yields readily and easily to the slightest pressure. Indeed, nothing is more noticeable than this provision of Nature, by which the animal best adapted to be HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 165 man's servant is easily made subservient to liis will. Now, such a mouth — so tender and sensitive — must not be rudely dealt with. It is easily cut and lacer- ated ; or, if not this, so indurated and hardened under pressure, that it loses its fine qualities, and grows com- paratively insensible. It is very easy to so lacerate the gums, tongue, and lips of a colt's mouth, as to destroy or deaden the nerves that interpret pressure to the brain; and, indeed, to remove the sense of feeling entirely, or next thing to it. When this sensibility, wisely provided by Nature, is lost, the horse becomes almost unmanageable ; because, the sense of feeling being removed, he does not know, nor has he any means of knowing, — seeing that the knowledge must reach him through the mouth, — what the driver wishes him to do. Perhaps one side only of the mouth becomes hardened, while the other remains sensitive ; in which case the horse feels the pressure of the bit only on one side of the mouth, and is of all horses the most vexatious to drive, from no fliult of his own, remember, but from his who "bitted" him. True it is, that it is necessary to harden the mouth of a colt somewhat, lest he should have what is called a "baby mouth; " that is, one too sensitive to the bit, so that he will not work up bravely against it as he should do when called upon to go at speed. But this hardening should be done slowly ; or, rather, it should not be done at all by the trainer ; but the colt shoidd do it himself^ as he will gradually do day by day in di'iving. He will learn to talce the hit himself, and 166 THE PERFECT HORSE. do it according as he is able to do it, he himself being the judge. Now let us begin to hit a colt according to the machine method. The colt, never having been even broke to the halter, perhaps, is let out into a yard, the " machine " -strapped on to his back, the bit of iron or steel jammed into his mouth, the check-rein adjusted, and the colt's head drawn suddenly np into the air, and the trainer stands one side. The colt, of course, struggles and rears and plunges. He becomes enraged, and " fights the bit : " foam drops from his lijDS ; pretty soon it is stained with streahings of blood. The iron bit, you see, as he "fought it," has grated over the young teeth, cut into the tender tongue, and lacerated the gums and lips. I have seen all this done (it is no fancy sketch), — seen blood come in less than two minutes after the " bitting-machine " was adjusted. Now, what has been done ? Several things, I reply. First, iinnecessarij iKiin has been caused an innocent and harmless creature : that alone is enough to condemn any "machine" ever invented. Secondly, the colt's mouth has been spoiled until the lacerated gums and lips and tongue can heed. Thirdly, the colt's temper has been soured, and no useful knowledge imparted. These truths are self-evident. But this is not all. The " machine," instead of being removed, is left on ; the trainer goes to his work in the field, or to drive ; and the colt is left to "fight it out." Now, examine the matter a little. What is the true position of things ? This, I respond : The colt is in pain. His head is HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 167 drawu up to an unnatural height ; his neck, pulled into an angle both awkward and painful, aches with exquisite suffering. To appreciate the agony the young thing en- dures, let some one take hold of your own head, and draw it up and backward as high and as far as the bone-structure and muscles will permit, and compel you to stand with it in that position even for five minutes. In this way you will get some idea of "bitting-ma- chines," and the actual torture which colts experience while being " bitted " by them. But the evil of this system is not yet fully stated. The colt, with his head drawn up and back, is left in the yard, as I have said, while the trainer goes to his work or to drive. Perhaps he stands an hour ; perhaps five hours ; very likely all day. For the first few minutes he strives to keep his head up, and the bit loose in his mouth, because it pains him ; but pretty soon the muscles of his neck begin to ache. They were never made to hold up the head in that style, and are actually unable to do it for any considerable length of time. Soon the head sags : the pain in the overtasked muscles of the neck is greater even than that caused by the pressure of the bit. It is, you see, with the colt, a choice between two pains. Little by little, the head droops ; heavier and heavier the weight of it is laid upon the bit ; and, in the course of an hour or two, the colt stands weary and stolid, the weight of his head and neck laid solidly down upon the bit. The colt is being taucjlit^ you see, to " take the bit " with a ven- 168 THE PERFECT HORSE. geance. He is actually being educated to "hog on the bit," and be a puller. No method of bitting can be more vicious and villanous than this, inflicting, as it does, torture on the innocent victim, and, in not a few cases, actually putting the animal beyond the reach of future betterment. The true way to bit a colt is, not to bit him at all ; that is, let him bit himself. When my colts are one year old, I begin to teach them to hold a bit in their mouth. The bit is of pine, some half-inch in diameter, and five inches in length. This piece of soft wood is held in the mouth by a cord tied to either end, and passing over the head, back of the ears. The colt loves to have this in his mouth, because it enables him to bring forward the teething-process. He will bite it, and work it over in his mouth, and enjoy it hugely. He will welcome it, and will actually reach out and open his mouth for it as a trained horse will for the bit. After a few days you can tie strings, making miniature reins to this bit, and teach the colt the proper use of it. When this is done, he is ready for the regular steel bit. Put your bridle on with a leather bit, large and pliant; throw your check-line, if your bridle has one attached, into the pig-sty ; get into your wagon, and diive off. This is all the "bitting" a colt needs. Treat- ed in this way, he will have a lively, yielding, sensa- tional mouth. He will take the bit bravely when work- ing up to his speed, but yield readily to the driver's will. A horse bitted in this sensible way can be diiven HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 169 a forty-clip with the lines held in one hand, or be lifted over a five-barred gate with the strength of a single wrist. If you don't believe it, try it, and see. Many people prefer to put the colt beside an older horse, and let him take the first dozen drives on the road in double harness : and to this method I see no serious objection ; although, for myself, I do not favor it. My colts are all taught to go single first, and thoroughly taught at that ; and I hold that this is the better way. But, if you pre- fer the other method, be sure that the horse beside which the colt is hitched is in every respect reliable and well instructed ; because the colt will catch at, and be sure to imitate, any vice or fault in the older horse. Do not select a lazy, slow-moving horse for the service, but rather a quick-moving animal, lively, but amiable. A colt naturally starts quickly, and moves sprightly ; and a slow-starting, slow-moving brute by his side will irritate him. The older horse should be quick enough to start the load himself, and keep it moving, so that the colt shall not be unduly fretted and chafed : if not, the younger horse has to start and draw the whole weight ; and in that case his temper will get up, and you will have a fracas. I know that some breakers love to get into a fight with a colt, and " take the starch out of him ; " but this is villanous conduct, and has neither necessity nor reason to justify it. The true way is to avoid these " fights " with the animal you are teaching ; and, by the exercise of patience and kindness, give him time to understand what is wanted of him, and make him love 170 THE PERFECT HOESE. to do it. Remember that some colts are slow-witted, and easily confused ; and a single blow or yell, on the part of the trainer, may throw him into a state of temporary fear or exasperation, which totally unfits him to understand even the simplest command. And here let me urge upon the reader who has a colt, or colts, to teach, that, if he has the habit of speaking sharply and loudly, he correct himself of it at once. Colts are timid, high-spirited things, if they are worth any thing ; and he who manages them should be of quiet habits, and have a low, pleasant-toned voice. The trainer that yells stands in the same category as the driver in a public race who screams and whoops like a Comanche Indian when coming down the home-stretch : the one should be banished the track, and the other turned out of the gentleman's stables. But to return. My method of educatins: a colt to the harness and was'on is to edu- cate him singly, by himself; and this education should begin very early. When the colt is • twelve or four- teen months old, begin to put the harness on him. In a few weeks he is accustomed to it, and ready for the shafts. But, in doing this, do not be in a hurry Give the youngster time to get thoroughly acquainted with every strap and buckle, as it were. Let him see every thing, and smell every thing. The sense of sight, smell, and touch, is the great avenue of knowledge to the horse, especially the last two. The ear and eye give the alarm. These two organs stand, as it were, on picket for the animal's safety. But, if your horse is HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 171 friglitened at any thing, let him smell and touch it, and he will fear no longer. If your colt is afraid of your harness as it comes rustling out of the harness-room, let him touch it with his nose, and smell of it a few times, and he will soon understand that it will not hurt him. If he is inclined to kick or jump if the breeching-band or any strap hits his hams or legs, by gently rubbing them against the sensitive places he will soon become indif- ferent to them. By the time the colt is two years of age, or even less, he should be educated to go between the shafts, either forward or backward, and be thoroughly familiar with the harness and vehicle and ordinary road-service. Instructed at this early age, he will never forget the lessons of obedience and sub- mission taught, but be ready at any future time to be put to work, without any considerable trouble to the owner or purchaser. In case your colt is a vicious one, I have no advice to give, unless it be to kill him. There is no need that a vicious colt should ever be raised; and I hold that it is a sin against the beneficent order of nature for a man to raise an animal whose very existence imperils other existences. The public would regard a man insane who spent time and money in stock- ing his garden-plot with a superior kind of thorns: they would say that it was an abuse of nature, and a sinful waste of opportunity. What shall we say, then, to the man who goes to work, year after year, and 172 THE PERFECT HORSE. deliberately fills liis stalls with vicious colts ? Logically, the same answer would be returned; and this is the way that every right-minded breeder regards it. Neither beauty nor speed in a horse can make amends for a vicious temper; because a vicious temper in a horse imperils human life, and wdiatever does this is by that fact condemned. And so I say, that no vicious colt is worth the breaking. He is unfit for the purposes of civilization. He should be treated as any other ferocious and dangerous animal should be treated, — killed at sight. But some colts, while they are not actually vicious, are not truly amiable. They represent an inter- mediate class, lying between the really docile and the ungovernable ; and are, hence, objects of interest to all owners and trainers. It is doubtful if any general rule or rules can be made to apply to this class of animals, because their faults and vices are not the same, but indi- vidual, differing in different cases. Still I Avill glance at some of the more prominent failings or vices of this class of animals, and suggest, so far as one can without a personal knowledge of each subject, the proper method of treatment. First of all, we must observe this principle, — that pun- ishment alone can never eradicate viciousness, especially if the subject of it has a high-spirited organization. Whipping alone never reformed a bad child. The lash never makes a vicious colt amiable. It may change the mode or the time of its manifestation ; but the inherent ugliness will, seizing some favorable moment, break HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 173 forth. This principle being borne in mind bj the trainer, if he be a man of judgment, will supply him with a good guide in his educational efforts. If the whip is ever used, — and I think it can be with profit at times, — let the blow be sudden and sharp, and rarely repeated. Beating and pummelling a colt never does good, and rarely, if ever, fails to work lasting mischief. One of the meanest tricks that a colt can fall into is that of running backwards, which the English call "jibbing." Your colt is harnessed, and safely led out of the car- riage-house or yard. You mount the seat, and tell him to go ahead. This he refuses to do. He looks round at you with deliberate wilfulness in his eye, as much as to say, " I rather think I shall do about as I'm a mind to in this business." You lift the whip from the socket, tap him gently over the rump, and tell him to go ahead. Instead of this, he begins to go backward. I have seen a man work two hours in a vain endeavor to make his colt go forward. The colt was by no means vicious ; and this habit of running backward, or jibbing, was the only bad one that he had. But this threatened to mar, if not utterly thwart, the trainer's endeavor. Day after day, the colt was tried. He was pulled forward by main strength; the whip was used judiciously; he was coaxed ; he was threatened : but it was literally no go. At last the trainer harnessed him into a common road- sulky, and led him out into a large field free from all obstruction ; and placing himself behind the sulky, with the reins held tightly in his hands, he gave the signal 174 THE PERFECT HORSE. for the colt to move. Move he did, but backward, not forward. When the colt began to run backward, the trainer, instead of seeking to check him, allowed him the fullest freedom of action, simpty keeping one line a little tauter than the other, so that the colt should run backward, not in a straight line, but in a curve. When the circle was nearly complete, the colt was ready to stop, his eyes filled with the look of intense and wilful satisfaction. But his trainer did not propose to let him stop. He put a strong and steady pressure upon the bit, compelling the colt, against his will, to keep the back- ward movement. This had the desired effect. By the time the colt had been spun rapidly twice around that circle, he had had enough of it. He was literally giddy ; so much so, that he could barely stand. This cured him: he had been caught in his own trap. The trainer mounted the seat, patted him on the haunches, and called on him pleasantly to go ahead. From that day he gave no trouble : he was completely cured. I have known this tried in many cases; and each time the result^ was satisfactory. Another mean habit is that of lying down in the har- ness. Some colts will lie down almost as soon as you have them harnessed. Sometimes a blow from the whip, delivered low down along the side, quick and sharp, will bring them up with a spring. If one or two blows do not answer, the whip is of no use : you will only torture and scar your colt needlessly. The better way is to "beat him at his own trade," as the saying is. When HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 175 he lies down, get upon his head and heck, and make him stay there. After five or ten minutes, he will begin to grow uneasy. He won't know quite what to make of it. Soon he will feel the uncomfortableness of his position. He will make an effort to rise. Now is your time : keep him down. Down with his head flat to the ground, and hold it there. It is no boy's play ; but you can do it if you are determined, and reasonably strong. Only don't let the job out to a small boy ; for the job is a big one at times, and needs a quick eye, a stout hand, and a strong back. Watch the colt, and don't let him up as long as he is rebellious, if you hold him there all day, and the following night at that ! Let him sweat and struggle : he is learning two valuable lessons, — the first of which is, that it does not pay to lie down in the harness; and the second is, that man is stronger than he. This latter point includes almost every thing in relation to the training of a certain class of horses. Until they are taught this idea, they are utterly unmanageable : you can make no progress in their education. But let them once learn that they are not the masters, but are as nothing in the hand of the trainer, and the battle is won : all that is needed follows naturally and easily. Now, there is no position which gives man such absolute command and mastery over a colt as when he has his knees on his neck, and his hands gripped into the bridle- pieces. Thus situated, man is absolutely " master of the situation ; " and I have often thought that it was a very good idea to have a colt of rather vicious temper lie 176 THE PERFECT HORSE. down once, in order that he might learn how powerless he is in the hands of man. When a colt gives up, the man at his head will easily perceive it. The hot blaze and mad glitter will leave the eye ; the muscles will relax their tension ; the neck will become limp ; and the whole body, losing its rigidity, will lie along the earth as if it had no thought of rising, and would never rise. This is the staire of exhaustion and submission. The colt's rampant spirit is cowed, and his pride humbled. His conceit is taken out of him. He has been beaten by his own weapons, and knows it He will never trouble you again in that way. As to the time it takes to bring a colt to this conviction, there is no precise limit. Some colts will "give it up" in twenty minutes ; some in sixty ; and I have known colts hold out for three hours. But, whether it takes longer or shorter, carry the thing through. Believe me, you cannot spend your time better. Another fault, or rather habit, — for it is often only the result of habit, and no result or proof of viciousness, — is kicking. We should remember that a colt kicks natii- rally ; that is, he does it in self-defence, and also in the way of play. It is, as it were, his birthright, by which he expresses his physical spirits, and defends himself The fact is, no colt should ever be put between the shaft without a kicldng-strap j that is, a strap buckled to either shaft, and passed over the haunches in such a way as to make it impossible for him to get his heels over the cross-tree. This is the only safe way to pursue. Gen- HOW TO TEADsr A COLT. 177 crally speaking, a slight twitcli on the reins, just as he is on the point of "lifting," will check the effort: but it needs a quick eye and hand to catch the colt soon enough to keep his heels out of the dashboard ; and not over two in ten men would be sure to do it. But, by using the kicking-strap, all danger and risk are averted ; and therefore I invariably insist on it in educating my colts. After two or three attempts to " lift^^'' the youngster finds he cannot ; and is thereby, as the Irish- man said, "cured of the disease before he had it." In the case of colts, as of men, an "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." As to the matter of "balking," no general direction can be given, or rule established. If the education of the colt has been conducted in accordance with the principles I have in previous pages laid down, he will not halk. Balking on the part of colts is, for the most part, the result of the trainer's ignorance or passion. Yelling and whipping on the part of the trainer or driver, over-loading, sore shoulders, or ill-fitting collars, — these are the causes that make horses balk. But if you have a horse or colt that balks, while I cannot, without a personal knowledge of the subject, tell you what to do, I can tell you what not to do, — nevey^ wliip. If he won't go, let him stand still and think it over. He will very often think better of it, and after a few mo- ments' reflection, and a few tosses of his head, go on of his own accord. Or, if this does not answer, get out of the wagon and pat him, and talk to him kindly. A 12 178 THE PERFECT HORSE. horse is very susceptible to kindness ; and I have known more than one quite vicious horse gentled into good behavior by a few pats from a lady's gloved hand on the moist neck and veined muzzle. Sometimes it is well to loosen a strap or start a buckle. I have known the mere act of unchecking and rechecking the animal answer the purpose. It took his attention off in another direction, you see, changed the current of his thought, and broke up his purpose and determination to resist. For this same reason, an apple, or a bunch of grass from the roadside, or a handful of oats, or a few ker- nels of corn, will often accomplish what an hour of beating could never effect. The truth is, a man must govern himself before he can hope to govern lower animals. A man flushed with passion, his brain charged with heated blood, and eyes blazing with rage, is not in a condition to think clearly ; and it is just this tliink- ing clearly that is, above all else, needed in directing and controlling horses. Hence it is, that contact with horses, and an actual experience in teaching them, is one of the finest disciplines a man can have. He grows to love the colt he is teaching; and no nature is utterly depraved in which is going on the exercise of affection, no matter how humble the object of it may be. His employment makes it necessary for him to think ; and this keeps intellect, which might otherwise have no development, alive. The language of the stable is not, as many pious and ignorant people imagine, all slang. Care and anxiety are felt in the groom's room, and con- HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 179 sultations held upon the issue of which the health and safety of valuable property depend. Plans are formed, and methods of procedure adopted, upon which fame, and vast sums of money, come and go. Faults of na- ture, and errors of education and practice, are corrected ; and the trainer discovers, that, in schooling God's crea- tures, he is being schooled himself Thus, as in all other branches of honorable industry, the horseman discovers that he is the point from which one current goes forth, and another enters in. He bestows, and he receives ; he educates, and is educated ; and the life which so many thoughtless people despise, closes, as in the case of Hiram Woodruff, — the upright in heart and act, — with honor, and a fame which can fail only when kindness toward animals, and integrity among men, are regarded as of no account. It is, as I have said, impossible for a writer to lay down rules adequate for the trainer's guidance and direction in the management of vicious or irritable colts ; for very likely no two cases require the same treat- ment. These points may, however, be made : Keep your temper. No matter how provoked : put a severe curb upon the rising of passion. A cool head, and calm and steady nerves, with a quick eye, will go far towards success in conflicts with even the most irritating animals. Moreover, never forget that the law of kindness is stronger in its influence on the animal creation than the law of force. Remember this also : Do not make much noise when having a contest with a colt. Say little to 180 THE PERFECT HORSE. him, and nothing to any one else. Do not be shouting, " Get up ! " " Whoa ! " " Look out there ! " and the like. Silence is a great virtue in a horse- trainer. A low- voiced groom is worth his weight in gold about the stables. A horse cannot understand sounds like a > hu- man being ; and the less said to him, for the most part, the better. A few sounds, of course, are necessary; the word "whoa" being one of these. This word should mean sfoj) : it should never mean any thing else in the colt's ears. It should be pronounced in a quick, sharp, imperative tone. It should never be drawled out or prolonged, as if there were a dozen a's, instead of one, after the o, as is often the case. WJioa means sfoj?, as I have said. When a colt hears it, he should stop, and stop in his tracks too. It is not a word to be frequently used, therefore, but to be saved for emergencies; as when some strap or bolt gives way, a bit parts in the mouth, or an upset occurs. At such a time you can say "TT^/«oa/" and if it has always meant stop to your horse, if he was broken to so understand it when young, he will so understand it then, and stop ; thereby saving, perhaps, your limbs, or even life. The common fault is to use the word to steady the horse when speeding, or to slow him up. For this purpose take some other word or words ; as, "Steady, boy; steady!" but let the word "whoa" mean but one thing to your horse ; viz., to stop, and stop instantly. The horse of ordinary intelligence can be made to understand this with very little trouble, and in less than a dozen lessons. I have seen horses trained HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 181 in less than a week's time, so that, when streaming round the exercise-lot at a swinging gait, they would stop at the word sent forth from the mouth of the trainer, so quickly as to actually throw themselves upon their haunches. The method is simple. Put your bridle on to your colt, buckle in a pair of long lines, and, taking position in the rear, start him along. After he has taken a few steps, say " Whoa ! " and at the same time give him a slight twitch on the bit sufficient to cause him to stop. Do not be rude or harsh, but 'gentle and firm. Start him now again, and repeat the sound and the move- ment of the hand. The colt will soon catch the idea, and learn what the sound means. Then you can go on, and teach him that it not only means stop^ but that it means to stop instanthj. A few days of this simple treatment will suffice to teach him thoroughly the lesson, which, when well learned, he never forgets, and the real value of which can scarcely be overestimated. If the colt is worth five hundred dollars when broken in the ordinary way, he is certainly worth six hundred when instructed fully in the manner I have set forth. Any sensible man, in purchasing a horse for family ser- vice or for fast driving on the road, will gladly pay a hundred dollars extra if the breeder can show to him that the colt will stop short in his tracks at the word ; for he sees, that, amid even the average risks and hazards of driving, such a power over the animal may prove of supreme importance. Next to this understanding, on the part of the colt, 182 THE PEEFECT HOESE. . of the significance of the word "whoa," is indifference to pressure upon the hams and legs from behind. So important is this, that I hold that the education of no colt is really completed until he can be driven on or- dinary roads without breeching or hold-backs. He should be taught to be utterly fearless and indifferent to the wagon coming suddenly upon him from behind. So far as the human mind may predict, my own life has been certainly saved once, because the horses I was di'iving, when the pole snapped half way down a moun- tain-side, had been taught these two supreme virtues, — to stop at the word "whoa," and to hold the wagon back with their haunches. It is astonishing to me that two habits of obedience so essential as these, and so easily inculcated, should not be regarded as actually in- dispensable. I have pointed out the process of teaching a colt to stop at the word. I will now suggest my method of teaching horses not to fear when the wagon comes suddenly against them. I take the horse, and, backing him between the shafts, continue to back him slowly and easily until his hams come in contact with the whiffletree. He may start at first; but, after a few trials, he becomes absolutely indifferent to it. Then, calling the groom to the head of the horse, I station myself behind the wagon or carriage, and, speaking kindly and soothingly to the horse, push it slowly forward until it comes against him. All this is done quietly, remember, and so gently as neither to hurt nor alarm the animal. After a few trials, the HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 183- horse becomes accustomed to it, and will actually brace himself against your pressure. This is what you have been after. He has caught the idea, and will hence- forth enter heartily into your plan. In a few days he will even bear pain in resisting your efforts, and not flinch, and adjust himself in such a way as to re- ceive the pressure at the best angle of resistance. You can now hitch him into your wagon, and leave the breeching and hold-backs at home. After two months of training, I have driven a colt, which was not at all amiable by nature, for miles on a country -road, where the hills, while they were not long, were steep, with nothing whatever to assist him in holding back the wagon. While I would not advise any to pursue this course, I still declare my belief that the majority of colts could be easily trained to stand this test; and I urge all trainers to so educate the animals in their charge, that the breaking of a single strap, the snapping of a bolt, or even the falling-off of a nut, shall not en- danger the lives of those who are riding trustingly behind. I have now gone over the matter of horse-educa- tion so far as is necessary to fit him for the average public use. We began with him when he stood at his mother's side, and, by gradual processes of instruction, brought him up through the several grades of knowl- edge of and familiarity with men and things, until he has become serviceable to man. He who brings a colt up in this way is a public benefactor. It may be, that, so 184 "THE PERFECT HOESE. far as ho is concerned, selfishness supplied the actual motive at every stage of the proceeding ; but, never- theless, selfishness cannot appropriate the result. The motive was not generous ; but the result is noble. He has ministered to the enjoyment of many ; he has added to the possibilities of social intercourse and domestic happiness. He will be paid for his labor in dollars; but the profit which he has brought to the world can- not be estimated in currency. Commerce will add another sail to her squadron, the rail-car have a heavier freight, the social room a fuller company, and the house of God a larger audience, because of the animal that he has so successfully raised and trained for human use. We will now pass on to consider the higher educa- tion of the horse : by which I mean those processes and methods of proceeding by which the more characteris- tic traits of his nature, chiefest among which is speed, are brought forward, under wise management, to per- fection. Let us, therefore, inquire how a colt should be treated in order to develop in him the highest degree of* speed. We will take an animal at two years of age, let us say, and inquire into the best method of cultivat- ing the faculty and power of rapid motion. The first thing to attend to, be it observed by all, -is the lungs. Lung-power is the best kind of power a horse can possibly have, because it alone can make other kinds of power of avail. Muscular power is very desirable ; but muscles can never bring a horse to the wire in time, unless his lungs are good. Nervous force HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 185 is excellent ; but no amount of vital energy will hold a horse up through the wear and tear of a four-mile race. A perfect bone-structure is admirable; but what are bones, if the breathing-apparatus is inadequate? The first point, therefore, I say, that a breeder or owner of a likely colt should consider, is this matter of lung- devel- opment. The great question with him should be, ''How can I expand and enlarge his lungs ? " Still, although every reader will see at a glance the vital significance of this point, it is, I presume, a branch of horse-culture to which less attention is paid than any other. You can get books by the score on the " Foot," on the " Bone- Structure," on "Muscular Development," on almost every possible subject, relating to the horse, about which a book could be made, or a discussion started ; but when you go to the bookseller's to inquire for books telling you how to build up the lung-poiuer of a horse, you can find no such book for sale! Our limits do not allow us to treat of this most important subject at length ; and we can only hope to call attention to it, and make, in a plain, simple way, a few suggestions which may prove of value to the breeder and trainer. To begin with, then, let it be remarked that colts need a great deal of exercise. By nature they were made for rapid movement. Like young birds, they develop in motion. The number of miles a colt of high breeding, and in good condition, will go when at pas- ture each day, is something surprising. I will not mention my estimate, because no one would believe it 186 THE PERFECT HORSE. to be correct : and I only ask you to watcli a colt twenty-four hours, and make your own estimate; and, if you are not astonished, I shall be. Now, no sensible man will turn a colt of fine promise loose in the pasture after the second year ; and I do not after the first. A valuable colt is too valuable to risk in that foolish man- ner, especially if he is a horse-colt. He should be kept in a large, roomy stall, where he can be attended to and trained day by day. But do not forget his need of daily exercise. Do not think that a box-stall will sufl&ce. You might as well teach an eaglet to fly in a large cage . as to give the needed discipline to a colt's legs, heart, and lungs in a box-stall. Many most promising youngsters are fatally checkfed in the development of their powers by lack of needed exercise in their second and third years. I hold that a colt needs a great deal of exercise ; not to the halter, which is good for nothing but to sweat out a lazy groom, but sharp, quick exercise, in the taking of which every muscle is brought into play, every joint tested, and every vein, however small, swelled taut with rapid blood, as is the case when allowed the lil:)erty of hill and plain, and to follow the promptings of nature. Ah, me ! how full of bounding life the youngsters are, when in a drove of twenty, heads up- lifted and tails erect, their long hair streaming straight out behind, they charge in thundering column across the shaking field ! See how they tear along with hoofs that spurn the plain, with changeful gait, and action free HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 187 and swift as a swallow's ! See tliat sorrel trot ! Look at his stride ! How he opens out ! Ha ! did you see the chestnut catch his step?* Good heavens! how that brown one runs ! Ho! here, boys; here! Now look and see them come strung out m line, heads towards us, ears pricked, and eyes on fire! Hi, there! hi, there! Now see them swoop to the left, and go tearing away like mad, muzzles straight out, and ears laid back, until they pass the ridge, and the valley catches them from our sight! Circus! — there never was such a circus as that! It's enough to stir the blood in the veins of a deacon ! It is the exercise-lot, and the exercise-lot alone, that can take the place and make good the absence of na- ture's liberty. In it the colt can run and jump and race, and double this way and that, and check himself, as only a colt can when in full career, to his heart's content. Every owner of a colt should have an exer- cise-lot. It costs little to make one, and will pay for itself fifty times over in two years. Let it be from ten to fifteen rods long, and from eight to ten rods wide. The ground should be level, ploughed, and raked free of cobbles. It should be fenced with boards not wider than two inches apart, and at least seven feet in height. The posts should be on the outer side, so that the in- side may be flush, with no projection against which the colt can strike. Take a shovel, and heave up a slight bank around the inner side, like to what the ring-master of the circus does, that his horses may get a foot-support as they circle round. Now build you a raised platform 188 THE PERFECT HOESE. at one end of the ground, outside the fence, for your visitors to occupy during the exhibition, and your job is done. Wlien you have such an exercise-ground on your place, you have added a most valuable posses- sion to your property. If you have colts to sell, such an exercise-ground is indispensable. It will enable you to get at least twenty per cent more for your stock, and sell them several years sooner, because purchasers in search of likely young horses can see, the first time a colt goes around the yard, about what he is. His action, which could in no other way be shown so well, is seen ; and a bid is at once made on him. With good stock, and a good exercise-lot in which to exhibit them, a breeder's stable will never be choked up with unsold stuff ; nor will his purse ever be empty. But the exercise-ground has a higher use than this. In every stable are several colts too good to sell as year- lings. Their pedigree and promise give them a specu- lative and prospective value so great, that the breeder or owner cannot afford to sell them until they are more developed ; because the prospect is, that, when devel- oped, they will reach a much more remunerative figure. Now, these are the colts for which the exercise-lot is peculiarly adapted : indeed, it is indispensable to then- welfare. They are too valuable to turn out Avith the drove ; they are too valuable to sell : wisdom says, "Keep them a while longer, and develop them." But this development can only come by exercise, and that kind and class of exercise which can be had nowhere HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 189 save in the exercise-lot. The reason is, that in no other place can they get that rapidity and variety of movement absolutely indispensable to their growth, health, and vigor. The first thing, as I have said, to which to pay attention, is the development of the lungs. The lungs must, in the first place, be built up in size. The larger the bellows, the stronger the blast. Large lungs — as large as nature can be made to grow — is what every horse kept for speed wants. Secondly, the lungs must be of fine texture. The Iung-SM&- stance must be of excellent quality, — elastic and tough ; able to bear the strain of inflation and the shock of collapse without pain or injury when the horse, on a hot, muggy day, comes struggling to the judges' stand with the driver's voice in his ear, and the driver's whip laid at every stride across his rump. It is lungs that win on such a day and race. Bone-structure won't do it ; muscles won't do it ; nervous energy won't do it : lungs, and lungs alone, win in such contests. If you would realize the force of this, try a short race yourself Start off and run forty or sixty rods even at your sharpest jump : very likely, before you have gone half that distance, you will begin to discover where your lungs lie, and the value of tuincl Now, what was it that gave out, and made you stop so suddenly ? " Pain in my side, shortness of breath," you reply. Exactly. Your leg-bones were all right ; your feet didn't pain you ; your muscles could have carried you forward a mile ; your determination was strong enough : but 190 THE PERFECT HORSE. your wind gave out You see now tlie relation of lungs to speed. Now, reader, I put the question to you, If you have a fine colt, what are you striving to do with him? Ten to one your anxiety is to build up his bone- substance, develop his muscles, restrain his nervousness, educate him to go squarely, keep his blood in a good condition. All these points you have paid the closest attention to; but the lungs — the most essential of all organs, able to contribute most to your success in the hour of trial — you have left to take care of themselves. "What can I do?" you inquire. This, in the first place, I reply : See that your horse or colt has plenty of pure, fresh, unhreatlied air. A well-ventilated stable, where the horse has plenty of air that no other animal's breath has tainted, is the first essential. Foul air means foul blood ; and foul blood means diseased lung-substance. If your colt's blood is diseased, his lungs are being built up with diseased substance, like as when a wall is built of rotten bricks. If, now, your colt is in good health, and has a stall well ventilated, and is exercised to the halter every day, you think all is being done that need be or can be; but you are greatly mistaken. Such treatment will keep him in good health, and an average lung-growth: but for speed you must have more than this ; you need extraordinary lung-development. And how, pray, can we obtain this extraordinary lung- development ? In this way, and in this way alone : By putting the colt at least two or three times each week to the top of his speed in the exercise-lot Not until his HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 191 blood is heated somewhat, and lungs and heart have begun to work under pressure, is either the blood or wind sent fast and forcefully enough into and through the venous system of the lungs to fairly expand them. The lung-substance, as you know, is full of veins, — minute blood-ducts ; and the action of the heart, when the colt is merely jogged about, is not strong and rapid enough to send the blood through these in the way in which it must be sent in order to strengthen and build them up. Moreover, in order to enlarge and develop the lungs, they must be distended, — distended tlior- ouglily^ to the extremity of every little air-passage : and, to do this, the inhalation on the part of the colt must be sudden and strong ; which, of course, cannot be unless the colt is put through a course of sharp exercise. You will observe that my plan is only Nature's plan, the location of the exercise being changed. Nature exer- cises her colts in the field: she sends them tearing through bushes, and jumping brooks and bowlders, and racing over hillocks ; nor will she let them halt until their necks are moist, their nostrils distended to their utmost capacity, and their flanks all a-quiver. I accept the hint ; and standing in the centre of the exercise-lot, whip in hand, my groom sends my favorite colt around time and again, time and again, — now at a trot, now at his keenest jump, — until his nostrils show their red, his neck moistens, and his ribs stand out to sight as lifted by every inflation of the lung. This, remember, is done (Jay by day, month in and out, the year round. It is 192 THE PERFECT HORSE. this steady, perslsted-in exercise touching any organ that gives to it, in the end, its highest possible development. Those who think that they can develop a horse's wind in two or three months are greatly mistaken. Lungs, lilye ships, are not built in a day: they cannot be i)ut into a horse a month before the expected race. They must he grown up in the Jiorse, beginning at the day he is able to trot by the dam's side ; and they can only be groivn in the manner I have pointed out. In conjunction with the exercise-lot, and alternating with it, if convenient, comes jogging on the road or around the track. Some people say, "Never drive nor harness a colt before he is five years old." This is sheer nonsense. The natural state is not the best state, neces- sarily, to an animal so highly organized as the horse. Dio Lewis will take a boy and train him, so that, at twelve years of age, he will lift twice as much as any Indian lad of that age who ever lived. For the pur- poses of nature. Nature is perfect in her educational processes ; but, for the purposes of man, man is the better disciplinarian, A colt, if he be well formed and of average size, should be driven from five to ten miles to a light hitch-up twice a week at least, and be allowed to " strip out " once or twice every drive for a quar- ter of a mile, too, at that. Colts are made to go ^ and going does not hurt them, as any one can see who watches them in the pasture. It does not hurt a colt to "i^^#" and "szyea^;" but, on the other hand, this swift and hot lung-and-heart action is just what his system HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 193 needs for its development. I would not say a word to encourage any to overdrive colts ; for I hold that such conduct is criminal : but I believe, that, where one colt is crippled by over- exercise, fifty in the country are being crippled by constrained idleness. Give your colt, friend, plenty of oats and hay and pure water, and fresh air in his stall, and plenty of exercise in the exercise-lot and on the road, and you will have an ani- mal, when he is matured, able to go fast and go far, and pull weight, without giving out, either: and if you should ever enter him in competition with another horse of equal speed by nature, but educated in the old approved style of being babied in a box-stall until he was put into actual training, you will see your horse trotting under the wire with ears pricked, and unlabored action ; while your rival's nag is straining and blow- ing, in vain but frantic effort, half way down the stretch toward the distance-post. Whatever else you neglect in the education and training of your colt, reader, do not neglect the development of his lungs. No matter what theory of development you adopt : have a theory ; for this implies thought on your part touching the mat- ter ; and the trouble now is, very likely, that you have never given any thought to it at all. Next to the development of lung-power, stands, as I judge,, in importance, the development of muscular power ; and to this we will now turn our attention. The muscles which need especial development are those of the haunches, or thighs, and bach. The former. 13 - 194 THE PERFECT HOESE. do not suffer from lack of treatment ; but the latter do. It is not leg-power so much as back-power a horse needs in order to pull weight and project himself rapid- ly through the air. The muscles that are located over the loins, and run forward like great pulleys alono- either side of the spinal column, as you can see if you will watch a horse in action, are the ones relied on by nature to do much of the work required. Hence a long-backed horse must be exceedingly strong in the muscular formation at these points, or he is sure to give out when the tug comes. How to strengthen the mus- cles of the back and Joins is, therefore, a question worthy of the breeder's and trainer's closest attention. In the human system this is done by lifting weights, and climb- ing hills, and carrying burdens. Every one knows what enormous burdens the porters of the East will walk off under with ease, — burdens which an American could barely lift, much less shoulder. Well, how do they get this power ? The answer is found in their habit of life and labor. From boyhood they are porters, weight- carriers. Every day adds a pound to their weight- carrying capacity ; and thus nature is developed to an extent which seems marvellous to us, unused to such exercise and labor. Well, muscles and bones are the same everywhere, — the same in the horse as in the man ; and if man, by certain practice, and exercise at weight- carrying, can develop the muscles of his back and loins so that his natural capacity can be more than doubled, why can we not develop the back and loin power of HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 195 our colts in like manner, and to the same extent? I hold, therefore, that the muscles of a colt's back and loins can be easily and greatly developed by the impo- sition of weight ; beginning, say, when he is two years of age, and continuing the practice until maturity. Many horses naturally somewhat weak at these points could be brought, in a few years, to be above the average capacity by a judicious treatment of weighting. So far as I have experimented in this direction, the re- sult has been eminently successful, — precisely what one would expect, from the circumstances of the case, it would be. This I know, that, even in a few months, the muscles of the back and loins can be enlarged and brought out, so that the improvement in the steadi- ness of the animal's gait, and his power to stride, are perceptible even to the driver's eye. Many horses "tangle up," and go to pieces, because the muscles of the back are too weak to put the neces- sary control upon the framework and the legs. Every horse "breaks" in the back before he "breaks" in the leg; that is, the unsteadiness of motion — which, when it has passed a certain limit, is communicated to his legs, causing him to change his gait from a trot into a run, in order to save his balance — besfins in the back. As lono^ as a horse can keep his back-bone in a straight line, he is all right. His loss of control over himself springs from a* muscular weakness at that point. One reason why a horse should never be pulled so that he is doubled up, is because, when so doubled up, he cannot 196 THE PEEFECT HORSE. keep tlie spinal column — which is to the framework of the horse what the keel is to the framework of a ship — straight. Some say, indeed most say, when driving a race, watch your horse's head for the first signs of unsteadiness. Hiram Woodruff said, that, in the action of the head, the driver could see the first pre- monitions of a break. Against such authority I would not set any opinion of my own, save in the way of sug- gestion. But while Woodruff may be right, and un- doubtedly is right, in many, perhaps the majority of cases, I am, on the other hand, confident, that, in some horses, the signs of the coming break can be quickest perceived in the action of the spinal column. My habit is to watch the horse's back : so long as that is straight, well-steadied, the action of the back-muscles regular and in a straight line, I keep sending the horse along. Only when a slight quiver or twist, a kind of kinking-up or swaying motion, is seen in the back, do I take him more firmly in hand, and steady him until he has time to straighten himself out again. The advantage of watching the line of the back, instead of the head, of a horse, to perceive the signs of the coming break, is found, as it seems to me, in this : The head sign is not the same in all horses ; nor is it so unmistakable to the eye, — unless you have driven the horse enough to become acquainted with his peculiar habit of going, — and there- fore not so much to be depended upon, nor so. easily discerned, as the vibratory movement of the spinal column, which, while it invariably precedes the " tan- HOW TO TKAIN A COLT. 197 gling up," can be easily perceived by the merest novice. But we were speaking as to liow to strengthen the back, rather than how to watch it give forth the signs of unsteadiness ; and to this point let us now return. We have discussed the influence of weights in de- veloping the muscles of the loin and back. We would now allude, briefly, to what might be called the in- fluence of up-hill exercise ; by which I mean the trot- ting and running of colts or the horse, under training, up sharp declivities. This is Nature's method of development. Eunning through all her educational processes, you find the element of opposition. She makes her birds to fly against currents of air as often as with them. Her fishes must contend with tides and the swift opposition of rapids ; while the noblest of the species must practise their powers, often for days at a time, in vain, in the spirited attempt to jump the oppos- ing waterfall. Surely we can discern the wisdom of this arrangement ; for we can see that only by such a process can the highest structural development be attained. Turning now from theory and analogy to observation of data^ this we know, — that horses raised in mountainous districts and hilly sections have better lung-development, and are stronger in the loins and back, than those raised in the flat meadows of the low- lands. The character of the atmosphere may, in part, account for the improvement in the lung-structure ; but nothing save the fact, that horses raised in such localities are compelled, by the necessities of their 198 THE PERFECT HORSE. situation, to jump streams, and climb hills, can ex- plain the increased power of their loin and back. The Morgan horse is a wonderful illustration of this. Such a weight-puller, when you consider his size, cer- tainly was never seen in America, and, so far as we know, never seen in the world. And to-day a colt raised in Vermont, or the mountainous sections of New Hampshire and New York, is almost invariably coupled, at the junction of the spinal column with the hip-bones, like a giant. Analogy and observation alike suggest to the breeder and trainer that every young horse should be put through a certain amount of up-hill exer- cise. Do not trot your colts alone on the level stretch ; above all, avoid the descending grade. Practise him in the other direction ; and especially, when you come to a hill, let "him take it at the jump. For one, I am free to say I prefer that my colts should be driven, while being developed, along a road with a great many hills in it. How often you see horses, when trotting a race on a track that is not perfectly level, falter in their gait when taking the rising stretch, lose the strength and steadiness of their stroke, and drop behind I They could trot, you see, down a descending grade; they could move fast, even on level ground: but they were too weak in the back and loins to force themselves up the ascent. Had they been properly trained, and es- pecial care been exercised to develop them at the desired point, they would have kept their length of stride and powerful stroke from bottom to top, and HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 199 come in the winner, instead of being disgracefully beaten. And yet the fault was more with the trainer than with the horse ; because the horse could not reason, while the trainer's business is to think, and think for the horse, not only during the few moments of the race, but during all the months, and years even, that precede it. And here I wish to call the reader's atten- tention to the influence of slow exercise in connection with weight-pulling. Good steady team-work, such as a horse finds in ordinary farm-labor, is, in my estimation, one of the best methods that can be adopted to de- velop many horses in muscular strength. Horses that are narrow in the chest, and weak in the back, are es- pecially benefited in this way. Many colts that cannot command their legs, that hit their knees, "grab over," " hitch," and the like, if put to team-service for a year or two, will come out of the discipline in splendid health and condition, and able to go fast without hitting a hair. This I know from actual experience. A great many colts are being trained on race-courses to-day, at great expense to their owners, and risks to them- selves, in reference to which it may be said, that it would be vastly better for all concerned if they were taken from the track, and given to some old farmer to use on his farm for two or three years. In that time their frames would spread, their chests expand, their bones harden, their muscles enlarge, and they would escape the fate which now awaits them, — a premature break-down and an early death. I hold that slow 200 THE PERFECT HORSE. work for some colts is the only work which they can stand with safety, and therefore the only work to which they should be put. It is the best way, only because it is the only way. It is to correct faults of formation, rather than to develop perfect formation. This distinc- tion being understood, I give it my hearty indorse- ment. We have now progressed so far in our discussion touching the best way to develop the natural capacity of the colt, in order that he may go fast and far, that the matter of driving must be noticed ; and we will proceed to consider it. I do not write with the pro- fessional's knowledge or practical experience in racing, nor, indeed, from the professional's stand-point. The object of this book, so far as I am connected with it, is not to attempt to teach professionals in their especial branch of business, of which I know nothing, but to make certain suggestions, based in part on the opinions of other men, and in part upon my own study and ob- servation of the horse when in action, as driven by gentlemen on the road, or at our annual fairs. In many respects it is more difficult to drive a young and un- trained horse well upon the road — requiring greater quickness of the eye and hand, and finer control over one's self — than to drive trained animals on a smooth level track in the public race. Especially does it require intelligence and a goodly degree of skill to drive a colt in such a way as to prevent him from acquiring vicious habits of going, and to confirm him in HOW TO TEAIK A COLT. 201 the practice of good ones. And it is with the driving of colts that we will begin. We will suppose that your colt is so far familiar with the harness and wagon, that it is safe to drive him on the public highway. In the first place, avoid driving a colt in a two-wheeled sulky. No matter how well it is balanced, the pressure on his back will be variable ; and before you are aware, by the spring of the shafts up and down, unsteadiness of gait will be the result. A four- wheeled wagon, light as circumstances will permit, is far preferable. In such a vehicle his stride will be steadier, and his confidence in himself far greater. Another great advantage is found in the fact, that, in a four-wheeled vehicle, you are seated so far back, that you can watch the movements of his limbs, and observe whatever is wrong in their action. This is a source of great satisfaction to a driver. The first lesson to incul- cate in your colt is, that he is to start off slowly. For the first quarter of a mile, let him walk. It is well to have him start into a trot of his own accord. This a sprightly colt will naturally do ; and his gait will soon become, without his being urged, fast enough for the road. If he is two years of age, you can jog him from four to ten miles three times a week for the first month, with decided benefit to him. This distance is sufiicient to take the friskiness out of him, and make him under- stand that it means business. Some advocate only two or three miles every day ; but I think that a .longer dis- tance, with a day of rest between the exercises, is far 202 THE PERFECT HORSE. preferable. After the first month, you can begin to let him out a little. Very likely, before this, he has begun to get an inkling of his powers, and showed a disposition to avail himself of the smooth stretches in the road. For such manifestations you have been anxiously looking ; and their coming is a delight to your soul. It is the sure evidence that your colt has "got, it in him; " and that, with proper education, he is bound to be a trotter. Now select your nicest bit of ground, straight and level as may be, not more than fifty rods in length, at least two miles from your stable, so that, by the time he reaches it, the effervescence of his spirits has worked itself out ; and when you have come to it, and he begins to lift his head, and feel of the bit with his tongue, — which he is pretty sure to do, — do not restrain him, but let him go it. Don't say any thing to him. It is his affair, remember; and let him enjoy it undisturbed. Simply steady him slightly with the lines ; and after he has gone what you regard as a sufficient dis- tance, and while he is in full blast, and eager as a young hound on the scent, take him gently in hand, and slow him up. Now is your time to praise him. Call him pet names ; flatter him ; reach over and pat him with your hand. Make him feel that he has done something worthy, and that you are proud of him. Do not smile incredulously as you read this, and say a colt can't understand you. A colt can understand you. Among all animals, the dog only is more susceptible to praise. If you have the right stuff in you, you cannot drive a HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 203 colt a month witliout a kind of half-human intelligence springing up between you and him. He will recognize you when you enter his stall. He will grow to expect your caress when you mount the seat and take the lines. He will keep an ear turned as you jog, to catch your lightest word. I have known horses neigh back an answer when their driver spoke to them. It is a great thing, believe me, to establish this understanding be- tween you and your colt. With this spurt be content. Try no more that day. Jog him through his journey, and bring him home to his stable with only that one memory in his mind. Let him rest a day, then try him again. Before you get within fifty rods of that stretch of road, you will find your colt anticipating it. I have no doubt but that he has thought it all over in his stall, and made up his mind how he would strip out when he reached that spot again ; for no sooner has he come to it, than, without a word from you, or the movement of a line, he will begin to stir the bits in his mouth, lift his nose into the air, elevate his tail a little, and go at it. This is the way that a colt should be taught to trot. It should be of his own free accord ; the mere overflow- ing of a vitality so vigorous and buoyant, that it can- not be restrained. An old horse can be urged with voice and whip, if need be ; but let your colt alone. Don't urge him: make haste slowly at this point. It is not great speed that you want now, so much as a desire to go, and a correct movement of the limbs. 204 THE PERFECT HOESE. Educate him in the desire, and confirm liim in regu- larity of stroke, and the speed is sure to follow in due time. If you find that he is getting a little sluggish in his movements, let him rest: hold up for a week. It is evident that he is being overdone ; and to overdo at this point of his education, will, in the majority of cases, prove fatal to the colt's promise and the owner's hopes. Another sure sign that you are exacting too much of him is seen w^hen he begins to hitch in his gait. This hitching comes from driving too fast and too far ; at times from over-weighting the colt. I quote the following from that most admirable work by Hiram Woodruff, " The Trotting-Horse of America." Speaking of this matter of over-working, he says, — "The work must- be according to his constitution, to the rate of his growth, and to his heartiness of feeding. This jogging will probably be about five or six miles a day, and the spurts not above a quarter of a mile. He must be carefully watched to ascertain whether he im- proves or not. If not, he is to be let up a bit: for. his improvement at this age ought to go on all the time; and will, if he is all right. Rapid improvement, how- ever, must not be expected : ever so little will do ; but it ought not to stop altogether. At this time, you will often see him break his gait ; and this is an indication that he has had too much work for his age, and has got sore on it. But it may not arise altogether from over- work: therefore put the rollers on, and work him gently, changing them from leg to leg as required. HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 205 The colt now finds something on his legs, besides the boots, which was not there before ; and it will alter his way of going. He must be nicely handled now. You must use all your observation and best judgment, with a light but firm hold of the reins. In all probability, he will trot square again with the rollers on ; and, as soon as he does so, let him up for a little while. When the broken gait shows, he must not on any account be kept on without a change ; for, if he is, it may become confirmed. On the other hand, I never like to let them up until I have got them to trot square again ; for, if they are so let up, they may not trot square again when their work is resumed." There is another point of prime importance in driving any horse, but especially a young one : it is the way you handle the reins. Most drivers overdrive. They at- tempt too much ; and, in so doing, distract or hamper the horse. Now and then you find a horse with such a vicious gait, that his speed is got from him by the most artificial processes ; but such horses are fortunately rare, and hence the style of management required cannot become general. The true way is to let the horse drive himself, the driver doing little but directing him, and giv- ing him that confidence which a horse alone gets in him- self when he feels that a guide and firiend is back of him. The most vicious and inexcusable style of driving is that which so many drivers adopt; viz., wrapping the lines around either hand, and pulling the horse backward with all their might and main, so that the horse, in point 206 THE PERFECT HORSE. of fact, pulls the weight back of him with his mouth, and not with his breast and shoulders. This they do under the impression that such a dead pull is needed in order to "steady " the horse. This method of driving I regard as radically and superlatively wrong. It would tax the ingenuity of a hundred fools to invent a worse one. The fact is, with rare exceptions there should never be any pull put upon the horse at all. A steady pressure is allowable, probably advisable ; but any thing beyond this has no justification in nature or reason ; for nature suggests the utmost possible freedom of action of head, body, and limbs, in order that the animal may attain the highest rate of speed ; and reason certainly forbids the supposition, that by the bits, and not the breast-collar, the horse is to draw the weight attached to it. In speeding my horses, I very seldom grasp the lines with both hands when the road is straight, and free from obstructions. The lines are rarely steadily taut, but held in easy pliancy, and used chiefly to shift the bit in the animal's mouth, and by this motion communicate courage and confidence to him. I find, that, by this method, my horses hreah less, and go much faster, than when driven by men who put the old-fashioned steady pull upon them. I know of no writer who expresses my ideas, in the main, so accurately as the writer whom I have just quoted : — "In all his work, the colt is to be taught .to go along without being pulled hard. His mouth may be easily spoiled for life by teaching him to tug at the bit now ; HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 207 and he is not at all likely to make a fast trotter, if to trot he must always have his weight upon the driver's arms. There have been some fast trotters and stayers that were hard pullers; but they would have been better horses but for that fact. Still it is to be remem- bered, that, when going fast, the colt or horse will often want to get his head down, and feel the bit sensibly. He will not, in nine cases out of ten (or can not, which comes to the same thing), do his best without it. The object of the driver should then be to support him with as little pull as possible, but still to support him. The horse with a good mouth will always feel the driver's hand ; and, when the latter is as skilful as he ought to be for the handling of the first-rate fast trotter, he may play upon the rein with a touch like that of a harper upon the strings, and the horse will answer every touch with the music of the feet and wheels, " On the other hand, if, when the colt takes hold of the bit, the driver does nothing but hold on like grim death to a dead darky, it soon becomes a pulling- match between them : and before the colt is of age to trot fast, and stay a distance, his pulling has become a vice of the most troublesome and mischievous de- scription ; his mouth has become so callous, that he pulls a wagon and driver along by the reins instead of the traces ; and, by the dead drag between him and the man behind him, he loses a great deal of the power that will be wanted to sustain him when the pinch comes." 208 THE PERFECT HORSE. This point is put plainly and eloquently, and, coming from the greatest master of driving the trotting-horse America has ever had, is to be accepted, and will be by sensible people, as a law not to be violated. This pull- ing style of driving not only mars a horse's action, but converts a pleasure into a toil. To draw a wagon by the reins is hard work for the horse, and equally hard work for the driver. It kills the very object of driving among gentlemen, which is recreation and rest and stimulating excitement ; and makes what when properly managed is easy and delightful a most laborious and in- deed hazardous proceeding. This light, easy, touch-and- go style of holding the lines and guiding the horse is supposed by some to be insufficient to prevent a horse from breaking his gait ; but, far from this being true, the fact is, it is the pulled horse that is most likely to '■'•kink " up and get '■'•twisted'''' in going. Nature has so ad- justed the head and tail of a horse, that they assist him, when stretched in rapid motion, to keep his balance, and direct himself All speedy animals run with streaming tails and straightened necks, and noses pointed ahead ; and it stands to reason that a horse with his head curbed under, so that his nose is nearly pulled against his breast, cannot move at his fastest rate of going. His driver's insane conduct keeps him out of balance, and compels him to go in an unnatural way. For the same reasons, check-lines should be avoided, especially on colts. Now and then it may be necessary to put on some such contrivance ; but it argues that the coH or horse HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 209 has false action by nature, and detracts materially from his value. I am not talking about ^rac^-horses, but about gentlemen's driving-horses; and I advise all pur- chasers to " bid low " on a colt that cannot trot all that he can trot without any of this top-hamper whatever. Buy no colts that have to be screwed up or screwed down by patented inventions about the head ; but select one that moves off with an untrammelled neck, and nose held naturally at just the right angle for beauty, and which is held by himself in the right position to accom- modate his movements, whatever be his gait. Beware, also, how you buy colts that have to be "booted" and "padded," and gauntleted with "rollers." If you wish to buy a horse-furnishing establishment, buy one ; but don't buy it with a sample of all your stock tied round the legs of your horse. Buy no colt, young man, that don't go dear in every respect. If he brushes a hair in going, leave him in the breeder's yard for some fool to purchase : never make one of yourself by buy- ing him. His owner will find purchasers enough, no doubt ! But to return to the matter of "breaking." Ordi- narily speaking, do not allow your colt to break at all. Remember that your business is to educate him to trot^ not to teach him to run. But if he does ever break, then let him break with a vengeance. Let there be no halfway work about it; no halting and hobbling, and coming back in the breeching, but a regular plunge forward, and a rocket-like movement through 14 210 THE PEKFECT HOESE. the air. If he breaks, make him gain hy the break. Make him understand that his business is to go ahead, hit or miss, in one style as long as possible ; but to go it, style or no style. If you have a green horse, that comes back in the breeching when he breaks, or even when his backbone begins to twist up before the break has actually begun, then give him the whip : give it to him sharp and quick. Get all that nonsense out of him at once : keep him sailing. Do not yank him now, and grab at him with the lines, as if your life depended on pulling your wagon over his back ; but let him take four or five jumps until his back-bone is straightened out, and he has got levelled down to it, and is gathering his legs up under him like a racer ; then move the bits in his mouth, and " pick him up." Don't saw and sway him, and double him up until his nose is down between his fore-legs, and his haunches up over his shoulders. Remember that his back must be kept straight at all events, or he will not catch his trot square, or be able to keep it when he has caught it. With a sharp, firm turn of your wrist, and a lift on the bit, pick his nose upward, and slightly to one side : this will throw him from his balance just enough to make him "grab for his gait," and not enough to twist him into unsteadiness or to slack him up. You may not succeed the first or second time ; but persevere until you have educated your wrist and eye to act in conjunction, and you will then have mastered one of the most difficult feats of finest horse- manship. Sometimes a horse has to be broken up to HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 211 the whip in order to learn his own speed. When a horse is picked down to his trot, after you have got him at his best jump, he is forced to trot fast as lightning for four or five strides, or go on to the ground. Such a gait, even for a few steps, to a green horse, is a revelation to himself. It gives him a hint that he never forgets, or fails to improve upon. It is to him what the first dozen strokes in the water are to a young swimmer, — a revela- tion and an ecstasy. He can do it! The feat is ac- complished! Hurrah! It is just so with a young horse. After his first successful burst of speed, he is a new creature. A knowledge of his own powers, of which he had not dreamed, has come to him. He is lifted on the wings of a new pride. Henceforth he is ambitious to excel. His career has begun. The most difiicult point in settling a horse from a run to a trot is, not in picking him up, but in easing him away. In nineteen cases out of twenty, the horse is quicker than the man. We hold our horses too long : we do not let them catch their trot when they are ready to do it. Bear this in mind, reader, the next time your horse breaks; and, when the moment has come, let go of him. Let every thing go by the run, as sailors say. Still this should be observed, — that it is well to steady or restrain the horse slightly for an instant after the break, in order that he may have an opportunity to collect his thoughts, and confirm his stroke : but still the law is, to keep him going ; that is, if your object is to make speed. 212 THE PERFECT HOESE. There is one peculiarity about the horse in trotting which I have never seen mentioned in print ; and yet I have often observed it, and know it to be important. I refer to the way in which a horse breathes when mov- ing at the top of his speed. It is an erroneous idea to suppose that horses breathe as regularly in action as when standing still or jogging. Indeed, they do not breathe at all for strides at a time when making their spurts. They act precisely as a man does when making a jump. When a man is about to make a great jump, what does he do ? This : He takes in a long breath, filling his lungs to the full, and then goes it ! Not until the leap is made are the lungs inflated again. It is pre- cisely so with a horse when trotting, and about to make a spurt. Suppose you have been trailing, and have come to the last-quarter post three lengths behind the leading horse, which you feel is doing about all he is able to. It is now or never with you. You know it ; and your horse hioivs it too. You move the bits in his mouth, and call on him. He answers your call with a rush that carries him like a bullet to your rival's wheel. Hold him there. Let him get his breath. If you urge him now, he will break sure. If he can stay where he is, you are all right. He knows what you are at ; and, when you are within fifty yards of the wire, call on him again, and he will jump himself to the front as sure as fate, unless he is positively overmatched, and his opponent is handled in the same way. This is the secret of the grand rushes some horses are accustomed to make near th*e HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 213 close of the .lieat, and wliicli make the race, even when they are evidently overmatched, uncertain until the heat is actually finished. How many times Flora Tem- ple, under the skilful management of Hiram Woodruff, would wrench victory from the grasp of defeat by this peculiarity of movement and power! I know a stallion — not on the course, and thus unknown — that possesses this power to a wonderful extent. No matter how fast he is moving: there is always another link in him that he can let out if necessary. I have seen him gather himself for one of these rushes, and, when called on, send himself through the air like a bullet from a gun. I wish, at this point and in this connection, to make several quotations from Hiram Woodruff's "Trotting- Horse of America," — a book filled with much interest- ing knowledge and advice, and which, reader, if you do not own, you should purchase at once ; and I do this because his views are in close accordance with mine, and because they are expressed with great simplicity and accuracy. Speaking of the management of the colt, he says, — "When you come to drive him, it should be with a light, firm hand. The reins should be handled nicely and gently. The driver can manage the colt without 'any jerking or pulling and hauling, if he keeps cool, thinks of what he is about, and uses proper care and patience. The mouth is now fine and sensitive ; and it ought to be kept so, because this is the great organ of communication between a good driver and the trotter, 214 THE PERFECT HORSE. when he is cultivated and improved into a fast horse. What you want the trotter to do when he is at speed is to be got into him through his mouth. You may encourage him by speaking to him, or sting him into a greater effort with the whip ; but neither of these is half as good as the play upon the reins, with which you let him know what you want through his lively, sensitive mouth. You are then to keep in constant mind the necessity of not impairing the colt's mouth by rough handling of the reins. If you pull and lug at the bit, the colt, in his efforts to resist what hurts him, will very soon pull too ; for he will find out that this numbs and deadens the jaws : but this is at the expense of ruination to the mouth. It will become hard and insensible ; and the first and largest part of the mischief which goes towards the making of a hard puller is done. " When you begin to drive the colt, you must find out what sort of bit suits him best. This is matter of ex- perimental trial. Use both bars and snaffles, all easy ; and by feel of hand, and observation of the way in which the colt carries his head, you will soon be able to ascertain which bit suits him best. The nicety of your touch as driver should correspond to the lively sensi- bility of the colt's mouth. A bad-tempered, hasty man will very soon spoil a good-tempered young horse. The use of the whip ought, as a general rule, to be avoided. In some cases, it must be used ; but it should never be brought into play when the horse does not HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 215 know what it is for. A slap with the whip, which al- most makes the colt jump out of the harness, is often immediately followed by a powerful snatch on the reins to pull him back again. Both of these are as bad as bad can be. Sore mouths, bad tempers, and broken gaits, are the almost inevitable results of such handling. On the other hand, if the colt has been well broken, and has a good lively mouth, and the driver handles the reins skilfully and thoughtfully, the colt will soon learn to understand every move of the hand, and to answer it. From this it follows that you ought to make no move with the bit without a definite object. When you feel an impulse to do something with the reins without knowing what you are to do it /or, don't do it at all. Such moves only fool the horse. Everybody admits that a very hard-pulling horse is a nuisance ; and everybody knows that some horses will pull if they are to trot, and will not extend themselves without a strong pull : but, even in regard to these, it is not well to keep up a steady, rigid pull all the time. I say, Rather pull for a space, and then ease off, not suddenly, but gradually ; and by this means they will not pull quite so hard, and will trot faster. It is not natural for horses to pull hard. Some there are, of uncommon ardor and determination, that will pull in company ; but more are made hard pullers by faulty handling when young, which has deadened their mouths, " In order that a fast horse should be under circum- stances to do his best, he should be as much at his ease 216 THE PERFECT HOUSE. in his harness and general rig as possible. If he is not, he is placed at almost as much disadvantage as if sore or stiff", or suffering from some bodily ailment. You may see horses brought out of the stable to trot with a very tight check to keep their heads up, and a tight martingale to keep it down. Such a horse is in irons ; and when to this is added a dead drag at the reins, and no movement of the bit from end to end, I cannot see how he should do his best. People talk about a steady, bracing pull ; but, in my opinion, that is not the right way to drive a trotter. There is a great difference between letting go of your horse's head, and keeping up one dull, deadening pull all the time. The race- horse riders practise what is called a bracing pull ; and a great many times I have seen their horses tire under it without ever running their best. The steady pull choked them. The pull should be sufficient to feel the mouth, and give some support and assistance, so as to give the horse confidence to get up to his stride. More than that is mischievous. To keep the mouth alive, the bit must be shifted a little occasionally. But this is not to be done by a pull of the hand on the rein. A mere half-turn of the wrist, or less than half a turn, by which the thumb is elevated, and the little finger lowered, is sufiicient to shift the bit, keep the mouth sensitive, and rouse the horse. " The reins are to be steadily held with both hands while this play with the wrist is made ; and it is, of course, only to be done with one wrist at a time. The HOW TO TEAIN A COLT. 217 hands should be well down ; and the driver ought not to sit all of a heap, with his head forward. Neither should he lean back, with his bodily weight on the reins ; which, in that case, are made a sort of stay for him. He should be upright ; and what pulling he must do should be done by the muscular force of the arms. The head and the arms are what a good driver uses ; but some have their arms straight out, and pull by means of putting the dead weight of their bodies on the reins. If instead of lying back, and putting their bodily weight on the reins, with which latter they take a turn round their hands, drivers would depend upon their muscular strength, they could let up on the pull, graduate it, and so ease the horse from time to time in- stantaneously. The driver who depends upon the arms has command of the horse : he who substitutes bodily weight, with the reins wrapped round his hands, has not half command of the horse, or of himself either ; and, if the horse is a puller, he will soon take command of the driver. The reason of it is, that there is no intermis- sion of the exertion, no let-up, either for man or horse. Besides, in that way of driving, it is impossible to give those movements to the bit which seem to refresh and stimulate the horse so much. When a horse has been taught the significance of this movement of the bit, the shift by the turn of the wrist, he will never fail to answer it, even though he should seem to be at the top of his speed. The moment he feels this little move of the bit in his sensitive mouth, he will collect himself, 218 THE PEEFECT HOESE. and make another spurt : and the value of this way of driving is, that the horse is not likely to break when thus called upon ; while a high-strung, generous horse, if called upon for a final effort with a whip, is as likely to break the moment it falls on him as not. I have won many a very close heat by practising this movement ; and therefore I have no hesitation in recommending it. It is not difficult to acquire ; and the horse soon comes to know what it means. " Let us come now to the way of taking hold of the reins. A wrap around the hand, such as running-horse riders take, is clumsy and bad. I do not know whether many people take hold of the reins as I do, or not. Perhaps not. Sim. Hoagland is the only one who takes hold precisely as I do, so far as I have observed. When we have been jogging horses together at early morn- ing, we have often talked over these matters ; and, whether our way was the best way or not, we could never see any other that suited us half as well. " I will try to explain how I hold the reins. I could show it in two seconds. Take, first, the right-hand rein. This, coming from the bit, passes betwen the little fin- ger and the third finger, over the little finger, then under the other three fingers, and up over the thumb. The left-hand rein is held in the left hand exactly in the same way ; but the bight of the slack of the reins is also held between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. This gives more substance in that hand ; but, if it is found inconvenient to have it there by those HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 219 who have small hands, it may be dropped altogether. A firm grasp on each rein, with the backs of the hands up, and without any wrap, is thus obtained. It is a great point in di'iv.ing to be able to shift the reach, — that is, the length of the hold you take, — without, for an instant, letting go of the horse's head. With this way of holding the reins, it is easily done. If I want to shorten the hold on the left-hand rein (the near rein), I take hold of that rein just behind the left hand with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and steady it. This is very easily done ; and it does not interfere at all with the command of the off rein with the right hand. The near rein being thus steadied behind the left hand, I slide that hand forward on the rein, which is kept over the little finger, under the other three fingers, and over the thumb all the time, and then shut the grasp again on the new reach. A shift with the right hand is made just in the same way, — by taking hold and steadying the rein behind that hand with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. " I have often observed, that, with other methods of holding the reins, there was great difficulty in shifting the reach. The driver tries to do it ; but, for an instant, he has let go of the horse's head on one side altogether, and broken his stride. When this is found to be the case, the dead pull all the time is adopted ; and this spoils the freedom and elasticity of the horse's stride, and chokes his wind. I do not intend this to be taken as instruction for professional drivers. Every driver 220 THE PERFECT HORSE. has a way of his own ; and some of them have very good ways ; for, as I have taken occasion to state before, they drive well. But what I have set down above may be of service to gentlemen who drive their own horses, and to those young men, who, having as yet' no settled method of their own, may think it well enough to try that which I have found to answer. Another word about, bits. I am opposed to the use of severe bits, and complicated things of that sort. Some of the in- ventors of such things say that I am prejudiced ; but I don't think I am. If a man has a horse that cannot be driven with a bar-bit or a snaffle, he may as well sell him, except it is a very exceptional case. Where are these kinds of severe complicated bits most in use ? Why, in England. Five hundred or a thousand of them are used there to one that is used here. And Avhere do the horses trot the best ? These bits are mostly invent- ed by men who have had no practical experience what- ever as to what sort of driving a fast trotter requires to keep his gait square and bold, and induce him to do his best when it is called for. When a horse has a good mouth, — and a bad one is almost always the fault of bad breaking and driving, — the easier the bit you use, the better he will act for you, and the more speed he will show you." This, also, touching the matter of punishing horses when they break : — " In nine cases out of ten, a horse punished without his knowing what for is punished for his driver's fault, not HOW TO TRAm A COLT. 221 for his own. Confidence cannot grow in such circum- stances.' If you observe two good trotters who have been accustomed to work together in double harness, you will see what speed and steadiness follow from con- fidence in each other. Each knows that he or she can depend upon the mate to keep up the stroke, and main- tain the even pull and level action. It is of just as much importance that the single-harness horse should understand and have confidence in his driver, as it is for a double-harness horse to know the power and ways of his mate. Unless this sort of mutual understanding can be established between the driver and the horse, the latter can never be relied upon to do his best. The readiest way to produce it is to use him gently but firmly, and to accustom him to the system of telegraph- ing to him by means of the reins in your hand and the bit in his mouth. The whip is to be kept very much in the background while you are cultivating confidence in your horse. It is more likely to prove an obstacle than an aid. " I now come to the last critical point in this matter, — when the horse is tired, and inclined to break. In a long brush, you will often haVe reason to look for an attempt to break ; and it will generally be in circum- stances when the horse must not be suffered to do it. There are times, as I have shown, when, with a tired horse, a break may be brought on with advantage ; but there are others when all will be lost if a break occur. To prevent it, give the shift with the bit when you per- 222 THE PERFECT HORSE. ceive that lie begins to tire, and soon renew it : this will revive and rouse him, and take his mind off the break which he has felt he was about to make. The signs of a coming break will be discovered by watching the head and ears of the horse. The attention of the driver ought always to be fixed upon the head of his horse. Many a heat is lost by neglect of this matter. A driver is seen coming up the stretch a length or a length and a half ahead. Both the horses are tired ; but the leading one could win. The driver, however, when he gets where the carriages are, turns his head to look at the ladies, or to see whether they are looking at him. Just then the horse gives a twitch with his ears. The driver don't see it. Up flies the trotter; and the ugly man behind keeps his horse square, and wins by a neck." I have now touched upon the essential points in reference to the training and driving of colts and horses. I wish the reader to bear in mind that I have written in the way of suggestion, and not of dictation ; my ob- ject being to awaken thought, rather than to lay down inflexible rules. Concerning the preparation which it is necessary to give a horse in order to make him fit for a public race, it does not seem to me that I am called upon to speak. The object of this book does not call for such a discussion. The men who will, for the most part, I presume, purchase and read it, are men in no ways interested save as spectators in public racing. If any reader has a horse that he wishes to HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 223 bring out, and which must, therefore, receive the grand preparation, his true course is to commit him to the charge of some experienced trainer and driver, to whose opinion and advice every thing relating to the animal should be referred. I have written rather in the interest of the breeder, and of that large, and, I am glad to say, rapidly-increasing class of gentlemen who own, and love to drive, the trotting-horse. Among these I am happy to be numbered as a companion. I hold that no healthier recreation or innocent amuse- ment is open to the business and professional men of America than this of driving speedy horses. It gives relaxation to the mind, breaks pleasantly and impera- tively in upon the prolonged strain and tension of anxious thought, begets and nourishes a spirited but harmless rivalry, and compels a delightful and profit- able companionship with Nature. I know, that, in the minds of some, prejudices exist against men of pro- fessed piety indulging in such an amusement. To own a fast horse opens up before their prophetic vision truly awful contingencies. It is needless to say that I do not, to any considerable extent, share in this anxiety. I have never discovered any law in nature, or injunc- tion in revelation, which makes it a duty for a good man to own and use a poor specimen of any species of animals. I see no reason why such a person should have none but homely birds in his cages, black sheep in his flocks, lean kine in his fields, and lazy horses in his stables. The fact is, a good man has a right to the 224 THE PERFECT HORSE. best. The perfect type is the only fit type. Any thing less than this is unworthy, — a lapse and falling-off from the original standard as erected in the creation. A horse was made for speed as truly as a bird was made to fly ; and flight and speed become, therefore, standards of appreciation and value. If a man objects to speed, then why drive a horse at all ? Why not take a donkey or a cow, and have done with it ? If piety is compatible only with slowness of motion, then a horse is no animal for a Christian to own anyway ; for the nearer a horse approaches, as I conceive, to the original type, and also the divine intention as embod- ied in it, the more speedy he becomes. Beauty and speed are therefore, as I conceive, legitimate objects of desire and admiration ; and, since the horse embodies these two characteristics in a greater degree than any other domestic animal, it is a proof that the man is of sound judgment, and lacketh not wisdom, who desires to own a beautiful and fast horse. Indeed, a man that does not love and desire such a creature seems to me to be lacking in some essential elements of human nature. Something was omitted in his construction, which, being possessed, would have made him larger and better. I do not object, therefore, either to fast horses, as the phrase is, or to driving them fast within proper restrictions, such as common sense and humane impulse will naturally suggest ; nor do I see any reason why gentlemen owners and breeders alike of fine horses should not exhibit their paces and their rate of speed HOW TO TKAIN A COLT. 225 at our annual fairs, when the people come together to inspect and compare, to buy and sell, the vegetable and animal products of the country. If it is right to offer and receive a prize for fatness of swine, and stoutness of oxen, and fleece-bearing capacity of sheep, and even fancy kinds of hens and pigeons, then I do not see why prizes should not be offered and contended for in respect to the comparative speed of rival horses. No one has a right to condemn an honorable rivalry among honorable men in honorable things. 15 CHAPTER YIL THE HORSE'S FOOT, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. We now come to the consideration of the most diffi- cult and interesting subject a horseman can consider, — the matter of shoeing. Hundreds of volumes have been written upon this topic, and hundreds more, I presume, will be published ; and yet no ground of common agree- ment has, as yet, been found, and may not be for years to come. It is not, therefore, with the expectation that men will agree with me, or that I shall be able to har- monize antagonistic opinions, that I now addi'ess myself to the discussion ; for such a hope would be vain, and the result of the effort useless. I do not doubt that what I have to say will stir the wrath of some, and excite the active hostility of others ; but to this I am indiffer- ent, if peradventure I may be able to make a matter hith- erto veiled in darkness, and shrouded in mystery, to the popular eye, more plainly understood by those who are more directly interested in it than all the veterinary colleges in the world: I mean the actual owners of horses. I do not write in the interest of any clique of 226 THE HOESE's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 227 men or pet theory. I have do hobby, and am a mem- ber of no clique. I have no "patent shoe" to adver- tise, nor wealthy patron to flatter or fool. Nor have I any reputation to risk, or "new principles" to bring forward; My only ambition is to write in a sensible way what I have learned by reading and observation touching the horse's feet, and the' treatment they should receive in shoeing. Touching the literature of the sub- ject, I yield to no one as a student. The leisure of years has been devoted to its perusal, I believe that my reading, from the oldest Italian treatise to the "last book out," has been as wide and thorough as any per- son's to-day living. Nor have I read with prejudice, or to discover some principle which I might put in metallic form, patent, and send out to the world heralded as " the great combination-shoe." I have read simply that I might know what other men had thought, and, if possible, discover the source of those atrocious errors in modern farriery which are a disgrace to our veteri- nary service, aftd a source of torture to the horse. I do not mention this in vanity, — although it might be so construed by those who cannot understand frankness, nor appreciate the candor of honesty, — but to the end that those who peruse these pages — the average farmer and farmer's boy — may feel that they are reading the opin- ions of a man who has gone faithfully and patiently to the bottom of the subject, so far, at least, as mastering its literature goes, and is teaching them with a knowledge of all the facts in the case in his mind. This, also, should 228 THE PERFECT HORSE. be said in this connection : I do not propose to dictate. My object is suggestion, not dictation. If I advance opinions, I shall give the reasons which support them. If I declare a thing wrong, I shall show why and wherein it is wrong. The reader can think as -he wishes; but I propose to have every one know what I think, and why I think it. The trouble with many books on this general sub- ject is, that common uneducated readers cannot under- stand them. To a vocabulary essentially technical and scientific, and therefore unfitted to be the vehicle of imparting ideas to the masses, is attached a habit of using Latin and French terms, which not one reader in five hundred can translate. Indeed, it would seem that certain authors suppose that the use of a Latin nomenclature increases the value of description, and en- hances the reputation of the writer ; for they use it as often as possible, in season and out of season. If they speak of the last bone in the foot, instead of saying the pedal bone, they say the os pedis ' if of the caronal bone, it is the os car once j and so on. The result is, that none but college-educated men among the masses can follow their diagnosis, or understand their descrip- tions ; and a book which might have been a delight and profit to the purchaser, and which was bought in the expectation that it would be, is, after repeated attempts to understand it, thrown aside in disgust, and rightfully pronounced a humbug. Now, I wish all to be assured at the start that there THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 229 is nothing mysterious or incomprehensible touching this matter of the horse's foot. It is as easy to under- stand the several parts of the foot, and their use, as it is to understand the shoulder or head. Many authors begin their books in a style of expression calculated to give the reader the idea that the foot of the horse is the most difficult portion of his organism for people to com- prehend, and that they must not expect to comprehend it like a veterinary surgeon (!), and must not be surprised if they do not understand it very well when they have got through with reading their work. The latter sug- gestion was, beyond doubt, most accurate ! Indeed, it would have been a matter of great surprise to me if they had understood any thing by the time they had finished the book. But the incomprehensibility existed not in the difficulties of the subject so much as in the ignorance of those who professed to be able to teach people concerning it. The plea of " mysteriousness," and the "inherent and ineradicable difficulties of the subject," are excellent subterfuges whereby inattention and stupidity can veil their own lack of understanding : but it is put forward at a terrible risk of exposure in reference to the horse's foot ; for there is no part nor element of the foot, there is no bone or fibre, there is no duct or secretion, that a boy of twelve might not readily comprehend, and that, too, easily. Indeed, every part of the foot is peculiarly distinct and individual, and in its own structure and location suggests, as plainly as Nature can suggest any thing, its office and use. In fact, 230 THE PERFECT HORSE. I know not any other organ in the whole frame of a horse so easily and quickly understood as the foot. It is comparatively simple in its formation, and the mutual adjustment of its several parts is quickly mastered. It is, therefore, not to a mysterious subject, but to one easily understood, that I now invite your attention. The subject is the horse's foot^ and hoiu to shoe it. One of the greatest obstacles in the way of reforma- tion — for nearly all admit that our system of caring for and shoeing the horse's foot is simply atrocious — is to be found in the ignorance of the average smith. I would not speak disrespectfully of any man, or class of men, who earn their living by the sweat of their brow ; for their industry commends them to courteous mention : but it is a fact, that the average horse-shoer of the country is distinguished chiefly by what he does not know, rather than by what he does understand, of the principles and uses of his craft. The only excuse that can be urged in his favor — and, to any candid and thoughtful person, it will, I doubt not, seem ample — is this : No one has ever taught him any thing. There has been literally no avenue of knowledge open to him. In ancient times, veterinary surgeons were the smiths ; and by them gentlemen were taught how to shoe their own horses. It was the duty of the veterinary to do this. The edu- cation of no knight was regarded adequate for a mar- tial career until he was thoroughly instructed in the principles and practice of farriery. It was not beneath THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 231 the pride of a noble to desire to excel in protecting the feet of his gallant steed ; and no one, either noble or base-born, could presume to touch a foot to fit a shoe to it, unless he had been regularly and fully instructed in the art of farriery, any more than a physician could now be admitted to practise, or a lawyer to plead, unless they had gone through the necessary medical or legal study. By this method the smiths were made intelli- gent, and worthy of popular support; and, to every young man wishing to acquire the art of farriery, means were not lacking. But to-day, and especially in this country, our young men are not taught at all, and can- not be taught, save as to the merest mechanical part of the trade ; because the person under whom they are is as ignorant as they are touching the anatomy of the horse's foot, and the literature of the subject, which is rich in suggestion and fact ; and, indeed, differs from the apprentice in. nothing save as to his years. In such a state of things, no advance in proficiency can be made. Each generation has the same knowledge, and lack of knowledge, as the preceding ; and the poor horse con- tinues to suffer. In addition to this, we must add another consideration, in order that the statement of our position may be ac- curate; viz., that, if the smiths are ignorant, the owners of horses, for the most part, are even more so. Inquire among your acquaintances, and you will find that not one man in a hundred has any idea of the subject at all. He reads an advertisement in praise of some patent shoe, 232 THE PERFECT HORSE. and blindly adopts it ; or else, with equal blindness and indifference, leaves every thing to the almost equally ignorant smith. Between the two, one can imagine how the poor horse must fare. It is astonishing to me that men can be so careless as to property so ex- posed to hazard as are horses, especially when, at a trifling expense of time and money, they might become tolerably well informed in respect to the matter. Now, I submit that the first thing that a man who owns a horse should obtain is knowledge of the foot, and the best method of protecting it ; because it is the foot, and the condition of it, on which depends the value of the animal, whether he be kept for pleasure or profit. The owner of a horse should first study the foot in its anat- omy and use, until every bone and particle are well known to him in their location, character, and use. The way that Nature feeds and nourishes its several parts ; the points that need artificial defence, and how pro- tected ; the diseases to which it is liable ; the curative applications and contrivances needed when the organ becomes injured or diseased, — these points, and other like ones, should receive close and prolonged attention until they become perfectly familiar. This is the prin- ciple universally adopted and put in practice touching any other class of property. The reason why this is not the practice of horsemen is not certainly found in any difficulty about understanding the subject to be studied. As I have said before, there is no mystery about the matter, save such as ignorance and passion, THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 233 on tlie part of those treating of it, have thrown around it. The foot of the horse, unlike the human foot, is very simple in its construction. The human foot is complex, filled with a multitude of bones tied together by manifold attachments, threaded in all directions with blood-vessels, and braced and held together by bunches and layers of muscle and cartilage, which, in conjunction with the other parts, make it simply bewildering to any eye save the trained organ of the surgeon or the anato- mist. But, with the horse's foot, the case is precisely the reverse. It has but few bones ; its venous system is not elaborate ; its parts few ; and its construction exceed- ingly simple, and so perfect, that the use of each is plainly advertised. Nature's design, in the wall, sole, bars, and frog, is not left to conjecture : it is clearly re- vealed. Nor is it difficult to ascertain the location of the bones of the foot, or any other essential part of the organ. Nor is it necessary for one to enter into an elaborate scientific description of the internal structure of the foot : such description is not called for in a work designed for suggestion and popular instruction, rather than for professional service. Touching the value of the foot, nothing need be said ; since it is universally acknowl- edged to be superlative. A horse without sound feet is no horse at all ; that is, the uses and services for which Nature designed him he can never per- form. The preservation of the foot in its natural state, which generally is the perfect state, is of prime neces- sity. The main divisions of the foot are these : 1. The 234 THE PERFECT HORSE. wall ; 2. The sole ; 3. The frog ; 4 The bars. The use of the wall is evidently to defend the internal parts of the foot, and furnish a support for the body. The sole has a twofold division, composed of the outer or nan- sensitive sole, — the design of which is to protect the ground-surface of the foot from contusion, and assist the wall in sustaining the superincumbent weight, — and the sensitive sole, the use of which is to assist the horse, by the sense of touch, in placing his foot to the ground in such a way as to favor it, and to feed the outer sole with the material of which it is made. The sense of touch to which I have alluded is a most essential power to the horse ; for it enables him, in the very act and instant of placing his foot to the ground, to do just what all boys do when running with bare feet, — viz., favor that side or section of the foot upon which, by reason of inequality of the ground, undue pressure is brought. It is not by his eyes that a boy saves his feet from contusion : there is a power located in his foot, a power of interpreting danger before it has become dangerous, by which, although his foot has actually struck the ground, he is nevertheless able to throw the weight off from that section of the foot Avhich is being unduly exposed. A horse, in one sense, does literally /ee^ his way along. The weight of his body is thrown upon this side of his foot or that, this end or that, just as he feels the necessity of it ; and this lightning-like adjust- ment of his weight, according to the feeling of his foot, is caused by the action of a sense so quick, that it is done THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 235 after the foot has actually come in contact with the ground. It is also by means of this inner or sensitive sole that the secretions which feed the outer sole are deposited. On the other hand, the outer sole has for its use the work of protecting the inner sole both from contact with the ground and also with the atmosphere. This atmospheric contact results in absorbing the natural moisture until it becomes desiccated, or parched, so that great cracks and rents appear in it, as the farmer in August, on a clay bottom, finds great rents and cracks in the soil. In short, the outer sole is Nature's shield and Nature's stuffing for the inner sole, to ward off, on the one hand, the blows that might otherwise smite it ; and, on the other hand, to keep its juices, by the means of which the sole of the foot is being supplied with needed nutrition, from being dried up. At this point we may properly inquire. If this is the use and office of the outer sole, if it holds such an important rank in the order of natural provision for the sound condition and healthy growth of the foot, why is it ever pared away ? This is my answer : The reason is, because people are ignorant, and blindly follow a stupid and barbarous custom, instead of pausing to reflect upon what they are doing. Ask any smith why he pares out the sole of a foot, and he can give you no reason save that he has been taught to do so. And who, pray, taught him? Some one as ignorant as he, I repty. And so, generation after generation, a 236 THE PERFECT HORSE. barbarous and indefensible act has been committed, to the premature breaking-down of many vahiable horses, the actual maiming of not a few, and the painful torturing of some. No form of flesh is more sensitive to pain than the inner substance of the horse's foot. Its power of sen- sitiveness is like that which lies sleeping under a human finger-nail. To protect this from hurt and undue press- ure. Nature has put this hard, horny shield, — viz., the outer sole ; and yet I have often sat and seen an igno- rant smith hack and hew and pare away this natural protection until he could actually indent it with his fin- gers, and little drops of blood oozed forth from within. Imagine the feelings of the horse after having been put into the shafts ! He was driven forth into the dust and gravel of the streets, or sent pounding along a stone pavement, with nothing but the thmnest possible fila- ment of horn -substance left between the exquisite inner organization of the foot, and the dirt, gravel, and stones on which he was travelling. And yet this method of procedure is not only tolerated by gentlemen of wealth and character, but vindicated and held up as the model (!) method of preparing the foot for the emer- gencies of actual service. "The horn," says a recent writer, "is secreted from the living surface; and myriads of beautiful vascular and sensitive tufts dependent from this surface enter the horn-fibres to a certain depth, and play an important part in the formation of the sole. The newly-formed THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 237 horn is soft and spongy, and incapable of resisting ex- posure to the air ; but, as it is pushed farther away from this surface by successive deposits of fresh material, it becomes old horn, loses its moisture, and, in doing so, acquires hardness and rigidity sufficient to withstand external influences: then it is subjected to wear; and, if this be insufficient to reduce it sufficiently, it falls off in scales. But the |)i'ocess of exfoliation is not a rapid one : the flakes remain attached to the solid horn be- neath, more or less firmly, until it, in turn, commences to loosen on the surface, and yield new flakes ; when the old ones separate. This natural diminution in the ex- cess of horn of the sole is a most beneficial process for the hoof Horn is a slow conductor of heat and cold, and, when thick, retains moisture for a long period. These flakes, then, act as a natural 'stopping' to the hoof by accumulating and retaining moisture beneath ; and this not only keeps the foot cool as it slowly evapo- rates, but insures for the solid and growing horn its toughness, elasticity, and proper development. In ad- dition to this, every flake acts more or less as a spring in warding off bruises or other injuries to the sole ; and thus the floor of the horny box is protected from in- jury externally and internally. "What occurs when the farrier — following out the routine of his craft, or obeying the injunctions 'of those as ignorant as himself, or so prejudiced as not to be able to reason — pares the sole until it springs to the press- ure of his thumb ? Why, the lower surface of the foot 238 THE PERFECT HORSE. — that which is destined to come into contact with the ground, and to encounter its inequahties, and which, more than any other part, requires to be efficiently shielded — is at once ruthlessly denuded of its protec- tion, and exposed to the most serious injury. The im- mature horn, suddenly stripped of its outer covering, immediately begins to experience the evil effects of ex- ternal influences. It loses its moisture, dries, hardens, and shrivels up. It also occupies a smaller space ; and, in doing so, the sole becomes more concave, drawing after it the wall, — for it must be remembered that the sole is a strong stay against contraction of the lower margin of the hoof, — and the consequence is, that the foot gradually decreases in size, and the quarters and heels narrow. The animal goes ' tender,' even on smooth ground; but, if he chance to put his mutilated sole on a stone, what pain must he experience ! This tenderness on even ground or smoothly-paved roads arises from the fact, that not only is the entire sensitive surface compressed, irritated, or inflamed, by the hard, contracting envelope, and the unnatural exposure to sudden changes of heat and cold, but the little sensitive processes contained at the upper end of each of the horn-- fibres are painfully crushed in their greatly-diminished tubes ; and, instead of being organs of secretion and the most delicate touch, they are now scarcely more than instruments of torture to the unfortunate animal. Not only is pain or uneasiness experienced during progres- sion, but, even in the stable, the horse whose soles have THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 239 been so barbarously treated exhibits tenderness in his feet by resting them ; and, if felt, a great increase of temperature will be perceived. " Owing to the secreting apparatus of the sole being deranged through this senseless paring, the formation of new horn takes place slowly ; and it is not until a certain quantity has been provided to compensate in some degree for that removed that the horse begins to stand easier and travel better. Scarcely, however, has the restorative process advanced to this stage, before it is time for him to be reshod ; when this part must again submit to be robbed of its horn. " The sole having been pared too thin and concave leaves the circumference of the hoof standing much higher than if it had been left intact, and apparently too long: so the wall must be still more reduced. This is done ; and we now have the whole ground-face of the hoof so wasted and mutilated, that, should the horse chance to lose a shoe soon after being shod, the impoverished foot cannot bear the rude contact of the ground for more than a few yards, and the poor creature is lame and useless. " The tenderness and lameness arising from this mal- treatment are usually ascribed to every thing but the right cause ; and the most popular is concussion. To avert this, and protect the defenceless sole, a most absurd shoe is required ; and, still more absurd, the natural covering is attempted to be replaced by a plate of leather interposed between the ground and the sole, 240 THE I^ERFECT HOUSE. and wliicli is made to retain bundles of tow steeped in tar or some pernicious substance. It is scarcely neces- sary to say that this artificial covering is but a poor substitute for that which has been so foolishly, and with so much careful labor, cut away : indeed, in several respects, the leather sole, even when only placed be- tween the wall and the shoe, and not over the entire surface, is very objectionable. " Seeing, therefore, the natural provision existing in the sole of the hoof for its diminution in thickness when necessary, and knowing that the intact sole is the best safeguard against injury and deterioration to this region, it must be laid down as a rule in farriery, — and from which there must be no departure, — that this part is not to be interfered with, on any pretence, so long as the foot is in health : not even the flakes are to be disturbed. " Paring the Frog. — This part of the hoof is that which, in the opinion of the grooms and coachmen, most requires cutting., ' to prevent its coming on the ground, and laming the horse ; ' and this reason, together with its softer texture, causes it to be made the sport of the farrier's relentless knife. It is artistically and thorough- ly trimmed, the fine elastic horn being sliced away, sometimes even to the quick ; and, in its sadly-reduced form, it undergoes the same changes as have been ob- served in the pared sole. No wonder, then, that it can- not bear touching the ground any more than the sole. Strip the skin off the sole of a man's foot, and cause THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 241 him to travel over stony or pebbly roads : would lie walk comfortably and soundly ? " Concerning tlie use of the frog, there exists much disagreement of opinion among those who are supposed to know all that is worth knowing about the equine structure. Fleming, in his " Practical Horse- Shoeing," — a book of value to the student of this subject, — thus describes the frog : — " The liorny frog is an exact reduplication of that within the hoof, described as the sensitive or fatty frog. It is triangular, or rather pyramidal, in shape ; and is situated at the back part of the hoof, within the bars, with its point, or apex, extending forward to the centre of the sole, and its base, or thickest portion, filling up the wide space left between the inflections of the wall. In the middle of the posterior part is a cleft, which, in the healthy state, should not be deep, but rather shallow, and sound on its surface. " In structure, this body is also fibrous, the fibres pass- ing in the same direction as those of the other portions of the hoof; but instead of being quite rectilinear, like them, they are wavy or flexuous in their course, and present some microscopical peculiarities, which, though interesting to the comparative anatomist, need not be alluded to here. The fibres are finer than those of the sole and wall, and are composed of cells arranged in the same manner as elsewhere in the hoof: they are formed by the villi which thickly stud the face of the membrane covering the sensitive frog. 16 242 THE PERFECT HORSE. "The substance of the horny frog is eminently elastic, and corresponds in the closest manner to the dense, elas- tic, epidemic pads on the soles of the feet of such ani- mals as the camel, elephant, lion, bear, dog, cat, &c., and which are evidently designed for contact with the ground, the support and protection of the tendons that flex the foot, to facilitate the springy movements of these creatures, and for the prevention of jar and injury to the limbs. "In the horse's foot, the presence of this thick, com- pressible, and supple mass of horn at the back of the hoof, its being in a healthy, unmutilated condition, and permitted to reach the ground while the animal is stand- ing or moving, are absolutely essential to the well-being of that organ, more especially should speed, in addition to weight-carrying, be exacted." The frog serves several uses, and is a most impor- tant organ. Lafosse, in 1754, wrote, — " The frog is composed of soft and compact horn, spongy and elastic in its nature, and serves as a cushion to the tendon Achilles. It ought to bear fully on the ground, as much for the facility as for the safety of the horse when in movement. It is," he adds, " the natural point d^ajppui of the flexor tendon." Some have supposed that another use of the frog was to expand the heels of the foot. They have an idea that it acts like a wedge driven in between the bars of the foot, and that, at every shock it receives when brought in contact with the ground, it is driven home, THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 243 as it were, causing the bars and wall of the hoof to expand laterally. This " lateral-expansion " theory is at variance with my opinion. Practically there can be no lateral expansion of the horny substances of the foot. Much less likely is it that a soft, yielding, elastic substance like the frog could overcome the resistance of dense, solid, inelastic substance such as composes the walls, bars, and sole of a horse's foot. I do not say that by artificial processes, such as sawing and cutting and boring, the walls of the hoof cannot be laterally expanded, without the employ- ment of any great degree of skill, either; for it requires no great effort for a strong, able-bodied man to saw the leg off at the knee-joint, or where it makes its junction with the body, for that matter. A knife and saw in the hand of a hobbyist can do most any thing, I think that fifty dollars is a high price for .saioing open a horse's foot ; although some differ from me, and hold it to be astonishingly cheap. In this way, lateral expansion can indeed be gotten ; but in no other way. It is this " lateral- expansion " theory which has been a source of torture to the horse. In order to accommo- date its claim, soles have been pared away until the blood trickled ; bars dug out until not the least trace of them remained ; Nature's cushion — the frog — been shaved down until only a little line and fragment of it was left; heels wedged open with forcible pressures, and even lacerated with the teeth of a saw: and the edge of the satire is felt only when we remember 244 THE PERFECT HORSE. that the theory is a humbug ; that lateral expansion is a thing that does not exist in the hoof of a horse, and could not exist without imperilling its entire service. The inference from what we have said is this (and it would be well if. every reader would accept it as a law in shoeing) : Never allow the knife to touch the sole of your horse's foot, nor the least bit of it be pared away ; because Nature needs the full bulk of it, and has amply provided for its removal at the proper time, without assistance from you. And, secondly, never allow a knife to be put to the frog;, because Nature never provides too much of it to answer the purpose for which the Creator designed it; and the larger it is, the more swiftly, easily, and safely will your horse go. The bars of the foot are but the prolongation of the outer wall of the hoof Their object is to protect the frog, and strengthen the foot itself Their value in this direction can scarcely be over-estimated. To cut them away is like removing the beams that keep the walls of a house from falling outward or crushing inward. If a healthy foot is placed upon a glass stand, it will be seen that the ground-surface of the wall, bars, and frog, all bear the relative proportion of weight. These might be called the three great pillars on which the body of the horse, like some dome upheld by three columns, stands. To shorten or remove two of these three columns is, of course, fatal. The dome is of such weight as to crush the sole THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 245 remaining support. This is precisely the condition of things under the common vicious system of shoeing. The bars are cut away so that they cannot touch the earth; the frog is pared down the same way; the sole, also, is gouged out: and the result is, that nothing is left but the wall of the hoof to support the vast bulk and weight above. When you remember that the wall is very thin, — scarcely half an inch in thickness where it touches the ground, — you Avill share with me the surprise, not that so many horses "pound their feet up " and break down, or "give out in their feet" as the saying is, but that any horses survive at all. The true way is to let every thing grow, and grow to the fullest extent that Nature designs it to reach: and, in shoeing, seek only to protect from too rapid destruc- tion what Nature has put together ; least of all cut away that which Nature has provided so abundantly, and more efficiently than the art and skill of man can ever hope to effect. And this brings me to the preparation of the foot for the shoe. The only preparation that the frog, bars, and sole require in a healthy, natural foot, as we have shown, is to be let alone. The only portion of the foot that need be or should be touched is the ground-surface of the wall. This should be levelled with knife or rasp (better with the rasp than with the knife, as we think) until the proper angle which the hoof should make with the ground has been reached ; and this is all. This angle of the ground-surface is apt to be unattended to. The 246 THE PERFECT HOESE. angle which is generally given is that of 45°: but this' is evidently wrong; and our wonder is that any one should have suggested or indorsed it. In speaking of this angle, Fleming says, — "It will be obvious that this inclination also varies with the breeding of the animal and the conformation of the luTibs, so that no definite degree can be assigned. But it must be pointed out, that giving the angle of 45°, as is done in almost every treatise on shoeing and the anatomy of the foot, is a grave error. Looked at in profile, a hoof with this degree of obliquity would at once be pronounced a deformity. The slope is too great (Fig. 1) ; and, if the farrier were to attempt to bring every foot he shod to this standard, he would in- flict serious injury, not only on the foot itself, but also on the back-tendons and the joints of the limbs. Careful measurement will prove that TigTT" the obliquity of the front of the hoof is rarely, if ever, in a well-shaped leg and foot, above 50° ; and that it is, in the great majority of cases,- nearer 56°. The sides, or ' quarters,' of the wall, are less inclined, though the outer is generally more so than the inner ; while the heels are still more vertical, and the inner may even incline slightly inward. Yiewed in profile, the posterior face of the hoof will be ob- served to have the same degree of slope as the front face. In height, the heels are usually a little more THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 247 than one-half that of the toe. Both heels are equal in height." Generally speaking, the toes are left too long. It should be remembered that it is the front portion of the foot that would be most worn, were it not protected by the shoe ; and, owing to this fact, feet with projecting toes would never occur in nature. The length of the human foot could not be materially increased without greatly incommoding us when walking or running ; and so, when the front of the horse's hoof is allowed to pro- trude as we often see it, he labors under great incon- venience, and possibly pain, when in motion. The sug- gestion of Nature is, that the toe should be kept duly shortened, the front edge of the shoe drawn a little back from the rim of the wall, and rounded, so that the metal will take the shape which the hoof would have if the wall were undefended with metallic covering, and ex- posed to the friction at every spring. I propose, at this point, to quote at length from a treatise, on the same subject of which we are treating, by Lafosse, a French veterinarian and author, who wrote in the first half of the eighteenth century, and from whose works more ideas have been taken, without any acknowledgment, by the writers of the last fifty years on the horse's foot, than from any other author in any branch of literature that I can recall. Lafosse, according to my judgment, is the wisest man who ever wrote upon the subject. Indeed, no considerable improvement has been made, as I think, in what he wrote in regard to the 248 THE PERFECT HOKSE. horse's foot, and how to treat it. Men have stolen from him right and left. His works have been the great thesaurus from which literary thieves have filched their boasted opinions. Even his errors they have adopted, and given him no credit for them ! Principles which he discovered, believed in, published, and afterwards disproved and threw overboard, they have taken, put into a metallic shape, patented, and advertised them to the world as new discoveries. At the feet of this wise teacher I sit gladly as a pupil ; and I feel that I can do no greater service to the horsemen of America than to introduce into these pages certain portions of his works. At one point, he is speaking of the errors em- bodied in the then system of shoeing; and his words are applicable unto us of this day. I cannot do better than to transcribe numerically some of the points he makes. He says, — " 1. Long shoes, thick at the heels, never remain firmly attached to the feet in consequence of their weight, and break the clinches of the nails. " 2. They require proportionately large nails to re- tain them ; and these split the horn ; or, frequently, their thick stalks press against the sensitive laminae and sole, and cause the horse to go lame. " 3. Horses are liable to pull off these long shoes when the hind-foot treads upon the heel of the fore- shoe, either in walking, while standing, by putting tlie one foot upon the other, between two paving-stones in the pavement, between the bars of gates, in the draw- bridges of fortifications, or in heavy ground. THE HOKSE's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 249 " 4. They move heavily, as the weight of their shoes fatigues them. " 5. Long shoes with massive heels raise the frogs from the ground, and prevent the horse walking on those parts. Then, if the horse has a humor in the frog, it becomes a ficthrush, or crapaud (canker), be- cause the humor lodges there. In shoeing with short shoes, the horse goes on his frog ; the humor is dissi- pated more easily, particularly in the fore-feet, as the animal places more weight upon them than the hind ones. " 6. Long shoes, thick at the heels, when put upon feet which have low heels, bruise, and bend them in- wards, and lame the horse, although the heel be sprung ; and, when the foot is raised, we can see daylight between the shoe and the hoof When it is on the ground, the heel descends to the shoes, because the hoof is flexible. " 7. Shoes long and strong at the heels, when the foot is pared, — the frog being removed a long distance from the ground, — cause many accidents ; such as the rupture or straining of the flexor tendon, and compres- sion of the vascular sole, — a circumstance not known until I pointed it out. " 8. Long shoes cause horses to slip and fall, because they act like a patten on the slippery pavement, as well in summer as in winter. " 9. Long shoes are also injurious when horses lie like a cow, in consequence of the heels wounding the elbows. 250 THE PERFECT HORSE. "10. Calkins should not be used on paved roads: they are only useful on ice or slippery ground, — terre grasse. "11. The calkins on the inside heels are liable to wound the coronets when the horse happens to cross his feet. "12. A horse shod with them is soon fatigued, and never goes easy. "13. The horse which has only a calkin on the out- side does not stand fair ; and the calkin confines the movement of the coronary articulation, the foot being twisted to one side. "14. If a horse has his feet pared, and loses a shoe, he 'cannot travel without breaking and bruising the wall, and damaging the horny sole, because the horn is too thin to protect it. " 15. If the shoes are long, and the heels of the hoof pared out hollow, stones and pebbles lodge between the shoe and the sole, and make the horse lame. "16. Flat feet become convex by hollowing the shoes to relieve the heels and the frog, because, the more the shoes are arched from the sole, the more the wall of the hoofs is squeezed and rolled inwards, particularly towards the inner quarter, which is the weakest. The sole of the foot becomes convex, and the horse is nearly always unfit for service. "17. If the wall of the hoof is thin, and the shoes are arched, the quarters are so pressed upon, that the horse is lame. THE HOESE'S foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 251 " 18. Pared hoofs are exposed to considerable injury from wounds by nails, stones, glass, &c. " 19. The pared sole readily picks up earth or sand, which forms a kind of cement between it and the shoe, and produces lameness. "20. The reason why it is dangerous to pare the feet of horses, is because, when the sole is pared, and the horse stands in a dry place, the horn becomes desiccated by the air which enters it, and removes its moisture and its suppleness, and often causes the animal to be lame. "21. A habit to be abolished is that in which the far- rier, to save trouble, burns the sole with a hot iron, so as to pare it more easily. The result, often, is to heat the sensitive sole, and cripple the horse. "22. It often happens, that, to make the foot pleasant to look at, the horn of the sole is removed to the quick ; and the flesh springs out from it. This granulation is called a ' cherry ; ' and sometimes it makes the horse unserviceable for a considerable period. " 23. It -is the pared foot which is most affected with what is termed contracted or weak inside quarter, and which also lames the horse. " 24. It also happens that one or both quarters con- tract, and sometimes even the whole hoof : then, in con- sequence of its smallness, all the internal parts are confined in their movements. This lames the horse, and is due to paring. " 25. There also occurs another accident. When the quarter becomes contracted, the hoof splits in its lateral 252 THE PERFECT HOJISE. aspect. This accident is termed 'a sand-crack,' — se^me, — and the horse is lame. " 26. The fashion of paring the hoofs, and especially the heels, within which are the bars, causes contraction ; and this renders the horse lame. "27. It is an abuse to rasp the hoofs of horses : this alters the hoof, and forms sand-cracks. "28. If a horse which has pared hoofs happens to lose his shoes, and walks without them, the horn is quickly- used, and the feet damaged. "29. Another defect is in the manner of making large nail-holes in the shoes, &c. "30. The majority of farriers, in order to pare the sole well, cut it until it bleeds ; and, to stop the hemor- rhage, they burn the place with a hot iron, and the horse returns lame to his stable." In reference to this, Fleming says, — " We see, then, that the curse of paring and heavy shoes was causing great evils in the days of Lafosse, as much as in our own. After enumerating all the vices and defects of shoeing as it was then practised, he pro- ceeds to lay the foundation for a rational method ; and his remarks to this end are particularly happy. In a state of nature, he observes, all the inferior parts of the foot concur to sustain the weight of the body : then we observe that the heels and the frogs — the parts said to be most exposed — are never damaged by wear ; that the wall, or crust, is alone worn in going on hard ground ; and that it is only this part which must be protected, THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 253 leaving the other parts free and unfettered in their natural movements. These are the true and simple principles of good farriery he lays down; and they are as approj^riate and explicit to-day as they were then." Lafosse goes on to say, — " To prevent horses slipping on the dry, glistening pavement, — jpave sec et jplomhe^ — it is necessary to shoe them with a crescent-shaped shoe, — that is, a shoe which only occupies the circumference of the toe, and whose heels gradually thin away to the middle of the quarters, — so that the frog and heels of the hoof bear on the ground, and the weight be sustained behind and before, but particularly in the latter, because the weight of the body falls heaviest there. The shorter the shoe is, the less the horse slips ; and the frog has the same influ- ence in preventing this that an old hat placed under our own shoes would have in protecting us from slipping on ice. "It is necessary, nevertheless, that hoofs which have weak walls should be a little longer shod, so that the gradually thinning branches reach to the heels, though not resting upon them. For horses which have thin, con- vex soles, — ^i'ec/s combles, — these long shoes should be also used ; and the toes should be more covered to pre- vent the sole touching the ground : at the same time, the shoe must be so fitted that it does not press upon the sole, and the heels and frog rest upon the ground. This is the only true method of preserving the foot, and restoring it. ... A horse which has its heels weak and 254 THE PERFECT HORSE. Fig. 2. sensitive ouglit to be shod as short as possible, and with thin branches, — ejjonges, — so that the frog comes in con- tact with the ground ; because the heels, having nothing beneath them, are benefited and relieved (Fig. 2). " Crescent shoes are all the more needful for a horse which has weak, incurvated quarters, as they not only relieve them, but also restore them to their natural condition. Horses which have contusions at the heels — hleimes^ corns — should also be shod in this manner; and for cracks — seimes^ sand-cracks — at the quarter it is also advan- Tlie sole, or frog, should never he pared : the wall alone should be cut down, if it is too long. When a horse cuts himself with the opposite foot, the inner branch of the shoe ought to be shorter and thinner than the outer. In order that the shoe wear a long time, I have used a nail of my invention, the head of which is in the form of a cone, and the aperture in the shoe of the same shape, and exactly filled 'by the nail. How- ever much the shoe may be worn, it is always retained in its place. This kind of nail (Fig. 2) possesses three other advantages : one, that it is less liable to be broken at the neck, because it exactly fits the stamped hole ; the other, that it is smaller, and, in consequence, not likely to press on the sensitive part of the foot ; and, lastly, that it does less damasre to the horn. tageous, THE HOESE'S foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 255 " By this new mode of shoeing, all the defects and ac- cidents attendant upon the old method are evaded." In another place he gives directions for shoeing good hoofs on horses kept for general service, as follows : — " The shoes must not be too long, or project beyond the heels, but only reach the bars; neither must the hoofs, behind or before, be pared. The wall, or crust, alone should be diminished in proportion as it may be too long. This should be done evenly ; and neither the sole nor frog must be cut : the latter should be allowed to project, if possible, above the shoe, so that it may come into contact with the ground. The shoe ought to be about the same strength throughout, or a little thicker and wider in the outer branch of the fore-foot, and thin at the heels of the hind one. Be careful to stamp the nail-holes on the same line, not in a zigzag manner. The holes should not be too coarse, as there is then danger of pricking the horse, or binding the hoof with the stalk of the nail. The shoe should be stamped coarser outside than inside, because it may be necessary to leave it wider outside. Do not bend the shoes in adjusting them, nor arch them: they ought to be nearly flat ; though they might be slightly curved, so as to preserve the wall of the hoof They should also follow the outline of the hoof, — a little more to the outside than the inside. When fittinof, the shoe should not be kept too long a time on the hoof, for fear of heating it. With this shoeing we may travel on slippery ground or grass land, in using for each 256 THE PERFECT HQESE. shoe two nails with long heads, which will prevent the horse from slipping. Also during frost, on paved roads, or ice or snow, use these nails, as they prevent slipping : the roads being hard, three nails are required, — two in the outer branch, and one in the inner." Reverting to the defective shoeing of his time, he endeavors to demonstrate, that, by removing the horn of the frog, and points of the heels, from the ground, the animal's footing on paved roads is much less secure. "The draught-horse," he says, "first places his weight on the toe, then on the two sides of the hoof; and afterwards the heels are lowered to meet the heel of the shoe. The saddle-horse rests more lightly on the toe. The canon (or shank-bone) presses on the pastern-bone, this on the coronary, and this again on the coffin and navicular bones. From this disposition, we should note two important points which throw light on the defects of the present method, and indicate how to remedy them : one is, that the strain of the weight is neither fixed on the toe nor heel, but between the two; the other, that the more the frog is removed from the ground, or from any point of support, the more the pressure of the coronary on the navicular bone fatigues the tendon on Avhich it rests, in conse- quence of the excessive extension it experiences at each step the horse takes. The frog ought, therefore, to rest on the ground, as much for the facility as for the surety of the horse's movements ; as the larger the m^ i' THE HOESE'S foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 257 frog is, SO the less do the heels meet the ground ; and the more the heels are relieved, the greater ease does the horse experience in progression. The only way to insure this is to shoe him according to the method I have indicated, as this causes him to walk on his frog, which is the natural prop or basis — ijoint d\ij)]^id — for the flexor tendon." Fleming, in quoting this passage from Lafosse, says, — "The whole aim of Lafosse's teaching appears to have been wisely devoted to the importance of allowing the posterior parts of the foot to rest on the ground with- out the intervention of the shoe." Again we select from Lafosse's work : — "It is useful and even necessary to put short shoes on all flat feet, particularly on those which have the form of an oyster-shell. Every flat foot has low heels ; but Nature, to remedy this defect, bestows a large frog to preserve these parts. We ought not, then, to pare the soles, much less cut them out towards the heels ; neither should the hoofs be too much rasped : all these practices are so many abuses which bring about the destruction of the horse's feet. The first abuse — hollowing out the heels — • is to destroy the horn which forms the bars, and prevents the heels and quarters from contracting : the second abuse — rasping the foot — is to destroy the strength of the hoof, and, con- sequently, to cause its horn to become dry, and the horny laminae beneath to grow weak : from this often 17 258 THE PERFECT HOUSE. arises an internal inflammation, wliicli renders tlie foot painful, and makes the horse go lame. " It ought to be always remembered, that the more a horse's foot is pared, so the more do we expose it to accidents. It is depriving it, in the first place, of a defence that Nature has given it against the hard and pointed substances it encounters; and in the second place, — and which is of the utmost advantage for both horse and rider, — in not paring the sole, and only using as much of a shoe as is necessary to protect the horn, the animal will be no longer liable to slip on bad roads in winter or summer, when they are vulgarly called plomhc, as will be shown. "1. Causing a horse to walk on the frog, and j^artly on the heel, the former is found to be rasped by the friction it experiences on the earth and paved road, and is pressed by the weight of the body into the little cavities and interstices it meets. " 2. By its flexibility, it takes the imprint and the contour, so to speak, of the ground it comes into con- tact with ; so that the foot rests on a greater number of parts, which, mutually assisting each other, multiply the points of support, and thereby give the animal more adherence to the surface on which he moves. We may even say that he acquires a kind of feeling in this part, through its correspondence with the fleshy sole, and from this to the tendon, — a feeling that I will not compare with that Ave experience when we walk with naked feet, but which is yet suGicient to warn him of the THE horse's foot, AiSTD HOW TO SHOE IT. 259 counterpoise he ought to give to his body to maintain its equilibrium, and so preserve him from falHng, twist- ing, or stumbUng. " The object of shoeing, by him who first resorted to it, would only be as a preservative and a defence, as much for the wall as for the sole. But he would not add the condition of paring either the one or the other, I do not say to our excess, but in any way whatever ; because this would be contrary to his principle, and would destroy his work. " This precaution (paring) can only be recommended in cases where the horn is rugged, and the shoe does not rest on it everywhere equally, thus opposing its solidity. In such a case it is right ; but otherwise it is a contradiction and an absurdity. I have often questioned those amateur horsemen who were particularly careful to have their horses' feet pared ; but none of them could demonstrate either its necessity or propriety. . . . The horny sole receives its nourishment from the vascular sole : its softness and pliancy are due to its thickness ; and its nourishment is diminished, while it becomes harder, in direct proportion to the thinness we give it. We even see horses, whose soles, are pared, habitually lame. The air, when the sole is in this state of thin- ness, penetrates and dries it to such a degree, that, if care is not taken to keep it damp when the animal is in a dry place, it contracts, and presses on the vascular sole ; so that, if some time after we wish to pare the sole again, it is not possible to do so, because it is so 260 THE PERFECT HORSE. hard and dry that the houtoir will not touch it, and the horse goes lame. . . . What risk does a horse not incur who has nearly been deprived of his soles through this paring! If he encounters stones, broken glass, or nails, these easily penetrate to the sensitive sole, and cripple him for a long time, if not for ever. "When a horse loses a shoe, — a circumstance fre- quently occurring, — and if the hoof is pared, the animal cannot walk a hundred steps without going lame ; be- cause, in this state, the lower surface of the foot being hollowed, the horse's weight falls on the crust ; and this, having no support from the horny sole, is quickly broken and worn away; and, if he meets hard sub- stances on the road, he all the more speedily becomes lame. It is not so when the sole is allowed to retain its whole strength. The shoe comes off; but the sole and frog rest on the ground, and assist the crust in bearing the greater part of the weight of the body ; and the animal, though unshod, is able to pursue his journey safe and sound. "It is a fact, that every horse, except those which have the feet diseased and soles convex, and to which shoes are necessary to preserve the soles, may travel without shoes: and without going for an example to the Arabs, Tartars, &c., we will find it among our own horses, which, in the country, work every day without requiring shoes ; but as soon as our wisdom and skill are brought to bear in hollowing out the foot to the quick, and making a fine, equal, and symmetrical frog, — doing THE house's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 2G1 it well and properly, as we say in France, — shoes become indispensably necessary. " I therefore ask all amateur horsemen to insure their horses as much as they can against this pretended per- fection. It may be asked, What will become of the horny sole if it is never pared ? and it may be feared, that, by its growth, the foot will become overgrown. Not at all ; for, in proportion to its growth, it dries, be- comes flaky, and falls off in layers. " The compressions so dangerous, which cause inflam- mation, would no more be dreaded if we left the horn of the sole, the bars, and the frog, entire. By their pliability, thickness, flexibility, texture, and the situa- tion they occupy, they appear to be solely destined by Nature to serve as a defence to the vascular sole, as the frog particularly acts as a cushion to the tendon Achilles ; all being disposed to obviate shock on paved roads, or injury from a stone, splinter, &c. "It is necessary to be convinced of another fact: this is, that it is rare that a horse goes at his ease, and is not promptly fatigued, if the frog does not touch the ground. As it is the only point of support, if you raise it from the ground by paring it, there arises an inordinate extension of the tendon, caused by the push- ing of the coronary against the navicular bone, as has been mentioned above, and which, being repeated at every step the animal takes, fatigues it, and induces in- flammation. From thence often arises the distention of the sheaths of tendons (inolettes / vulgo, ' windgalls '), 262 THE PERFECT HORSE. engorgements, and swelling of the tendons, &c., that are' observed after long or rapid journeys. These accidents arise less from the length of the journey, as has been currently believed, than from the false practice of par- ing the sole. "I am astonished that this method of shoeing: has not been employed long ago ; and I have much trouble in persuading myself that I am the inventor. I am more inclined to believe that it is only a copy of that which has been practised by the first artist who thought about shoeing horses. " If my suspicions are correct, the oblivion into which it has fallen proves nothing against its perfection, because the good as well as the bad are alike liable to be forsfotten. The multitude, more credulous than en- lightened, are easily persuaded: hence the long, thick shoes, those with calkins, then with thick heels, and afterwards the thin. There is every reason to believe, that, if the poor animals for whom all this has been done could be allowed to speak as they must think, nothing of the kind would have taken place, and they would have preferred their ancient armature, which, having only been designed to preserve the crust, had certainly none of the inconveniences of that employed now-a- days." Fleming, at the close of his review of Lafosse, says, — " Lafosse's experience of this admirable mode of pro- tecting, while preserving, the foot, was derived from a THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 263 trial of its advantages on more than eighteen hundred horses; and his success was most astonishing, though no more than might, on reflection, be anticipated." Lafosse goes on to observe, — " These short shoes, thin at the heels, have caused the horses to walk on their frogs, which are their points of support ; and those which were lame at the heels are sound again; those also whose inside quarters were contracted, bent over, and split (sand-crack), have been cured. It has been the same with horses whose quar- ters and heels have been contracted (encastele) : these have been widened, and have assumed a proper shape. The same may be said of those whose soles were con- vex (comhle)^ and which went lame with long shoes. My method has also preserved those horses which had a tendency to thrush (ijidgo, fie) and canker of the frog (crapaud). " If the horse be shod with calkins, there is a great space between the frog and the ground ; the weight of the body comes on the calkins ; the frog, which is in the ^ air, cedes to the weight ; the tendon is elongated ; and, if the horse makes a violent and sudden movement, the rupture of that organ is almost inevitable, because the frog cannot reach the ground to support it in the very place it ought to ; and, if the tendon does not break, the horse is lame for a long time from the great exten- sion of the fibres, some of which may have been rup- tured. ... If the horse be shod without heels to his shoes (eponges)^ the frog, which carries all the weight 264 THE PERFECT HORSE. of tlie horse's body, yields at each step, and returns again to its original form. The tendon is never in a state of distraction : its fibres are no longer suceptible of violent distention during a sudden movement. I will go so far as to assert that rupture of the tendon will never occur on a flat pavement : if it does, it will be in the space between two paving-stones. Two things clearly follow from what I have said, — that it may happen that the tendon Achilles sustains all the different degrees of violence that can be imagined, from total rupture to the smallest abrasion of its fibres, which will cause the horse to go lame ; and it is on the frog alone that all these different degrees depend, as has been demonstrated more particularly in the histoiy of fracture of the navicular bone and the anatomy of the foot. My new shoeing, I repeat, has nothing to oppose it but prejudice. Anatomy, which has made known to me the structure of the foot, has demonstrated all its advantages, and experience has fully confirmed them." Fleming, who quotes essentially the same as the fore- going, well says, at the conclusion of the quotation, — " I regret extremely that our limits forbid my trans- lating at greater length from this splendid monograph ; but I hope that I have been able, to some extent, to show that Lafosse's ideas on shoeing were founded on sound anatomical and physiological principles, the result of close observation and experience. And yet they ap- pear to have made but little progress in the face of the THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 265 opposition offered by ignorant grooms and farriers, who were incompetent to understand any thing but the mere every-day routine of the rapidly-degenerating art ; and the prejudice of those amateur horsemen, who, though the last perhaps to take upon trust statements relative to other matters, would yet believe every thing told them by these horse attendants and shoers. The far- riers of Paris, indeed, unanimously protested against the innovation two years after Lafosse had published his treatise ; and their protest appears to have carried the mind of the crowd." I presume that the same experience will be met in case of those authors, who, like myself, seek to bring forward these wise and salutary principles in farriery. I fear that popular ignorance, stupidity, and wilfulness will resist the introduction of all improvement in this matter; and, for a while longer, man and horse will continue to suffer. I am inclined, in this connection, to quote from W. Osmer's " Treatise on the Diseases and Lameness of Horses" (London, 1776). After warning farriers not to remove any thing more of the crust or wall of the hoof than is absolutely necessary, he says, — " In all broad, fleshy feet, the crust is thin, and should, therefore, suffer the least possible loss. On such feet the rasp alone is generally sufficient to make the bottom plain, and produce a sound foundation, ivith- out the use of the desperate buttress. . . . " The superficies of the foot round the outside now made plain and smooth, the shoe is to be made quite 266 THE PERFECT HORSE. Jlat^ of an equal thickness all round the outside, and open and most narrow backwards, at the extremities of the heels, for the generality of horses. Those whose fi'ogs are diseased, either from natural or inci- dental causes, require the shoe to be wider backwards ; and, to prevent this fiat shoe from pressing on the sole of the horse, the outer part thereof is to be made thickest, and the inside gradually thinner. In such a shoe the frog is admitted to touch the ground, the necessity of which has been already shown : add to this, the horse stands more firmly on the ground, having the same points of support as in a natural state. Here, now, is a plain, easy method, agreeable to common sense and reason, conformable to the anatomical struc- ture of the parts, and therefore to the design of Nature, — a method so plain, that one would think nobody could ever swerve from it, or commit any mistake in an art where nothing is required but to make smooth the surface of the foot, to know what loss of crust each kind of foot will bear with advantage to itself, and to nail thereon a piece of iron adapted to the natural tread of the horse ; the design, good, or use of the iron being only to defend the crust from break- ing, — the sole wanting no defence^ if never ]}ared. . . . " The modern artist uses little difference in the treat- ment of any kind of foot, but, with a strong arm and a sharp weapon, carries all before him, and will take more from a weak-footed horse at one jDaring than Nature can furnish again in some months, whereby such THE HOESE's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 267 are rendered lame. If a strong-footed horse, with narrow and contracted heels, be brought before him, such meets with treatment yet more severe. The bar is scooped out, the frog trimmed, and the sole drawn as thin as possible, even to the quick, under pretence of giving him ease, because, he says, he is hot- footed, or foundered; by which treatment the horse is rendered more lame than he was before." Fleming, in quoting Osmer, observes, — " This causes contraction of the hoof, and compression of the parts within ; and, besides, a shoe was applied thin on the outer circumference, and thick on the inner, which being concave to the foot, and convex to the ground, afforded but few points of support, removed the frog from pressure, and caused great mischief I pos- sess some specimens of this terrible instrument of last- century barbarism. It almost makes one shudder to think of the fearful agony the poor horses must have suffered when compelled to wear and work with it." Osmer concludes: "Let the shoe on every horse stand wider at the points of the heels than the foot itself: otherwise, as the foot grows in length, the heel of the shoe in a short time gets within the heel of the horse ; which pressure often breaks the crust, and produces a temporary lameness, perhaps a corn. Let every kind of foot be kept as short at the toe as possible (so as not to affect the quick) ; for, by a long toe, the foot becomes thin and weak, the heels low, and the flexor tendons of the leg are strained. The shortness of the toe helps, 268 THE PERFECT HORSE. also, to widen the narrow heels. In all thin, weak- footed horses, the rasp should be laid on the toe in such a manner as to render it as thick as may be ; by which means the whole foot becomes gradually thicker, higher, and stronger. In all feet whose texture is very strong, the rasp may be laid obliquely on the fore-part of the foot, towards the toe, and the toe itself thinned, whereby the compression on the parts is rendered somewhat less by diminishing the strength of the hoof, or crust. " But this rasp is to be used with discretion, lest, the crust being too thin, and not able to support the weight of the horse, a sand-crack ensue; which fre- quently happens from too free or unskilful use of this tool, and from the natural rigid texture of the coronet. The heel of the shoe on all strons^ and narrow-heeled horses should be made straight at the extreme points; the form of the shoe in some measure helping to dis- tend the heel of the horse. For the same reason, the shoe on no horse should be continued farther than the point of the heel. It has been already said, that neither frog nor sole should ever be pared: nevertheless, it must be understood that it is impossible to pare the crust without taking away some of the adjacent sole ; and it is also requisite — in order to obtain a smooth and even surfice — so far as the breadth of the shoe reaches, and no farther. The frog, also, will become ragged; and loose pieces will occasionally separate from the body thereof, perhaps in one foot, and not in the other. THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 269 "When this happens, it should be cut away with a knife, to prevent the gravel lodging therein; but, if it be left to the artist to do, he will be sure to take away more of it at one time than will grow again in many weeks." Some twenty years after Osmer published his protest against treating the horse's foot as if it were a block of wood on which a man could hack and hew and cut away at pleasure, j\Ir. J. Clark published a treatise upon farriery, in which he says, — "However necessary it has been found to fix ii'on shoes upon the hoofs of horses, it is certainly contrary to the original design of shoeing them, first to destroy their hoofs by paring, &c., and afterwards to put on the foot a broad, strong shoe to protect what remains, or rather to supply the defect or want of that substance which has been taken away. Yet, however absurd this manner of treating the feet of horses may appear, it is well known that it has been carried to a very great length, and still continues to be thought absolutely necessary. The destruction of their hoofs, and many other bad consequences arising from it, are every day but too apparent." And also this, which might be regarded as descrip- tive of the state of things : — " But no apology whatever can vindicate that per- nicious practice of cutting and paring their hoofs to that excess which is but too frequently done every time a horse is shoed, and, in order to repair the injury done to 270 THE PERFECT HOESE. the foot, fix on it a strong, broad-brimmed shoe, from the very construction of which, together with the loss of its natural defence, horses too frequently are ren- dered totally useless. ... In preparing the foot for the shoe, the frog, the sole, and the bars, or binders, are pared so much, that the blood frequently appears. The shoe, by its form, — being thick on the inside of the rim, and thin upon the outside, — must, of consequence, be made concave, or hollow, on that side which is placed immediately next the foot, in order to prevent its resting on the sole. The shoes are generally of an immoderate weight and length ; and every means is used to prevent the frog from resting upon the ground by making the shoe-heels thick, broad, and strong, or raising cramps, or calkins, on them. From this form of the shoe, and from this method of treating the hoof, the frog is raised to a considerable height above the ground ; the heels are deprived of that sub- stance which was provided by Nature to keep the crust extended at a proper wideness; and the foot is fixed, as it were, in a mould. ... If we attend further to the convex surface of this shoe, and the convexity of the pavement upon which horses walk, it will then be evi- dent that it is impossible for them to keep their feet from slipping, especially upon declivities of streets. It is also a common practice, especially in this place, to turn up the heels of the shoes into what is called cramps, or calkins, by which means the weight of the horse is con- fined to a very narrow surface, — the inner round edge THE HOESE's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 271 of the shoe-rim, and the points, or calkins, of each heel. The consequence is, that it throws the weight of the body forward upon the toes, and is apt to make the horse slip and stumble. "Farriers, in general, are too desirous to excel one another in making what is termed fine, neat work ; and that is no other than paring the sole till it yields easily under the pressure of 'the thumb : and, to give the frog a fine shape, it is frequently pared till the blood appears; to prevent the effusion of which, the actual cautery is sometimes applied. It is to be observed, that, when the sole is so much pared, it dries and hardens in proportion as it is thinned; and the strong, horny substance of the crust, overcoming the resistance from the sole, is thereby contracted. This will produce lameness, the real cause of which is overlooked, or little attended to. Among the many disadvantages that attend the common shoes, one is their being more liable to be pulled off, from their great weight, length, &c., especially in deep ground, in ridino; fast, or when the toe of the hinder foot strikes against the heel of the fore-shoe. To prevent this in- convenience, sixteen or eigliteen nails are frequently made use of, which destroy and weaken the crust by their being placed too near one another ; and it is not uncommon, when a shoe nailed in this manner is pulled off, that the crust on the outside of the nails breaks away Avith it. If this should happen a few days after the foot has been so finely pared (which is not unusual), or upon a journey, and at a distance from any place 272 THE PERFECT HORSE. where a shoe may be immediately procured, the horse instantly becomes lame from the thinness of the sole and weakness of the crust, and is hardly able to support the weight of his own body, much less that of his rider." This, also, must have been prophetic in its application to our times : — " So much are farriers, grooms, &c., prejudiced in favor of the common method of shoeing and paring out the feet, that it is with difficulty they can even be pre- vailed upon to make a proper trial of it. They cannot be satisfied unless the frog be finely shaped, the sole pared, the bars cut out, in order to make the heels appear wide. This practice gives them a show of wide- ness for the time ; yet that, together with the concave form of the shoe, forwards the contraction 'of the heels, which, when confirmed, renders the animal lame for life. In this flat form of shoe its thickest part is upon the out- side of the rim, where it is most exposed to be worn; and, being made gradually thinner towards its inner edge, it is, therefore, much lighter than the common con- cave shoe, yet it will last equally as long, and with more advantage to the hoof; and, as the frog and heel are allowed to rest upon the ground, the foot enjoys the same points of support as in its natural state. It must, therefore, be much easier for the horse in his way of going, and be a means of making him surer-footed. It is likewise evident that from ihis shoe the hoof cannot acquire any bad form, when at the same time it receives every advantage that possibly could be expected from THE horse's foot, a:s^d ho"W to shoe it. 273 shoeing. In tins respect it may very properly be said that we make the shoe to the foot, and not the foot to the shoe, as is but too much the case in the concave shoes, where the foot very much resembles that of a cat's fixed in a walnut-shell. ... I would observe, upon the whole, that the less substance we take away from the natural defence of the foot, except on particular occa- sions which may require it, the less artificial defence will be necessary ; the flatter we make the shoe, we give the horse the more points of support, and imitate the natural tread of the foot ; therefore, the nearer we follow these simple rules, the nearer we approach to perfection in this art." I have made these quotations — taken almost at ran- dom, from perhaps, on the whole, the three wisest teach- ers of the principles of correct shoeing and preserva- tion of the horse's foot that the world has ever had — principally for the purpose of impressing those who could be impressed in no other way than by the accu- mulated testimony of other men with a sense of the great mischief and evil that is done in cutting and filing away the frog, sole, and bars of the horse's foot, by the retention of which, in a natural state, the foot can be kept either strong or healthy. No form of shoe can be so vicious as to do such mischief and injury to the foot as the present paring and cutting system ; nor can any shoe be so good in its conformation as to remedy those ills that knife and buttress have occasioned. The truth is, we should do little or nothing to the 18 274 THE PERFECT HORSE. horse's foot, save to level it for the reception of the shoe. Nature, it should be remembered, works after a perfect model, — for I am not speaking of disease, — and the perfect cannot be improved by any assistance from us. Were it not for the fact that our roads are too hard for the foot to endure service on them unprotected, it were well not to shoe at all ; and, if we must shoe, shoe only so much as is absolutely necessary. The cres- cent shoe, or " tips" as they are commonly called, will, during the summer months, be sufficient for country service. These tips are thin, narrow plates of iron or steel, of some three ounces in weight, shaped to fit the toe of the foot, and to reach round a little on either side. The object of these tips is simply to protect the front portion of the foot from being too rapidly worn away. They leave the quarters, sole, frog, bars, and heels entirely unprotected, save as Nature provides. They are a most excellent form of shoe. I speak from experience, and not from theory alone. I have used horses of eleven hundred pounds weight, in farm-work and ordinary family service, on the road, for months together, with no protection to their feet save these tips, and found that their feet, which, at the beginning of the experiment, were in a most unsatisfactory condition, grew strong and well; and I recommend this form of shoeing to all my read- ers whose horses are exercised or worked in the coun- try. Indeed, I am under the impression that the feet of many horses would need no other protection even THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 275 t for city service. It is astonishing how fast the foot will develop and increase when once brought m contact with the ground. Take off those high-heeled shoes from your horse, friend, which you have caused to be put on him in order to keep his frog from the ground, and let it come in contact with the ground at every step. For a few days, or even for a few weeks, joiw horse may favor himself somewhat : but Nature will soon accommodate herself to the new liberty granted her; viz., the liberty of helping herself She will soon build up a frog such as you never saw in your life, most likely, — a large, overlapping pad of gutta-percha-like substance, wide and thick, that feels no more the con- cussion, when brought in contact with the stone pave- ment, than the buffer under a rail-car feels the jolts as the train is being whirled along. Now, in respect to the full shoe, the first error in common practice to be noticed is, that it is too wide and thick. The lighter the shoe the better, should be the rule. A horse is never so sprightly and pliant in motion, so unlikely to stumble, or swift in movement, as when enjoying the liberty of nature. There is no sense or reason for the heavy, wide-webbed, long- heeled shoes so common with us. These are the spe- cific points of a good shoe, as I understand the matter : The shoe should be narrow, perfectly flat on the upper surface, — bevelled shoes are a nuisance, — light, thin at the heels, its ground-surface concave, and just as large as the foot. Such a shoe may be regarded as a model. 276 THE PERFECT HOESE. Fleming is altogether right in the following description when he says, — ^'■Pattern of SJioe recommended. — If the sole of the hoof has not been mutilated by the knife, it does not require to be covered by the shoe, as Nature has fur- nished an infinitely better protection. Wide-surface shoes can, therefore, be at once dispensed with ; and a narrow shoe — made of the very best and toughest iron, adapted for travelling on slippery roads, and for aiding foot and limb, and sufficient to withstand wear for four or five Aveeks — is all that is required. We will therefore conclude that the upper or foot surface should be the whole width of the shoe, and plane, — not bevelled, — for we have seen that the sole was destined, particu- larly at its junction with the wall in front, to sustain weight. We also know that it is advantageous to the whole foot and limb to allow the sole as wide and general a bearing as possible, so that one jDart may relieve the other ; the sole coming to the aid of the wall, and the frog interposing to share the fatigue im- posed upon both, as well as to relieve the sti'ain on the hinder-parts of the foot, flexor tendons, and limb, and keep a firm grasp of the ground by its elastic and adhe- sive properties. " The shoe applied to the foot, then, should have its hoof-surface flat, in order that it may sustain the wall and as much of this strong portion of the sole as its width permits. This is contrary to the usual practice, which onljr allows the wall to rest on a narrow surface, THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 277 and bevels off the remainder of the shoe to prevent contact with the sole. Many years' experience of this plane foot-surfaced shoe in various regions of the globe, and on feet of every kind and quality, have proved the soundness of this view. The foot is brought as near to a state, of nature, when the greater part of its plantar surface supports the weight of the body, as man can hope to achieve while submitting the horse to an arti- ficial existence. " A light, thin shoe is always preferable to a heavy, thick one ; as the narrowness of the metal insures a good foothold, — in this respect imitating the wall, -^ while its thinness brings the sole, frog, and bars in closer approximation to the ground." The upper surface of a shoe should be filed until it is perfectly level and smooth. This, so far as I am able, I invariably do for myself. A boot, the surface of which is not smooth, gives to the foot wearing it very much such a sensation as a coarsely-hammered-out shoe does to the foot of a horse when attached to it. It should never be nailed on to the hoof until it is smooth as glass. Such a shoe makes, in very truth, a good fit. The ground-surface should be bevelled off along the inner edge, thus imitating the convex surface-shape of the sole. The metal at the toe should be rounded off until the new shoe resembles at the toe the one taken off. This is doing to the shoes of horses what the manufacturer does to our shoes when he rounds them up at the toe. This facilitates the action of the 278 THE PEEFECT HOKSE. foot and limb, and, undoubtedly, accommodates Nature. I like to liave my new shoes look at tlie toe like tlie old ones. What Nature has rounded off man ought not to make angular. As to the nails, five are enough ; and these, if made of good material, can be of small size. Two should -be put on the inside, immediately back of the toe, and three on the outside. This method of nail- ing leaves the foot at liberty to enjoy its elasticity. The nails should be turned out as quickly as possible. The holes made by them should never be more than half an inch up into the hoof There are several reasons why a nail should not be driven high up. The first is, the higher it goes, the less thickness of wall is there to which to clinch it. The wall of the hoof, also, has a grain as truly as wood. Now, every one knows that a nail di'iven with the grain holds far less tena- ciously than one driven across it ; and it is this bring- ing-forth the point of the nail quickly which is com- patible with its being driven across the grain of the hoof A nail so driven holds on. Moreover, holes in horny substances never grow up: they always grow out or down. Now, the higher the hole that the nail has made is located in the wall of the hoof, the longer, of course, will the time be that is required to grow it down or out. This is no trifling consideration in the case where shoeing necessarily is frequent. Not only so, the multiplicity of holes greatly weakens the wall of the hoof, which, under our present faulty method of shoeing, has to bear up nearly the entire weight of the THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 279 horse, and is, therefore, never too strong at the best. In this connection, Mr. Fleming says, — " The shoe ought to be attached by nails to those parts of the wall where the horn is strongest and toughest. In the fore-foot these parts are in front, and along the sides to the quarters: there the horn becomes narrow and thin ; and the nails find less support, and are nearer to the living textures. This is more particularly the case toward the heels, especially the inner one. In the hind- foot the wall is generally strong toward the quarters and heel. These facts at once give us an indication as to the best position for the nail-holes. In the fore-foot, nails can be driven through the wall, around the toe, as far as the inside quarter, and a little nearer the heel on the outside. In the hind-foot they may be driven around the toe, and even up to the heels, with im- punity." This should be borne in mind, that, where few nails are used, they must be put wider apart. Some smiths drive their nails in clusters ; and the result is, that a small sec- tion of the foot has to bear the entire strain. This the owner of every horse should guard against. My im- pression is, that the shoe should bear more heavily on the toe and heel, and less heavily on the quarters. I know the custom is to have the shoe set tight on the entire foot until you come to the heels ; and then it is " eased," or left so that the heel does not set closely upon it. Now, my idea is that the quarter is the weakest point in the wall of the hoof; and hence the 280 THE PERFECT HOESE. shoe should be eased at that point, and not at the heel. This, I believe, would save many horses from quarter- crack. I suggest that the reader consider this, and then follow his own judgment. The nails, as I have said, should be quite small, and driven in more gently than is the custom. There is no reason why the smith should strike a blow at the little nail-head as strong as he would deliver at the head of a spike in an oak-beam. The hoof of the horse is not an oak-stick, and the delicately-pointed and slenderly-headed nail is not a wrought-iron spike ; and yet you will see the nailer whack away at them as if it was a matter of life and death to get them entirely set in at two blows of his hammer. Insist that the nailer shall drive his nails slowly and steadily, instead of using violence. In this case, if his nail is badly pointed and gets out of the proper line of direction, no great injury is done. It can be withdrawn, and a new one substituted, without harm having been done the foot. But the swift, blind, and violent way prevents all such care, and exposes the horse to temporary if not permanent injury. The heads should be no larger than the groove, or notch, which receives them. If these are not large enough to be sunk in, then that portion of the head which protrudes should be rasped or filed down level with the shoe. Gentleness should be exercised in clinching the nail. Never allow a smith to touch a rasp to the outer surface of the hoof Nature has covered it with a thin filament of enamel, the object of which is to pro- THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 281 tect the inner membrane and fibre from exposure to water or atmosphere. This enamel is exactly what Nature puts on to the surface of your finger-nail, reader. Under no circumstances should it ever be touched. If it is removed, Nature will be wickedly deprived of her needed covering, and cruelly left exposed to the ele- ments. In respect to applying the shoe to the foot, two meth- ods are in vogue, — hot and cold fitting, as they are called. Which is the better, I am free to say, I have not decided. The weight of authority is nearly the same in either scale. The advocates of cold fitting declare that they can fit a shoe with rasp and file as evenly as the necessities of the case require, and that this can be done at no great cost of time or skill. They, more- over, charge that both reason and analogy are in oppo- sition to burning a horny surface, and declare that it honeycombs the wall of the foot, and prevents its natural and healthy growth. The disciples of hot fit- ting, on the other hand, declare that few men can level the foot, or so hammer and file the shoe that the fit shall be what is required ; and that only by burning can the connection between steel and horn be made sufficient- ly close and solid. For myself, I do not deny the advantages of hot fitting, especially when your horse must be shod by rude and unskilful workmen : still my impression is, that, Avhere skill and time are attainable, the cold-fitting method is by far the more preferable. In order that the reader may have the hot method of 282 THE PERFECT HORSE. fitting the shoe clearly stated, I will make the following selection from the same author we have just quoted, who is an earnest advocate of it, and who has stated its advantages more clearly than any other writer : — '■'•Hot and Gold Fitting. — For very many years, the two systems of fitting horseshoes — in a cold and a heated condition — to the hoofs have been extensively and se- verely tested ; and the result has been, that cold fitting is, as a rule, only resorted to when circumstances prevent the adoption of the other method, or when the owner of a horse, imagining that the hot shoe injures the foot, incurs the risks attending a bad fit to guard against his imaginary evil. "It is needless, in a brief essay like the present, to enter into a relation of the observations and experi- ments which have established the undoubted and great superiority of what is termed 'hot' to 'cold' fitting. These will be found noticed at some length in a work recently published by me, entitled ' Horseshoes and Horseshoeing.' It may be sufficient to state that the evils supposed to result from fitting the shoes hot to the hoofs are purely chimerical. It is true, when the sole is excessively mutilated, should the farrier keep the heated shoe too long in contact with it, injury would doubtless follow ; but this accident is so exceedingly rare as to be scarcely ever known, even in forges where shoeing is performed in the most objectionable manner. The ill effects imagined to arise from hot shoeing can easily be traced to the operation of other causes, not the least of THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 283 wticli is the fashion of paring the lower face of the foot. "The chief objections to cold shoeing are the want of solidity; the foot being made to fit the shoe, and the process being more difficult and expensive. "The defective solidity is patent to every one who has had any experience in the matter. It is impossible to level the ends of the horn-fibres so accurately that they will all rest evenly on the surface of the iron : so, those which are most prominent soon giving way to pressure, the bed of the shoe is altered ; and this, becoming loose, is either lost, or we have projecting clinches. And, even should the fibres be made perfectly level, wet soft- ens them, causing them to become pulpy and shorter, by which means the seat of the shoe is impaired, and the nails lose their firm hold of the wall. Ample experience on active service, as well as that gathered at home during peace, has demonstrated the instability resulting from cold fitting. "Owing to the increased trouble and loss of time in- curred by this method in attempts to make the shoe fit somewhat accurately, but few farriers can afford or are willing to resort to it. Hence, when it is practised, if the shoe is at all like the foot, it is put on ; and rasp and knife insure the hoof being made to fit it. This pro- ceeding is very injurious. "In hot fitting we have none of these objections. The shoe is very readily adapted to the foot: it is more equally applied, and rests solidly on the hoof, so that the 284 THE PERFECT HORSE. nails are not broken or disiolacecl by the shoe becoming loose : in fine, there is a more intimate contact between the iron and the surface of the horn. The very fact of burning or fusing the ends of the fibres insures a solid, durable bed which cannot be obtained otherwise, as this destroys the spongy, absorbent properties of the horn, and renders it eminently calculated to withstand the influence of moisture. The effects produced on horn by the hot iron have been compared to those of fire on pieces of wood whose ends have been superficially car- bonized before being buried in the ground. Every one knows that this operation contributes to the preserva- tion of the wood by preserving it from the action of humidity. " Horn is a very slow conductor of heat ; and it requires a very prolonged application of the hot shoe to affect the hoof to any considerable depth. Three minutes' burning of the lower face of the sole has been found necessary to produce any indication of increase of tem- perature by the thermometer on its upper surface. It is never required that the shoe should be applied longer than a few seconds. "The hot shoe, in fusing the horn with which it comes in contact, imprints itself like a seal in melted sealing- wax ; and in this way the two surfaces of foot and shoe exactly coincide ; while, no matter how expert the work- man may be in using his tools to level the horn in a cold state, he can never do it so quickly or so completely as may be done by making an impression with the heated THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 285 shoe, and consequently establishing between the lower margin of the hoof and the shoe an exact co-aptation. "It may be added, that, when the surface of the horn has been softened by the action of caloric, the nails enter it more readily ; the clips and inequalities are more easily embedded ; and, when it recovers its habitual consistency after cooling, the union between it and the metallic parts which are in contact becomes all the more intimate be- cause of the slight contraction that follows the expansion produced by the heat. Under these conditions, the horn contracts on the shanks of the nails, and retains them most securely. "All the highest veterinary authorities who have studied the subject are unanimous in recommending hot fitting in preference to cold. The latter is only justifiable when it is impossible to adopt the former. The red-hot shoe at once disposes of those inequalities which cannot be discovered, or removed by tools ; and it shows the workman at a glance the bearing of the shoe on the hoof, as well as the imprint of the nail-holes. Without being reheated, any alteration can be readily and at once effected in moulding the shoe to the shape of the toe. "The whole surface of the shoe intended to be in con- tact with the horn should be distinctly impressed on the contour of the hoof, so as to insure the closest and most accurate intimacy between the two ; and this carbonized surface should not be interfered with on any account, except by the rasp, which is only to be employed in re- 286 THE PERFECT HOUSE. moving any sharpness or inequality on the extreme edge of the wall that may have been caused in fitting. "It is necessary to bear in mind that the shoe should be fitted at a r^d heat. Its application then need only be very brief; and it is far more effective in producing a solid level surface. It ought not to be applied at a hlach heat. Should the margin of the hoof not be suffi- ciently levelled by the rasp before the application of the hot shoe, a slight contact of the latter will show the inequalities ; and these may then be removed by rasp or knife. On no occasion ought the shoe to remain longer on the hoof than is necessary to produce a solid, per- fectly level surface." If, after reading this statement, the thoughtful horse- man is not convinced touching the advantages of the hot method, — and I will confess that I am not, — he will doubtless remain unconvinced ; for no stronger state- ment of its supposed advantages has ever been made. There is but one other point that I need touch upon in this chapter : it is concerning the weight of shoes. The two most desirable qualities in a shoe are lightness and durability. To combine these qualities, skill is requisite ; and that is one reason why so many heavy shoes are forged out. Another reason is, because, when so much of the horse's foot has been cut away as is the custom, it must be replaced in the form of metal. Hence shoes of great width are made, — so wide, indeed, that they resemble the earliest specimens found in the provinces of Constantine, — the Syrian shoe, which was THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 287 little better than a solid plate of iron nailed to the hoof, with a small circular hole cut out in the middle. This is repeating history with a vengeance. These shoes are not only wide, but thick, which makes them even heavier than the Syrian shoe. This thickness is required, as some say, in order to protect the foot from jar. Mr. Miles favors this view, which is enough to make one doubt his sanity. Fleming is certainly right when he says that the flexible horn is the best modi- fier of concussion; and that as the thickness of metal increases, so does the jar. But the greatest objection to a heavy shoe is to be found in the fact, that it puts an unnatural and dangerous strain upon the muscles and tendons of the limb bearing it. A French pro- fessor (Bouley) made several years ago a curious es- timate touching the muscular exhaustion and fatigue resulting from the use of heavy shoes. I make the following quotation : — " If, at the termination of a day's work, we calculate the weight represented by the mass of heavy shoes that a horse is condemned to carry at each step, we arrive at a formidable array of figures, and in this way are able to estimate the amount of force uselessly expended by the animal in raising the shoes that surcharge his feet. The calculation I have made possesses an eloquence that dispenses with very long commentaries. Suppose that the weight of a shoe is 1,000 grams : it is not excessive to admit that a horse trots at the rate of one step every second, or sixty steps a minute. In a 288 THE PERFECT HORSE. minute, then, the limb of a horse whose foot carries one kilogram makes an effort necessary to raise, kilogram after kilogram, a weight of 60 kilograms. For the four limbs, this weight in a minute is represented by 60x4r=240 kilograms; for the four feet during an hour the weight is 14,000 kilograms; and for four hours, the mean duration of a day's work in these om- nibuses, the total amount of weight raised has reached the respectable figure of 57,000 kilograms. But the movement communicated to these 57,000 kilograms represents an expenditure of power employed by the motor without any useful result ; and, as the motor is a living one, this expense of strength represents an ex- haustion, or, if you like it better, a degree of fatigue, proportioned to the effort necessary for its manifestation. This calculation is most simple, and readily understood. It is to be noted, nevertheless, that I have omitted a considerable fact; which is, that the weights I have tabulated are situated at the extremities of the limbs, and that the arms of the levers on which the muscles act to raise them, being infinitely shorter than those of the physiological resistance to which these weights are added, the intensity of their action ought, therefore, to be singularly increased. But to measure this intensity of action would require a mathematical aptitude which I do not possess. I will not, therefore, dwell on this point, notwithstanding its importance ; and am content to signalize it. Otherwise, the figures I present speak for themselves, and tell us that the diminution in the THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 289 weiglit of horse-shoes is not an accessory consideration so far as the useful apphcation of the horse's strength goes." In the hght of this ingenious calcuLation, what an enormous outlay of muscular strength it must take in the aggregate, on the part of the American trotting- horse, to lift, with the rapidity required, the monstrous shoes which are ruthlessly nailed to his hoof! In respect to the preservation of the horse's hoof, I would say that it is almost impossible to keep the foot of the horse thoroughly sound while we keep him standing continuously on wooden floors. ' No one could persuade me to allow a valuable colt to be stabled in a stall the floor of which is wood. It may not be amiss to state, at this point, the fashion, or style, of stall-floors in my stables. The dirt is first excavated to the depth of two feet. Stones are then put in haphazard until half the pit is filled. Six inches in depth of cobble-stones are then added; then four inches of earth thrown in. Over all this is spread beach-sand or bank-gravel to the depth of three or four inches. This is my model stall- floor. Its advantages are many. It is cheap. It requires no skilled labor to make it. Once made, it is always made. There are no timbers to decay, nor planks to rot out. It is never damp. The liquids leach easily through it. Standing in such a stall, your horses will never have dried, contracted feet; but they will be strictly in the state of nature. In case 19 290 THE PERFECT HORSE. that you have a horse with contracted and hardened hoofs, scaly and brittle, that you must moisten and soak out, do not waste your money on " patent stuffing " and costly "dressing" for the feet, but take your basket and go down into the swamp, and gather a bushel or two of swamp-moss. Now take boards, and make a box some three feet long by two feet wide, and six inches in depth. Fill this box with moss well moistened with water, and so tie your horse that he will stand with his fore-feet amid the moss. Do not allow him to stand more than two or three hours at a time thus, lest the chemical action of the moss should be too rapid and strong. Watch its influence on his feet, and do as your judgment decides. In this way the hardest and flintiest foot can be rendered soft and yielding after only a few days of treatment. It is a valuable recipe for such ills. The publishers' announcement warns me that my manuscript has reached the desired bulk, and that this section of the work must be drawn to a close. My object in writing it has been to quicken thought, and start discussion. Viewed only in this light is it satis- factory even to myself The conclusion which my mind has reached, after all my reading and investiga- tion touching the horse's foot, may be summed up in a few brief maxims. Never touch the bars, frog, or sole of the horse's foot with a knife, or rasp. Shoe with light, thin shoes, that allow the sole, bars, and frog to be brought in contact with the ground, and thus bear their THE horse's foot, AJSiD HOW TO SHOE IT. 291 due proportion of the horse's weight. Use small nails, and not over five of them. Never allow the points to be driven high up in the wall of the hoof, nor a rasp to be touched to the outer surface. Eor ordinary ser- vice in the country during the summer months, use only tips, which protect the toe, but leave the entire ground-surface of the foot unprotected. In brief, feel that He who made the horse's foot is wiser than you are; and meddle with his perfect work as little as possible. CHAPTER YIII. THE MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. I DO not purpose to write the history of the Morgan horses, although to do it would be like writing the history of kings. Lack of space, and not lack of de- sire, denies me the pleasure of such a task. Still it is a work that should be done ; and, if no abler pen should be found to do it, at some future day, if life and leisure be granted me, mine may attempt it. I regard it as nothing less than shame to the horsemen of New England, that, with the exception of Mr. Linsley's book, no effort has been made to collect and arrange in popu- lar form the material for the history of the most remarkable family of horses that New England or Amer- ica has ever had. Indeed, the Morgan family may be said to be the only family that has existed in this coun- try as such. Of Justin Morgan alone can it be said, that he found- ed a family. Other horses there have been of note, and whose eminence was well deserved ; but they passed away, and left no sons so like themselves as to be 292 MORGAN HOUSE : HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 293 distinctively theirs. Messenger was a remarkable horse ; and America owes him more than words can express : but Messenger lacked one thing, — the power to take of other bloods, and dominate them, stamping them with his imperial likeness. Diomed was a wonderful animal, after my Avay of thinking, ranking on a level with Mes- senger ; in no respect inferior. But Diomed lacked that royal something, which, when existing in a horse, makes all other families tributary to himself, — that power to absorb, and not be absorbed ; to allow turbid currents to be mingled with the stream of his life, and yet flow on in the same pure majesty. This, neither Diomed. nor Messenger nor Bashaw, nor any other imported horse from which we trace our trotting-action, ever had. Their colts were of all sizes and colors and tem- peraments and structural formation. One would be coarse-limbed, big-headed, and rat-tailed, like Abdallah ; another would have the countenance of a Barb, and limbs like an Arab's. They were all royal ; but none were kingly. Not one builded a throne and founded a nation whose population were abundant, and all his chil- dren. But Justin Morgan did this thing. He stands the progenitor of a mighty race, spread over all the land from Maine to California ; and, wherever you find a Mor- gan horse, — whether in city or country. East or West, North or South, — you know that he is a Morgan horse. One glance is enough: color, shape, style, limbs, feet, head, all suggest the little horse from which he lineally descended, — Justin Morgan. Men say he had no 294 THE PERFECT HORSE. "blood." Out upon the assertion! His blood must have been of the purest, or it never could have ruled in mastery over all other bloods, as it did, and still con- tinues to do. Ask Mr. Wallace, one of the most honest and pains- taking students of the horse any nation has ever been honored with, — ask him what is the superlative test of blood ; and he will tell you, the power to marh descend- ants with its own characteristics. This is the crucial test, beside which mere verbal pedigrees are simply bits of paper. Apply this test to Justin Morgan (there are many horses who walk with plumed heads to-day that cannot stand this. test), and see how royally he bears it! Stand him in the full blaze of such a scrutiny, and ob- serve that the fervor which withers other garlands only causes his wreath to take a greener hue. How other bloods bowed in submission to his ! Crossed with twenty families, he dominated over them all. No matter what the dam might be, the colt was sure to look like the sire. There were the same feet and legs, and depth of chest, and haunches swollen with muscles, the same proud curve to the neck, prominent eye, quick ear, full front, and muzzle lean as a sweated racer's. Men say he had no pedigree. He had. His pedigree was written in the form and spirit of his children. It was verified beyond the verification of written affidavits. Not that these were lacking. No candid and intelligent student of the question can have the shadow of a doubt that his sire was Beautiful Bay, or that his dam was of the MOKGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 295 Wildair breed. But, for one, I care nothing for this verbal pedigree in the case of Justin Morgan : it is a waste of -words to discuss it. The proofs of his pedigree were not hack of him, but in him ; and they were read in living characters in his three great sons, — Sherman, Woodbury, and Bulrush, — and in all the successive gen- erations of his descendants, even down to the present time. What names adorn the scroll of his fame ! — Black Hawk, Gifford, Ethan Allen, Morrill, Taggart's Abdallah, Gen, Knox, Fearnaught, Lambert: these are enough, if there were no more, to make his name immortal. The sire of such sons cannot be denied his rank and place amid the great stock-horses of the world. The ignorance of some, and the malice of others, cannot belittle his greatness. This stands secure, not only above the peril, but even above the reach, of attack. It is of a family of horses with such an ancestor, and sharing his characteristics, that I now write, not in way of eulogy, but rather of suggestion to breeders. I claim for the Morgan horse a few things which make him the most desirable horse on which to base experiments in crossing that any man ever had. The first of. these peculiarities is this, — the 'power of trans- mitting his excellences to his offspring. This power makes the horse that has it absolutely invaluable for breeding-purposes, because it takes uncertainty from the process. Give the breeder a horse that marks his get in form, color, and tempera- 296 THE PERFECT HORSE. ment like himself, and lie knows beforehand what he is to have : anxiety is dismissed. He knows how the colt will look before he is foaled. This is the first, and per- haps the most characteristic, peculiarity of the Morgan horses. Other things being equal, no stallion is so good for stock-purposes as one strongly infused with Morgan blood ; and the reason is simply because the Morgan blood is a strong, masterful blood, yielding to none, but conquering all, and transmitting itself to those born of it. The second excellence for which the Morgan horse is noted is heaidy. Twenty years ago, speed was every thing. If a horse could go^ that was enough. We have lived beyond that period. Beauty is demanded now in the markets, and paid for handsomely ; and the questions with every breeder, therefore, necessarily are, " What is the cross by which I can add beauty to speed? Where can I get the fine, rich coat, the spirited face, the quick ear, the arched tail, the small black hoofs, the flat, wiry legs, that shall cause men to contend for the pos- session of my colts ? " That is what Mr. Taggart, Col. Russell, Mr. Dorsey, Mr. Nevins, and Col. Sprague, wished to know ; and that is why they all went to the Morgan family for stallions to head their respective stables. I ask any man to select in all the country six other stallions of such striking beauty as Taggart's Abdallah, Fearnaught, Young Fearnaught, Ethan Allen, Rolla Gold Dust, and Lambert, — all direct descend- MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 297 ants from Justin Morgan, and strongly marked with the Morgan characteristics. For beauty, give me, in breeding, a Morgan horse for a sire, and a well-bred mare for a dam. With such a cross I know what I shall get, so far as beauty goes, at any rate ; and beauty is growing to be worth more and more in greenbacks every year. The third characteristic excellence of the Morgan horses is their docilitij. " You can teach a Morgan colt any thing " is a prov- erb among the people ; and the proverbs of a people always blossom out of facts. And it is a fact, that the Morgans are all teachable. They are quick to catch your meaning : and, once taught, they are always taught; for they never forget any thing once learned. Their memory is like a dog's, — faultless. They are amiable as a race, and of very affectionate dispositions. They love to be petted and caressed. They will do as much for a word as for a blow. They are never tricky. That they are high-strung and frisky, we admit ; but their playfulness is always good-natured, never vicious. Even in their wildest antics they are never destruc- tive, but are careful, and yield readily to rebuke. If speedy, they can be trained without difficulty, if you will let the whip alone ; and will do all that in them lies at the word of the driver. The Morgan horse is beauti- ful ; he is also docile ; and these characteristics he trans- mits^ — three steps, at least, that lead to the equine throne. 298 THE PERFECT HORSE. The fourth characteristic peculiar to the Morgan horse is endurance. A hardier race of horses was never bred. In power to do hard work, and keep on doing it, month in and month out, the Morgans stand at the head of the column. In lung-power they were simply perfect ; in feet and limbs, faultless ; in muscular formation, marvellous ; and in connection with this was a nervous or vitcd force that seemed to be equal to every effort, and appalled at no emergency. Years did not appear to lessen their power, or dampen their ardor. At twenty they were as young as members of other families are at ten ; and at thirty their eyes had not lost their fire, or their action its boldness. Now, this iron-lil:e quality is what breeders must put into their colts. We can get speed easily enough ; but we must have speed, and the power to keep it up mile after mile, and hour after hour. Endurance is what we must have in our horses ; and this is precisely what the Morgan blood gives. It is pre-eminently the heirloom of the family, and is handed down from sire to son in undi- minished integrity. The last characteristic of the Morgan family that I shall mention is speed. It is said by some that the Morgan family had no speed. If this were true, still there would be such great excellences of form, temperament, color, and style, that it would remain a most valuable family with which to cross in breeding. But it is not true ; for the MOBGAIT HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 299 I fact is, all things being candidly considered, I believe every one will admit that they have produced more trotters than any other family in the world. I ask the render to bear in mind, that in Justin ]!iIorgan's day, and also during the lifetime of his immediate descend- ants, trotting, as we understand it, was not in vogue. The State of Vermont is, moreover, ill adapted, in its topography and the industries of its inhabitants, to develop fast trotting-horses. The roads are hilly, and, up to a very recent period, the tracks few. Lumbering, and clearing up farm-lands and staging, in a mountain- ous country, are not just the work one would select to develop trotters. How much, think you, do the Hambletonian and Clay families owe to training ? All that money and skill could do for them has been done. Every colt with any promise, sired by Rysdyk's horse, has been cultured and developed to the limit of the possible. But the Morgan horses have never been petted. They were not thus favored. Circumstances were all against the family ; and no careful student will forget this fact when studying the question. Neverthe- less, in spite of neglect and adverse circumstances, the Morgan horse need ask no odds of any. To his beauty, docility, endurance, his friends can add the word speedy and bide, with cheerfulness, investigation and compari- son. The farther I push my inquiries in this direction, the more am I astonished at the evidence. The num- ber of fast horses lineally descended in the male line from Justin Morgan surprise me. I submit the follow- ing list in proof: — 300 THE PERFECT HOESE. Ethan Allen trotted a mile in 2.15 Lady Sutton li 11 2.33 Beppo a 11 2.311 Pizarro (I 11 2.35 Blue Morgan u li . 2.331 Black Ealph li 11 2.31 Know-Notliing a a 2.271 Chicago Jack a 11 . 2.271 Belle of Saratoga a li 2.291 Warwick a li . 2.291 Grit (( 11 2.29 Capt. Liglitfoot li 11 2.28 Draco 11 li 2.271 Fannie Allen a li 2.251 Fannie Jenks trotted ten miles in 29.59 (C a 11 a hundred miles in £ h. 24.30 Gilbretli Knox trotted a mile in 2.261 Hotspur li a 2.231 Joe Hooper, jun. li > li 2.281 Lady Eoss li a 2.291 Locust li li 2.241 Mountain IMaid li 11 2.291 Nonesuch li li 2.251 Eolla Gold Dust a li 2.21 Susie 11 11 2.261 Spartan li 11 2.28 Uncle Abe a 11 2.27 Washington Irving Totted a mile in . 2.30 Billy Barr (( 2.231 Carroll (( 2.30 Draco Prince (( 2.24 Fearnaught (( 2.231 Pannie Lee li 2.28 Gray Mack 11 . 2.251 MORGAN HOESE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 301 Gray Jack trotted a mil B in 2.281 Honest Allen " IC 2.29 Lady Sherman " (( 2.29 Lancet " u 2.25 Mac « a 2.25 Pocaliontas " (C 2.261 Panic " u 2.25 Eoyal John " a 2.26i Strideaway " <{ 2.28i Tennessee " u 2.27 Young Morrill " u 2.36 Gen. Lyon " u 2.36 Defiance " (C 2.35 Camors '^ ({ 2.26 Commee " l( 2.271 Parkis'Ahdallah « (C 2.271 Young Fearnaught " u 2.25 Ned Wallace (a four-year old), trotted a mile in 2.33 Allen Prince ii (I " 2.261 Here, tlien, are forty-nine lineal descendants of the old Justin Morgan, that have trotted as follows : — Two a mile in Porty-nine better than Porty better than And fourteen better than 2.36 2.36 2.30 2.26 It is possible, that, here and there in the list, a slight error may be found; but I believe the record to be entirely trustworthy and reliable. Now, I wish, in all candor, to inquire if the record is not a good one. What other horse has New Eng- land ever had with such a list of descendants? Where 302 THE PERFECT HORSE. is the "Bush Messenger" family to which New Eng- land is so much "indebted"? Will someone please mention the " Hambletonian " trotters? If I write ear- nestly and strongly, I do it, be it remembered, in defence of a family of horses suffering from a most unjust impeachment, and in vindication of a great truth, that it is for the interest of every New-England breeder to know; viz., that the family of horses which has been distinguished by, and embodied^ the four great essentials of the perfect horse^ — beauty^ docility^ endur- ance^ and speedy — is the Morgan. If any one should say, "Why! Fearnaught is not a Morgan," I respond, "He is just as much a Morgan as Dexter is a Hambletonian, or George M. Patchen, jun., is a Clay horse ; " that is, he runs straight back in the male line to Justin Morgan. I do not think that many people realize how much we are actually indebted to this family of horses for our trotting-stock. Many men who own valuable stock- horses in New England, lineally descended from old Justin Morgan, seem unaware of the fact. Indeed, I have sometimes thought that I detected, on the part of some, a desire to conceal the very connection and rela- tionship from which, beyond doubt, their horses derived the larger part of their excellence. Some foolish writer has asserted that certain descendants of this horse were not potentially affected by their relationship with him ; indeed, were not Morgan horses at all. The method by which he proves this, as a specimen MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 303 of ingenuity in silliness, cannot be beaten. His reason- ing runs thus: Sherman Morgan drew one-half of his blood from Justin Morgan, his sire ; his son Black Hawk, one-eighth ; his son Ethan Allen, one-sixteenth ; his son Daniel Lambert, one-thirty-second ; his sons, one-sixty-fourth : therefore, as a son of Daniel Lambert has only one-sixty-fourth of old Justin Morgan's blood in his veins, he is no descendant of his ; indeed, no Morgan horse at all. This is, indeed, brilliant reason- ing ! Suppose we illustrate it with a sample of the human family. The first Murray — that is, the head of my family — that came to America was named John Murray. His son Jonathan drew only one-half of his blood from his father; his son John, one-eighth; his son Calvin, one-sixteenth ; his son Dickinson, one-thirty- second ; his son William, one-sixty-fourth : therefore I, because I do not have but one-sixty-fourth of the original John Murray's blood in my veins, am no Mur- ray at all. That is going back on one's relations with a vengeance ! The fact is, — and all attempts to elude and evade it are silly at the start, and, if repeated, de- testable, — the fact is, the male side of the family gives the name to the family, with horses as with men. As a matter of justice, I might as consistently call myself Munger, because my mother's name was that, as that Mr. Taggart's famous horse should be called Abdallah, ignoring the fact, that, in the male line, he runs straight back through Farmer's Beauty, Gififord, Woodbury, to old Justin Morgan. I call him a full Morgan horse. So 304 THE PERFECT HORSE. I do Fearnauglit, who likewise runs straight as a string through Young Morrill, Old Morrill, Bulrush Morgan, to old Justin Morgan himself. Likewise Gen. Knox, one of the most justly celebrated stock-horses Maine, New England, or the country, ever had, — the sire of Gil- breth Knox (record 2.26), Camors (record 2. 2 If), Lady Maud (record 2.221), and Plato (record 2.27i),— is a true Morgan : for his sire was Sherman Black Hawk ; grandsire, Black Hawk ; great-grandsire, Sherman ; great- great-grandsire, Justin Morgan. What right have men to rob a horse of his laurels, or deny him that fame, which, by the character of his get, he can justly clairu ? Who would treat Old Messenger or Diomed or Bashaw in this manner? Especially, how can we deny the Mor- gan relationship, when the horse in question not only is a lineal descendant of Justin Morgan, but even bears the marks and characteristics of the family most unmis- takably ? Who can look at Taggart's Abdallah, or Ethan Allen, or EoUa Gold Dust, and not feel that the Morgan blood has proved the dominant blood in their case, and marked them with an unmistakable impress ? And I ask certain of my readers to observe that this Morgan connection never gives heavy jowls, and large ears, and big legs, and long backs, to a horse, — as con- nection with certain families I might mention is pretty apt to do, — but puts just what you wish into a horse, and no more. It is said that Justin Morgan was a low-bred horse. But such a statement is a gross slander. There can be MOKGAK HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 305 no doubt, in any candid man's mind who investigates the matter, that Justin Morgan was sired by True Briton or Beautiful Bay,, owned by Sealy Norton of East Hart- ford, Conn., and then kept by John Morgan at West Springfiekl, Mass., where he then hved. That his dam was a mare of good breeding is also beyond question. Whether the sire of Beautiful Bay was the imported horse Traveller or not, — and this point I do not attempt to decide, — it cannot be denied that Beautiful Bay was a horse noted for his fine-blooded qualities. But, outside of and above all considerations of ap- proved pedigree, the horse, as I have said, demonstrated his fine breeding in his get. All authorities agree that none but high-bred horses can mark their colts. The power to transmit his own likeness to his descendants is peculiarly the characteristic of the thorough-bred horse ; and none can deny that Justin Morgan had this power in a marvellous degree ; and, higher proof yet, he gave this jpoioer to Ms sons. This, to my mind, constitutes a demonstration, and makes written pedigree of little account. Fortunately, also, we know what manner of horse he was ; and, as a matter of interest to the general reader, I will insert at this place the following very accurate description and history of the Justin Morgan, as found in Mr. Linsley's work on " The Morgan Horse : " — "The original, or Justin Morgan, was about four- teen hands high, and weighed about nine hundred and fifty pounds. His color was dark bay, with black legs, 20 306 THE PERFECT HORSE. mane, and tail. He had no white hairs on him. His mane and tail were coarse and heavy, but not so mas- sive as has been sometimes described. The hair of both was straight, and not inclined to curl. His head was good, not extremely small, but lean and bony ; the face straight ; forehead broad ; ears small and very fine, but set rather wide apart. His eyes were medium size, very dark and prominent, with a spirited but pleasant expression, and showed no white round the edge of the lid. His nostrils were very large, the muzzle small, and the lips close and firm. His back and legs were, perhaps, his most noticeable points. The former was very shoft; the shoulder-blades and hip-bones being very long and oblique, and the loins exceedingly broad and muscular. His body was rather long, round, and deep, close ribbed up ; chest deep and wide, with the breast-bone projecting a good deal in front. His legs were short, close-jointed, thin, but very wide, hard, and free from meat, with muscles that were remarkably large for a horse of his size ; and this super- abundance of muscle exhibited itself at every step. His hair was short, and, at almost all seasons, soft and glossy. He had a little long hair about the fetlocks, and for two or three inches above the fetlock, on the back-side of the legs: the rest of the limbs were entirely free from it. His feet were small, but well shaped ; and he was in every respect perfectly sound, and free from any sort of blemish. He was a very fast walker. In trotting, his gait was low and smooth, and MORGAN HORSE : HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 307 his step short and nervous. He was not what in these days would be called fast : and we think it doubtful whether he could trot a mile, much, if any, within four minutes ; though it is claimed by many that he could trot it in three. " Although he raised his feet but little, he never stumbled. His proud, bold, and fearless style of move- ment, and his vigorous, untiring action, have, perhaps, never been surpassed. When a rider was on him, he was obedient to the slightest motion of the rein ; would walk backwards rapidly under a gentle pressure of the bit; and moved sideways almost as willingly as he moved forward ; in short, was perfectly trained to all the paces and evolutions of a parade-horse. When ridden at military reviews (as was fi'equently the case), his bold, imposing style, and spirited, nervous action, attracted universal attention and admiration. He was perfectly gentle and kind to handle, and loved to be groomed and caressed : but he disliked to have children about him ; and had an inveterate hatred for dogs, — if loose, always chasing them out of sight the instant he saw them. When taken out with halter or bridle, he was in constant motion, and very playful. " He was a fleet runner at short distances. Running horses short distances for small stakes was very com- mon in Vermont fifty years ago. Eighty rods was very generally the length of the course, which usually commenced at a tavern or grocery, and extended the distance agreed upon, up or down the public road. lu 308 THE PERFECT HORSE. these races the horses were started from a 'scratch,' — that is, a mark was drawn across the road in the dirt; and the horses, ranged in a row upon it, went off at ' the drop of a hat ' or some other signal. It will be observed that the form of the Justin Morgan waS not such as in our days is thought best calculated to give the greatest speed for a short distance. Those who believe in long-legged racers will think his legs, body, and stride were all too short ; and to them it may, perhaps, seem surprising that he should be successful, as he invariably was, in such contests. But we think his great muscular development and nervous energy, combined with his small size, gave him a decided advantage in the first start over taller and heavier horses; just as any ordinary horse can distance the finest locomotive in a ten-rod race. At all events, the history of racing in this country and in England proves conclusively that small horses inay have great speed. In such a race, a horse of great spirit and nervous energy derives a decided advantage from these quali- ties, especially after being a little accustomed to such struggles. When brought up to the line, his eyes flash, and his ears quiver with intense excitement ; he grinds his bit with his teeth ; his hind-legs are drawn under him; every muscle of his frame trembles, and swells almost to bursting ; and, at the given signal, he goes off like the springing of a steel trap. His unvary- ing success in these short races may perhaps be partly accounted for in this way ; though he was undoubtedly MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 309 possessed of more than ordinary speed, and was a sharp runner. " Among the many races of this description that he ran were two in 1796, at Brookfield, Yt., — one with a horse called Sweepstakes from Long Island ; and the other with a horse called Silver Tail from St. Lawrence County, N.Y. : both of these he beat with ease. Mr. Morgan (who then owned him) offered to give the owner of Silver Tail two more chances to win the stake, which was fifty dollars, by walking or trotting the horses for it ; which was declined. There are many accounts of other races which he ran and won ; but, these accounts not fully agreeing as to the details, we have not mentioned them. " In harness the Justin Morgan was quiet, but full of spirit ; an eager and nimble traveller, but patient in bad spots ; and, although for a long time steadily engaged in the heavy work of a new farm, his owner at that time informs us that he never knew him refuse to draw as often as he was required to : but he pithily adds, ' I didn't very often have to ask him but once ; for what- ever he was hitched to generally had to come the first time trying.' This uniform kindness at a pull was one of the striking characteristics of the horse; and the same trait may be observed in the greater part of his descendants. ' Pulling matches ' and ' pulling bees ' were as common in those days as short races ; and the ' little horse,' as he was often called, became quite cele- brated for his unvarying willingness to do his best, and for his great power at what is called a ' dead lift.' 310 THE PERFECT HORSE. "The following letter from Solomon Steele, Esq., of Derby, Yt., — a gentleman wlio has devoted a great deal of time and money to the improvement of horses in his vicinity, and who, notwithstanding the apathy of some and the opposition of others, now enjoys the pleasure of seeing his precepts adopted and his example fol- lowed by his neighbors, to their great advantage, and the equal improvement of their stock, — will be read with interest : — "Derby Line, Vt., March 12, 1856. "D. C. LiNSLEY, Esq. " Dear Sir, — I am in receipt of yours of the 1st inst., renewing your request that I should favor you with such information as I may possess in relation to the early his- tory of the founder of that breed of horses which have at length become so distinguished as to be 'called the *best in the world,' and known as Morgans. I have not the vanity to presume that I can disclose any mate- rial facts relative to this subject ; but, at your request, T will mention some incidents connected with the early history of this horse, which, if not of great importance, may not be void of interest. It has been my privilege, in early life, to often see the original Morgan horse, called by this name from the fact that Justin Morgan brought him to Randolph, Vt., from Massachusetts, in the autumn of 1795. Mr. Morgan intended to apply him to the payment of a note held against him ; but not being able to obtain what he considered a reasonable price for him, and having no keeping for him, he let MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 311 him to a man by the name of Robert Evans, for one year, for the sum of fifteen dollars. Immediately after this, Evans undertook the job of clearmg fifteen acres of heavy timbered land for a Mr. Fisk; and, before the 1st of June following, had completed the job, with no other team but this colt, though not regarded as a 'salable horse.' " While Evans was engaged in piling this timber, the remarkable powers of this horse, it would seem, were in a measure developed, as he was then found able to out-draw, out- walk, out-trot, or out-run, every horse that was matched against him. An instance was related to me by Mr. Nathan Nye, who was an eye-witness, and whose testimony was never questioned. I noted it at the time, and will relate it in his own words : — " ' At the time Evans had this horse, a small tavern, a grist-mill and saw-mill, were in operation on 'the branch of White River, in Randolph ; and at this place the strength of men and horses in that settlement was generally tested. On one occasion I went to these mills, where I spent most of a day; and, during the time, many trials were had, for a small wager, to draw a certain pine-log, which lay some ten rods from the saw-mill. " ' Some horses were hitched to it that would weigh twelve hundred pounds; but not one of them could move it its length. About dusk, Evans came down from his logging-field, which was near by; and I told him the particulars of the di'awing-match. Evans re- 312 THE PERFECT HOESE. quested me to show him the log ; which I did. He then ran back to the tavern, and challenged the company to bet a gallon of rum that he could not draw the log fairly on to the logway, at three pulls, with his colt. The challenge was promptly accepted; and, each hav- ing " taken a glass," the whole company went down to the spot. '"Arrived on the ground, Evans says, "I am ashamed to hitch my horse to a little log like that ; but, if three of you will get on and ride, if I don't draw it I will forfeit the rum." Accordingly, three of those least able to stand were placed upon the log. I was present with a lantern, and cautioned those on the log to look out for their legs, as I had seen the horse draw before, and knew something had got to come. At the word of command the horse started log and men, and went more than half of the distance before stopping. At the next pull he landed his load at the spot agreed upon, to the astonishment of all present. " 'Not many days after this, the beaten party proposed to Evans to run a certain horse against his, eighty rods, for another gallon. Evans accepted; went from his work, and matched his horse against four different horses the same evening, and beat them all with ease.' " Thus, early in the history of the Morgan horse, it was an admitted fact, that, however small, he could not be beaten where strength, speed, and endurance were the test. When we see this same animal driven in har- ness, or ridden by the aged and infirm with perfect MORGAN HOKSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 313 safety and confidence, and next see Mm at a military re- vie ay, mounted by the commander-in-cliief, and displaying all the fire and pride imaginable, and, after the lapse of nearly fifty years, witnessing the same remarkable traits in man}' of his descendants, we are constrained to admit , that hlood is, indeed, of no small importance in the busi- ness of horse-breeding. It should be well understood, that, throughout the long life of the Justin Morgan, as well as that of his immediate offspring, want of size was the universal objection. No man of ordinary judg- ment could fail to discover his peculiar points of excel- lence ; his oblique shoulders, high crest, fine ear, prominent and sagacious eye, perfect head, large and expanded nostrils, strong loins, long hip, deep and well-spread chest, high withers, short pasterns, strong and sinewy limbs, with all the important muscles, far sur- passing in size those of any other horse of his weight ever seen in America. The fact that this horse has con- tributed more than any other animal ever did to the wealth of the United States, no honest man will deny ; but strange to say, in the face of all this, the cry is still heard, '■Too small, too small!'' This reminds us of the man who sold his hen because she was too small, although she daily laid eggs of gold. We rejoice, however, that we live in a day when intelligent men cannot so easily be made the dupes of interested parties. The farming community are thinking and acting with more care and attention than formerly. They are disposed to profit by past experience. They are more close observers of 314 THE PERFECT HORSE. cause and effect ; and it is our firm conviction that the man who is doing most to foster and encourage this principle is the world's greatest benefactor. "Through life the Justin Morgan was steadily em- ployed in the heavy work incident to the cultivation of a new and mountainous country, and was often engaged in similar matches to those just mentioned. Even at the age of fifteen, we find him entered at a drawing-match that took place at Gen. Butler's tavern in St. Johnsbury. Some of his opponents are described by persons present as large, heavy horses ; yet they were all beaten by the Justin. We mention these facts to show the great muscular development of the horse, and his kind and tractable temper, rather than as an evidence of his value for purposes of heavy draught ; for although the power of an animal in starting a given weight depends more upon his form and muscular development than upon mere size, yet size is indispensable to enable a horse to move off easily upon the road with a heavy load. " The quietness and exceedingly pleasant temper of the Justin Morgan is strikingly evidenced by the fact that he was often ridden and driven by ladies. A lady of St. Johnsbury once told us she remembered his appearance perfectly, and had repeatedly ridden him, when a girl, to balls and other parties; and spoke with much enthusiasm of his noble appearance, his high spirit, and perfect docility. " It is exceedingly difiicult to obtain accurate infor- MOBGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 315 mation respecting the changes in owners that occurred to the horse at different times. To account for this uncertainty, we must consider that his fame has been almost entirely posthumous; that, although the cham- pion of his neighborhood, he was little valued, on account of his small size ; and it was not until after his death, and his descendants were exhibiting the powers of their sire, in speed, strength, and endurance, in al- most every village of Eastern Vermont, that people began to realize they had not properly appreciated him. For this reason, little notice was taken, at that time, of any change of owners : and many persons who very well recollect the horse, recollect nothing of these changes ; and those who claim to recollect them disagree much as to the dates at which his several owners purchased him. "As we have before stated, Mr. Morgan used him almost exclusively as a riding-horse ; though he broke him to harness, and occasionally used him in that way. After Mr. Morgan's death, he was sold by the estate to William Rice of Woodstock, Vt. Mr. Rice used him in the ordinary work of his farm for about two years, or until 1800 or 1801, when Robert Evans — who had been constantly on the watch for an opportunity to purchase since he hired him of Mr. Morgan — bought him. Mr. Evans was a poor man with a large family, and was what is called a great worker. In addition to the work upon his own place, he was constantly under- taking jobs for his neighbors, — clearing land, hauling logs, building fence, &c. The 'little horse' was Mr. 316 THE PERFECT HOUSE. Evans's only team; and, of course, his labor was very- severe. Mr. Evans kept liim three or four years, or until 1804, when he was sued for debt. Col. John Goss became his bail, took the horse for security, and finally paid the debt, and kept him. Mr. John Goss was not much of a horseman, and therefore took the horse to his brother, David Goss of St. Johnsbury, who was quite a horseman, and made arrangements with him to keep him for a stock-horse. After David had kept him a year, he was so much pleased with him, that he ex- changed a fine mare with his brother for him, adding cash or other property. The horse, in this trade, was valued at one hundred dollars. Mr. David Goss kept him seven years, or until 1811 ; and it was while owned by him that the Hawkins, Fenton, and Sherman horses were sired. Mr. Goss kept him almost constantly at work on his farm, with the exception of about two months in the spring of each year. While his property, although put to hard work, the horse was not over- worked or abused, but was properly treated and cared for. David Goss sold him to his son Philip. Some of his colts about Randolph having grown up, and proved valuable, there was some inquiry for the horse in that vicinity; and he was accordingly taken back to that town. This was in 1811. "He was now nineteen years old ; and those who owned him at different times after this generally seemed eager to get rid of him, for fear he should die on their hands. Immediately after his return to Randolph, he seems to MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 317 have been taken care of by Robert Evans, his former owner; for it was during this year that Bulrush was sired, and he was at that time in the possession of Mr. Evans. " Soon after this, or in the autumn of 1811, Philip Goss sold him to Jacob Sanderson. Sanderson sold him to a. Mr. Langmade, who used the old horse hard, con- sidering his age. He worked him some time in a six- horse team, hauling freight from Windsor to Chelsea. Under this treatment he became thin and poor, and was purchased for a trifle by Mr. Chelsea, and shortly after sold by him to Joel Goss of Claremont, N.H. Mr. Goss kept him one year, and sold him to Mr. Samuel Stone of Randolph. Mr. Stone kept him two or three years, or until 1819, when he sold him; and he soon after became the property of Levi Bean, who owned him until his death, which happened in the winter of 1821 at the farm of Clifford Bean, situated about three miles south of the village of Chelsea, Vt. "At twenty-nine years of age, no cause need be assigned for his death but the .ravages of time and the usual infirmities of years. But old age was not the immediate cause of his death. He was not stabled, but was running loose in an open yard with other horses, and received a kick from one of them in the flank. Ex- posed without shelter to the inclemency of a Northern winter, inflammation set in, and he died. Before receiving the hurt which caused his death, he was perfectly sound, and entirely free from any description 318 THE PERFECT HOESE. of blemish. His limbs were perfectly smootli, clean, free from any swelling, and perfectly limber and supple. "Those persons who saw him in 1819 and 1820 describe his appearance as remarkably fresh and youth- ful. Age had not quenched his spirit, nor damped the ardor " of his temper ; years of severest labor had not sapped his vigor, nor broken his constitution ; his eye was still bright, and his step firm and elastic. "However various may be the opinions different per- sons may entertain respecting the merits of the Justin Morgan, we doubt whether any horse can be instanced, in this or any other country, that has so strikingly impressed upon his descendants, to the fifth and sixth generations, his own striking and valuable character- istics. And it may be safely asserted that the stock of no horse ever bred in this country has proved so gen- erally and largely profitable to the breeders of it. The raising of it has made the fortunes of hundreds of indi- viduals, and added hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars to the wealth of Vermont and New Hamp- shire." I feel, also, that I can do no -greater service, to the general reader than to insert in this connectioil the fol- lowing history and description of the three sons of Jus- tin Morgan from which the Morgans of to-day have de- scended, — viz., Sherman, Woodbury, and Bulrush ; and I do it the more readily, because Mr. Linsley's work, from which the quotation is made, is out of print, very rare, and cannot be obtained : — MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 319 " Sherman was foaled in 1808 or 1809, the property of James Sherman of Lyndon, Yt. It has been said that Sherman was foaled in 1810 ; and it has also been said that he was foaled in 1811. It is not at all sur- prising that his age should be understated by a year or two, as the horse who lives to be more than ten years old loses nothing so easily as one or two years of his age. " Our reasons for stating his age as we have are these : Mr. George Sherman, son of James Sherman, informs us that he has noAV been married forty-five years ; and that, in the summer after he was married, his father let him take the horse, then a colt, to keep and use. Mr. Sherman's wife also well recollects the above facts : but neither of them can say positively whether the colt was two or three years old, though both of them tliiiih he was three ; and, from the fact that Mr. Sherman used him a good deal that summer, it seems most probable that such was his age. Sherman was sired by the Justin. With regard to the blood of his dam, much has been said, and a good deal written ; but we think little is actually known. "Mr. George Sherman says his father brought the mare from Cranston, R.L, to Lyndon, Vt. ; that she was a chestnut, of good size, high-spirited, and an 'elegant' animal. 'We called her of Spanish breed.' " The late Hon. EjDaphras Seymour of Brattleborough, Yt., a gentleman of fortune and high standing, and passionately fond of horses, spent much time in endeav- 320 THE PERFECT HORSE. oring to ascertain the pedigree and early Mstory of the Justin Morgan and his descendants. Among the memo- randa left by him, now in possession of the Hon. F. Holbrook, which the latter gentleman has kindly per- mitted us to examine, we find the following : ' Matthew Allen of Guildhall, now seventy years old, or over, informs me that James Sherman and himself came from Rhode Island to St. Johnsbury in 1799. Before they left, Mr. John Brown of Providence gave Mr. Sherman an imported English mare of great beauty, a fine saddle- mare, and so used by his daughters (she was then spav- ined). She was a mahogany brown, fifteen and a half hands high, delicate make.' Mr. Allen goes on to state that this mare was the dam of the Sherman. "Mr. S. C. Gibbs of Littleton, N.H., who purchased the horse of Mr. James Sherman, gives the following account of the dam : ' She was bought at the South (I think in Virginia) by Mr. John Sherman of Provi- dence, KI., who had friends in that State. He pur- chased her for her beauty and speed. Soon after he returned with her, she unfortunately slipped her hip. He then gave her to his brother James of Lyndon.' " It has also been said that the dam was long owned by Nicholas Brown of Providence, Pt.L, one of the well-known firm of Brown & Ives, formerly a large importing-house. Mr. George Sherman says his father bou2:ht the mare of Dr. Fiske of Cranston, R.I. It is of little consequence which of these accounts is correct, as none of them undertake to give her pedigree. If MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 325 and stuffed, and may still be seen at the stable of Mr. George Bellows, at Lancaster, N.H. " Sherman had not so bold and resolute a style of action, and was not so nervous and high-tempered, as Woodbury ; nor was he, in the language of the stable, so well ' finished up : ' but he was more tractable ; was exceedingly spirited, and a keen, rapid driver ; pos- sessed great powers of endurance, a free and noble spirit that needed neither whip nor spur, and courage that never flagged. "Woodbury — sometimes called the Burbank Horse, and known in Windsor County as the Walker Horse — was foaled the latter part of May, 1816, the property of Lyman Wight of Tunbridge, Vt. It has been said that he was raised by a ' Mr. White ; ' but this is a mis- take that would easily occur. The pronunciation of the two names is almost the same ; and, the latter being much more commonly used, the name has been mis- understood. Woodbury was sired by the Justin Mor- "gan. Of the blood of his dam we are unable to learn any thing. At the time the colt was foaled, Mr. Lyman Wight was a young man, about eighteen years old ; and the dam belonged to his father, William Wight, who had loaned her to his son for the purpose of raising a colt. She was five years old when the colt was born. Mr. Wight purchased her, the year before, of a Major John Moulton of Bethel, Vt., who brought her into that town. She was large, being over fifteen hands 326 THE PERFECT HORSE. higli ; and weighed about eleven hundred pounds : she was of a deep bay-color, with black legs, mane, and tail, a small white spot in the forehead, and no other marks. She was not very compactly made, and was rather flat- ribbed ; but she had an excellent chest, fine shoulders and hips, and excellent limbs. Her head was very fine, ears good, and mane and tail beautiful. She carried her head high, was a very free, spirited driver, and was called fast at that time. She both paced and trotted, generally starting in the former gait, and, after going a short distance, changing it for a trot. When trotting she made a fine appearance, and, going fast, attracted much attention. She was a very fast walker. The autumn after the colt was foaled, about the usual time of weaning, Mr. Wight sold him to David Woodbury of Bethel, Vt., for fifty dollars. Mr. Woodbury kept him until grown, and sold him to his brother John. " John had a taste for good horses; and in his hands the horse began to be a little known. He kept him at Bethel and the neighboring towns a few years, and sold him to Ebenezer Parkhurst, who kept him in the same neighborhood until March, 1826, when he sold him to Simon Smith and William Walker of Hartland, Vt., for five hundred dollars. Soon after this, Messrs. Smith' and Walker dissolved partnership, Mr. Walker keeping Woodbury. Mr. Walker had a passion for horses. He saw and appreciated the remarkable features of the Justin Morgan and his stock, and took much pains to bring them into notice ; but, like many a pioneer in a MORGAN HORSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 327 new business, he could not make it pay : and, being a man of small means, lie was compelled to ' sacrifice his horse,' as he terms it, ' for the insignificant sum of four hundred dollars ; ' and sold him to Peter Burbank, Esq., of Newbury, Yt. Mr. Burbank was a lawyer, and not a farmer or breeder ; but he was fond of horses, and had a discriminating eye for their good points ; and having seen the Woodbury at Keene, N.H., he (in his own words) ' fell in love with him at first sight.' Fearing to trust to his own judgment alone, he con- sulted Jesse Johnson of Bradford, Yt., — a gentleman who not only possesses excellent taste as to the proper style and general figure of a fine horse, but has also that close, critical eye that seems almost at a glance to take in all the minute defects of form that a more care- less observer might fail to discover. Mr. Johnson did not fail to perceive the extraordinary merits of the horse, and advised Mr. Burbank to purchase him ; which he did the 20th of May, 1830. From this time until 1836 he was taken charge of by Jesse Johnson and Brothers, and kept at their place in Bradford, Yt., during the winter and latter part of the summer and autumn of each year, and one or two years during all the seasons. During the years 1830 and 1831, he re- mained at their stable at Bradford. The season of 1832 he was kept at Keene, N.H. ; the season of 1833 he was kept at Burlington, Yt. ; and the seasons of 1835 and 1836 he was kept at Bradford and vicinity. In September, 1836, Mr. Burbank having 328 THE PERFECT HORSE. died, the administrators of his estate sold him to Nor- man Baglee of Alabama, who took him to Gainesville in that State, where he died in 1838, being twenty-two years old, " Woodbury was fourteen and three-quarters hands high, and weighed from nine hundred and eighty-eight pounds to ten hundred and forty pounds. He was weighed several times ; and these two statements of his weight at different times are the extremes. Many persons who have frequently seen him weighed say they never knew him weigh more than ten hundred and thirty, nor less than ten hundi'ed and fifteen pounds. He was a dark, rich chestnut. His off hind-leg was white from the foot half way to the hock ; and he had a white stripe in his face, beginning at the edge of the upper lip, filling the space between the nostrils, and extending more than half way to his eyes. His mane was not very thick or long, and was lighter than either of the others : still it was full. His tail was cut off when a colt, and left about ten inches long : the hair was very full and curly. Both mane and tail were about the same color as his body. The hair on the body was fine, short, and soft. He was close and com- pactly built, with heavy quarters and deep flanks. His chest was good, and the shoulders finely shaped. He had a short back, and broad, sinewy loins. His legs had some long hairs on the back-side, but were well shaped, somewhat larger than Sherman's, and not so large as Bulrush's. His head was small and lean, with a fine, MORGAN HOUSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 321 either had made an attempt to do this, the question would have possessed more interest, and some impor- tance. It certainly concerns us little to know in what manner or fi'om whom Mr. Sherman obtained her, if we cannot go beyond that, and learn something of her pedigree. We are inclined to think the statement of Mr. Sherman entitled to the most credit, because we think his means of knowing the facts of which he speaks were much superior to the others. His father used the horse several years, valued him highly, and was often interrogated as to the dam. George must have often heard his father describe the circumstances under which he obtained her : they must have been well known in the family ; and the constantly-increasing fame of the horse would keep alive in its members the recollection of them as related by James Sherman. Mr. George Sherman is a man whose character for the most unwavering honesty has been long and thoroughly established where he is known. " Whoever may have bred the mare, and whether of Spanish or English descent, it is certain she was a fine animal. She was chestnut, with three white feet, and a white stripe in the face. Her head was good ; ears small ; neck light, and rather long ; not very compactly formed ; and never ' carried much flesh.' She carried her head high ; was a spirited traveller, and an excellent saddle-beast. She was very pleasant-tempered, and worked kindly in all places. " ' Sherman ' was a bright chestnut, about thirteen 21 322 THE PERFECT HORSE. and three-quarters hands high, and weighed nine hun- dred and twenty-five pounds. His off hind-leg was white from the foot half way to the hock, and he had a small white stripe in the flice. His head was lean and well shaped ; ears small and fine ; eyes inclined to be small, but full, prominent, and lively. His legs had some long hairs upon the back-side, but were broad, flat, and sinewy. He had a capital chest, with the breast-bone very prominent. The shoulders were large, and well placed ; the neck excellent ; the mane and tail full, but not remarkably heavy. His hips were long and deep, the loins broad and muscular; but he was a little hollow or ' sway -backed : ' still no suspicion of a weak back could attach to him, or he would have broken down under the rough treatment he received in early life. When four years old, Mr. Sherman put him to hard work ; and though, for about two months in the spring of each year, he worked but little, yet, the remainder of the year, his labor was very severe. Mr. Sherman was a hard-working man, and animals under his charge had few opportunities to rest. Most of the year the horse was kept constantly at work on the farm, much of which he helped to ' clear up.' In the winter, Mr. Sherman usually ran a team steadily from Lyndon, Yt., to Portland, Me. For several years, this team consisted of this horse and a half-brother, sired by the Justin Morgan, a year older and a little larger than Sherman. " Mr. Sherman was not a man to be outdone at drawing or driving ; and he was always ready to match MOEGAN HORSE : HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 323 his team against any he met, either to draw or rmi, for a trifling wager. His ' little team ' became famous at every inn from Lyndon to Portland ; and, after a time, the teamsters that knew them were afraid to match horses of any size against them. In the spring, when the sleighing became poor, the men who had been com- panions through the winter in the severe labor of teaming across the country would often congregate at the village taverns to spin yarns of their simple but rough adventures, engaging in wrestling, running foot and horse races, drawing-matches, and many games invented to test the speed or strength of either men or horses. In addition to these attractions, the prospect of a social glass of ' old Santa Cruz ' may have had some influence in drawing together the people collect- ed on these occasions ; for it was at that time considered a pleasant beverage, and it was not generally known to be a subtle poison. Certain it is that these games were well attended, and were conducted with much spirit. Drawing-matches were at that time very com- mon. At Lyndon, the usual way of drawing was to attach a horse to a sled, fill it with men, and draw the load up a steep hill just north of the tavern. ' When each Ms utmost strength had shoiu%'' Sherman would add a small boy to the largest load, and commence the ascent, well satisfied if he could gain two or three feet at a pull ; for nothing discouraged his horse, and it was difiicult to load him so that he could not move a little. These facts are perfectly well known to many 324 THE PERFECT HOESE. persons now living at Lyndon ; and we mention them, not from any intrinsic interest tliey may possess, but, having said that Sherman was shghtly hollow-backed, we thought it necessary to show, that, if so, his back was by no means weak. " Such was the kind of service to which Mr. Sher- man put his horse from the time he was four years old until he was about ten, when he sold him to Stephen C. Gibbs of Littleton, N.H., in 1819. Mr. Gibbs kept him one year, and sold him to John Buckminster of Danville, Vt. ; but Mr. Gibbs had charge of him two years longer. After this, he was kept at Danville and vicinity until 1829, when he was purchased of Mr. Buckminster by Mr. John Bellows of Lancaster, N.H. The summer of 1829 he was kept at Littleton, N.H., in charge of Stephen C. Gibbs; in 1830 he was kept at Dover and vicinity ; in 1831 he was at Col. Jaques's Ten-hills Farm, Charlestown, Mass. ; in 1832 he was at Dover and Durham, N.H. ; in 1833 he was kept at Lancaster, N.H. ; and in 1834, at Dover and vicinity. He died at Mr. Bellows's stable, in Lancaster, the 9th of January, 1835. The cause of his death is unknown. He was left at ten o'clock in the morning apparently perfectly well ; and, at one o'clock in the afternoon, he was found dead. " With the exception of some slight indications of age, he was apparently as free from every species of blemish or infirmity the morning of the day he died as when he was foaled. His skin has been preserved MOKGA>? HOKSE: HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 333 any imputation of sway-back than any of his brothers ; though, towards the close of his life, he indeed fell away in his loins, as is always the case in old stallions. His hips were very good, but not so long as Sherman's ; and he was not so well quartered as Woodbury ; but he was deeper in the chest than either of them. His shoulders were thicker, and not so well placed ; and his head and neck were not so well set uj). He was not so proud, bold, and lofty in his carriage, as Woodbury; and he had not Sherman's short, nervous step, and tractable but high-spirited temper : but he was a sharp, quick driver, and a faster trotter than either of them. He was a little inclined to be cross ; but was not fierce, or in any respect unmanageable : on the contrary, he was very kind in harness, always working pleasantly wherever put. His most remarkable characteristic was his power of endurance. For this, we think it is generally admit- ted, he had no rival ; and his extraordinary lastingness has become proverbial where he was known. His stock bear a strong resemblance to him, and are very numer- ous ; are mostly dark bay without marks, never sorrel or light chestnut. Occasionally a dark gray, from a white mare, may be found. Bulrush was about fourteen hands high, and weighed about one thousand pounds. " Bulrush, Sherman, and Woodbury were treated very much alike. Until after ten years old, each of them was employed most of the time at the ordinary team-work of a farm ; and at no period of their lives did they have any more care than the common horses of 334 THE PERFECT HORSE. the country, and never liacl mucli knowledge of thick blankets and warm stables, but were early inured to the labor and hardship, fatigue and exposure, incident to a new and mountainous country and a cold climate. It is not improbable that the cold, dry atmosphere and pure water of our mountains has contributed as much as the rich pastures of our valleys to the stoutness, courage, and lastingness of our horses. " We have thus slightly sketched the more obvious distinctions and general characteristics of these celebrat- ed sons of the original or Justin Morgan. While they differed in the particulars we have herein set forth, (which difference was rather in the degree than the na- ture of their qualities), they all possessed the great and striking features of their distinguished sire. The same compactness of form, great muscular development, hardy, rugged constitution, docility and tractableness, short, easy, rapid step, eager ambition, and lofty cour- age, so remarkable in him, were found in each of them in a hi^fh decrree. Throu^^h these noble channels the blood of the Justin Morgan has been poured profusely into the hitherto hardy stock of Yermont, conveying not only the very form of the great original, but all his unrivalled vigor, grace, and ease of motion, combined with his docility and matchless courage." To resume our remarks, T would observe that we must consider that New England has never had any stock-horses able to perpetuate their name and fame MORGAN HOESE : HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 335 save tliose of Morgan blood. Hiram Woodruff, in his " Trotting-Horse of America," says, p. 283, — " The Eastern States have always been a fine nursery for trotting-horses. The fine action of the Morgan breed, and their good tempers and sound constitutions, helped a great deal ; but New England was still more largely indebted to the two sons of Messenger, — Ham- bletonian and Bush Messenger: I mean the one that went to Maine." Now, I would like to ask what ground is there to say that New England is more indebted to the Messenger than the ^ilorgan blood ? Why, there was not strength enough in the Bush Messenger to establish a family, or even a branch of a family. Where is there a Messen- ger stallion in Maine that traces back to the original Bush Messenger as Gen. Knox traces back directly to old Justin Morgan ? What Messenger horse in Maine has ever gotten a Gilbreth Knox, or Camors? Go to Vermont, and find a descendant of a Hambletonian horse that has ever trotted a mile in 2.15 as Ethan Allen has. The fact is, there are no such descendants. The words " Hambletonian " and "Bush Messenger" can be seen very plainly on paper ; but, Avhen you come to search for stallions descended from them, where are they ? Is there one in Maine? Can you find one in New Hampshire ? What town in Vermont shall I visit to see one ? Has Massachusetts any ? How many are there in Connecticut ? The fact is, New England has not, and never has had, any famous stock-horse outside 336 THE PERFECT HOESE. of the Morgan family. Look over the field and at the list to-day. Gen. Knox and his great son Gilbreth, Win- throp Morrill, Fearnanght, Taggart's Abdallah, Ethan Allen and his wonderful stock-getting son Lambert, Young Morrill, Woodstock Morrill, Gen. Lyon, Defiance, and many others, all trace back straight to old Justin Morgan. Now, over against this list I ask the reader to put the Bush-Messenger stock or Hambletonian stock, to which some people think New England is so in- debted for her fast horses. The truth is, the Morgan family has no rival in New England, and never has had. The Clay stock and the Hambletonian stock may, in the future, enter the field in competition ; but, up to this time, the wreath belongs to the Morgans. I have already shown that three of the four great elements needed to make a perfect horse — viz., beauty, docility, endurance — the Morgan horse had and has. But men say, " The Morgan horse had no speed." The ignorance or audacity that prompts this assertion is simply astounding. The truth is, no family of horses in America has ever produced so many fast trotting-horses as the Morgan. If you ask what I call a fast horse, I respond, A horse that will trot a mile in a public race in 2.40 is a fast horse. Of all the races trotted this year in public, it is safe to say that the average rate of speed will not be under 2.40. I take it, therefore, as a standard ; and a fair one it is too ; and, in proof of what I have said, I refer the reader to the "record" of time made by Morgan horses on pp. 300, 301. MORGAN HORSE : HIS RELATION TO BREEDING. 329 firm muzzle; the nostrils very large and full; face straight, very wide between the eyes, which were dark hazel, very large and prominent, and showed no white around the edge of the lid. His ears were small and fine, but rather short, and set somewhat wider apart than many would consider consistent with perfect beauty. His style of action was bold and resolute ; and his temperament was so nervous, that, when taken out with a bridle, it was almost impossible to keep him still. He was a good driver, and appeared well in iarness ; but he appeared to the best advantage under ihe saddle. Militia colonels and generals were eager to ride him ; and no ' musters ' or reviews could pass vithout his being seen : in his case, to be seen was to be admired. His disposition was pleasant and playful. " As has'been said, he was taken to Gainesville, Ala., • in the autumn of 1836, being then twenty years old. H< was shipped from Boston on board a small sailing- vCisel. He suffered much fi'om the long and stormy pasage, and never fully recovered from the effects of it. It is altogether likely that the climate and food did notigree with him; for neither was such as he had been accistomed to : however this may be, it is certain he contnued to fail until he died, in 1838. Woodbury was the largest of these horses, and possessed in a greatir degree the bold, fearless, and showy style of their ;ire. He was more nervous and less tractable than Sierman, better under the saddle, not so pleasant in hariess, and, we are inclined to think, hardly as good 330 THE PERFECT HORSE. a roadster. His form was more symmetrical than either of the others. His breast was not so full and prominent as Sherman's. He was deeper in the flanks, and better quartered. No horse ever had less fear. Martial music only roused him ; the firing of guns in no way disturbed him ; waving flags and gay uniforms seemed hardly able to attract from him a single glance ; and he moved about as if he were himself the principal object of attraction, and the cause of all the attending excitement and display. " Bulrush was foaled in 1812 or 1813. Of this Tv-a think there can be no reasonable doubt ; although it has been stated that he was foaled in 1816. ^^e have consulted persons who owned both Bulrush aid Woodbury ; and they all agree that Bulrush was tie older of the two. Now, there is no question but tlat Woodbury was foaled in 1816 ; and, if Bulrush vas older, it is altogether probable that he was more tian one year older : for the Justin Morgan was taker to Claremont early in the spring of 1814, and remaned there one year ; and the dam of Bulrush was ownd in Randolph, Vt., the year he was sired ; so that, h the absence of any other testimony, we might very r Q I— I O .0 O H K O 432 THE PERFECT HOESE. PEDIGREES OF NOTED HORSES. 433 w p tfT »T3 P o PT t» o B P P B B* O P B a' o B B p B O s p P « ^ B CfQ P c ^ »^ o ^ £- i> Q p B 28 434 THE PERFECT HOESE. o O Ph Hi c3 a '^ M >-. o o ^ o P(H 1 02 h^l tS ^ id o -|J ri4 'S' O 1=1 P3 w -^ a -4^ o c3 O ft id "V 3 s. o c3 g P *" ~"~V" +3 o O >^ id c a N c3 p; di a a ft 00 Id o H ft p O o PEDIGEEES OF NOTED HORSES. 435 o "A ^ p ^^ . , ?= ^ o (-- 3 a> S^3- teJ o V! ■^ o 1 A 436 THE PERFECT HORSE. H ^ o PI s ^ PI CO ^3 n3 a; g l-H <1 Pi ^ o "~v — a a CC -^ P c3 P c3 c3 P PEDIGIIEES OF NOTED HORSES. 437 o p B ui CO w CO 02 CG o P £0 1 H H > — » ?5 W > S^ tr« ti H t^ fD t3. I— I V- o •t3 o o ^ f in &- cu 438 THE PERFECT HORSE. fcfi O S P^ fcO ft to P^ a; CO cc ^ (U c3 Q S rO ct ^ » to 1-1 'So Ph p 3 ft PEDIGREES OF NOTED HORSES. 439 o o Q t^ H B o O p ^ p l:i H o c^ (3^ "-hi 3. W o CO ^ « t— 1 3 ag ^ « p ^ o p « H> tr' ^ O P ^, ^ — -^^ O M t=i .cr- b 2 »-*i (T> — ' o 0,J en Q hi 3 c OQ ^ p P P 3 p 440 THE PERFECT HOESE. Q O ZT} 02 to O cc S o 5 <: >. g ft (-5 pa Pm < P^ ^ H n3 O ^ ft ft H P4 g ft 5 o o o t-5 PEDIGREES OF NOTED HORSES. 441 O O 02 I— I W CO u p p ^ b ^ p rr B ^ d B P W L' ' 3 ' p B > ^ ^ p p B vF 0- ^ ^ ^ t?" P ro CO M (yj «i cr' 2 ^ aq 1— I B (73 H CJ M b p t^ H m ^ ^ M ' ■* KH b y< " ?- c^ B p B cr' ^ rt> p. a 03 p d- 05 • P e b *<1 p H 442 THE PERFECT HOESE. ^ u n ? &0 'rr, A a (1) pp to ta ■"b . f5 r- P=i M >^ c:? o rO s CO o -% ^ c3 >H pq 1^ Ph id o o o P cc (=1 O 02 O pq PEDIGEEES OF NOTED HORSES. 443 3 Q y;^ HI »>: ^ "rH P H a. ? O U 02 !:3 o (- .g Q p 03 o 2. ^f CO b w P CO ^B » t^ &3 '^J 4 >-tl O P M P c1- «-^ 1— • _yi,^ p b ~> P p 2 "^ tH p ^ 1> t?:i p' O! :^ 2 P 1— 1 "J ■ ^ n f— 1 g ^■^ CO M P O a ^ u p o B 3 A V oq p ^ p ■^ p ^ fei ^ o 1— 1 , _^ -A aQ p I^' P fe £- r erg 4:U THE PEEFECT HORSE. &( ^ >» a p O w hP 1— 1 fci y^ <» 1-5) e w b^ Q o g &I S t> — v--^ o J/2 bO o 'So a X o P o ■ • = 5 '^' P o2 "SJ PEDIGllEES OF NOTED HOKSES. 445 O "-A > O b P o Q p 2 B p^ 3 \ f»r w B O W ^ o P u HH p fi B ? g CD ("T* g 1 t tf g- O H 1^ ^ g P5 t^ O S < « ^ p ^ 3 cn >v , ^ f" ' " oT p u -^ p cr g '^s ET a^ H n s 1^ a" O S 1 5. ►« (D p' p p N 446 THE PEEFECT HOr.SB. r6 O a o c3 fi a. a 1— 1 as a cw p M ;> X Hi «H c3 a !> a P a P 02 O «^ o o PEDIGREES OF NOTED HORSES. 447 I— I hi O O t> W o 02 B o tsr- - P ti P EL, p" Q p Pi- E Si Co o C H o _ P^ >-i B o p CI- s p' o < 02 tr- a i-t B p n> or? CO p *-* B CP5 CTQ P o 448 THE PERFECT IIOESE. PI a to .S '■+J 1-5 (—1 CO > W PQ I P O W G o o - O) o r2 & Ph — O 02 o -t^ O , o _ f^ o 5 qn ■73 ^ c;q fcr. s 9 ^ J5 :: r< ^ ^'^ £ ^ o ^ e S /^ a, pt 3 -*^ ci ? be CO P5 < c en o -t-a o CO o CO o ci a) g o '^ cy o < 1—4 c Tli -u -)-i ce H m o CO c8 M •4^ o ft _co .2 '3 4^ 0) a; 13 CO ft OJ o c» C r5 "S, 1 2 ft o O c5 O c3 a O s c > c c d ni o 02 o fcJD o P eg eg 1=1 S 5 o o o CD fcJO CO o r— < ft H +3 fcC o -4-> ^^ ft (4-1 .>N CO 0) C« o CO 'Ti C5 « ^ G ^ rt\ ^ n"^ (H^ .— '^ a; O Ch c3 o ^ Ij C/3 "^ ^ -^ ^ - - > O "» ^ > o ft PEDIGREES OF NOTED HORSES. 449 * w cd' 1— ' ^_ p' • aq CD era a' P' 5' cr' N-* y CD CC^ p 13 a .-N 3 S 2. pJ o- p aq m ^CfO^ ? p- P pl 3 !» re I-+5 3 p 3 r1- era CD W2 CD B CD a p- 1 CD tr^ p a ora, ^ 1— L ^ ^ CD JH a- en CO cc cr' i-S vSf^i^ c:> 02 fV p- CO p. t-" ►3 irt- 5 t-A p 3 Cs- B pj t3d CD S ^ Q Q ^ W H3 CQ >► W o t> tH tr" > _W_ o "►5 p p B' 1 ^^ CD CO* H >- G 2 h p^ P H a- > ^ M tr* &* p ^ ? E! B ►^ i_^ >■ , Q o CO e-f- p I 1-4 p *^ ^ 1 » zn ^ p B o 3 5' p H X 03 ct> ? 1 ^ crq g (0 h-^ a w ^ w ^ cq o o l-S Ji era B aq p =1 452 THE PEKEECT HOBSE. ^ m Co <3j CO qs 1-3 'S C3 !» _^ § v^ ^ 2 .S *" R 'S ';: r^ OJ O CS "t^ -l-i 1^ w . = " > X * X o ^ M P3 < O . H ^ J ® a ^ o -iJ ■4^ ^ aj O 3 4 B CS % M M EH W 43 ^ 2 3 § a a p o PEDIGEEES OF NOTED HOESES. 453 w l-H f W o o p B u H p o B B I o p P W ^=1 P 2? a £3 Q ct; p' p p a. H W f B a p s o* B o p E o I— I 5 454 THE PEKFECT HORSE. i=l a c3 ft bO 1=; Ph m 03 Oi k^ a X I— I XI XI pq H B o c3 4-1 fi c3 a o h- 1 O « n3 ^ ^ O THE PERFECT HORSE. 455 HOW TO LAY OUT A MILE TRACK. Select a level field of 42 acres : draw through the centre of it a straight line of 440 yards (a quarter of a mile). On each side of this line, and at an exact distance of 140 yards from it, draw parallel lines of equal length, so that the space between the two outer lines will be 280 yards. This being done, drive a stake at each end of the centre line ; fasten a cord thereto ; extend the cord at right angles for 140 yards until it touches the end of the outer line, and then describe with the extreme end of the cord an outer curve or semi- circle between the ends of the two outer lines. You will then have the shape you want ; the continuous outer line describing it being exactly a mile (1,760 yards) in length, divided into four sections of a quarter-mile (440 yards) each, and enclosing 42 acres of ground. From this outer line, or track, set the fence of the course three feet back on the straight sides and curves. In this way an exact mile (as near as may be) is preserved for the actual foot-track of all the horses. In brief, then, mark out for your course a paral- lelogram of 440 yards long, and 280 yards wide, with curves thrown out at the ends, of equal length with the sides, and 3'ou have the course you want. The first distance-post is placed 60 yards from the judges' stand ; the second at 240 yards ; and the start is 60 yards before entering the turn. The track should be graded round the turns like the track of a railroad or circus, the outer portion highest, so that a horse can extend himself at full speed as well around the turns as on the straight sides. GALLEEY OF CELEBRATED EOESES/ GALLERY OF CELEBRATED HORSES. In respect to the 'horses whose description aud pedi- grees are herein presented to the public, I would say that they were selected by the 'author, independent of the publishers, and solely because of their merits. While I do not propose to say that no horses which do not appear in this book are not worthy of patronage, — for there are many of great excellence in the stud not included in this list, — my idea was to bring together a list of truly great stock-horses, according to my under- standing of what constitutes greatness in horses kept for breeding-purposes, and without the fear or favor of any, and as devoid of prejudice as the mind of man may be. Unknown to the publishers of this work and the owners of the horses, certain were selected as worthy in every respect of public patronage ; in short, such horses as I would confidently breed from myself Regarding them in this light, I cordially recommend them to the breeding public. I wish it to be under- stood that the words with which they are advertised are those of their respective owners, not mine. THE AUTHOR. 459 460 THE PERFECT HORSE. TAGGART'S ABDALLAH. Foaled 1859. Bred and owned by D. M. Taggart, Goffs- town, N.H. PEDIGREE IN EULL. Taggart's Abdallah. — Sire, Farmer's Beauty ; dam, Lady Mack. Farmer's Beauty. — Ch. h. ; foaled 1842 ; got by Gifford Morgan, son of Woodbury Morgan ; dam, a mare that was called a Messenger at that day. Her sire was spoken of as Grey Messenger, and sometimes Freeman's Messenger, which was a son of Ogden's Messenger. Bred by Dr. Thatcher, "Wells River, Vt. ; purchased 1344 by D. M. Taggart, Goffs- town, N.H. Lady Mack. — Ch. m. ; foaled about 1843 ; got by the fa- mous Abdallah ; dam by imp. Trustee, 2601 ; g. d. not traced, but known to be from racing-stock. Bred by Dr. Conover, Freehold, N.J. ; sold to J. Doty, and by him to W. McRob- erts, New York ; then to Jos. L. Noyes, Lowell, Mass. ; then to E. T. Northend, Newbury ; then to J. E. Remick, New- buryport, Mass. Repurchased by J. L. Noyes, and bred to Thurston's Young Black Hawk ; sold to Dr. Dean Robinson of West Newbury ; and, after raising two colts, sold to J. O. Loring, N. Andover, Mass.: from Mr. Loring, in 1854, she went to S. W. Hopkinson, Bradford, Mass. ; and in 1856 to D. M. Taggart, Goffstown, N.H. Gifford Morgan. — Foaled 1824 ; got by Woodbury Morgan, son of the original Justin Morgan ; dam by Henry Dundas ; g, d. said to be by True Briton ; g. g. d. by imp. Wildair. Bred by Ziba Gifford, Tunbridge, Vt. Died at Walpole, N.H., 1850. This was one of the best of his family. GALLERY OP CELEBRATED HORSES. 461 Abdallah. — B. h. ; foaled 1825 ; got by Mambrino, 1449 (son of imp. Messenger) ; dam, Amazonia, by a son of imp. Messenger, 1562. Bred by John Tredwell, Esq., near Ja- maica, L. I. Different authorities do not agree on this horse's age ; some making him as early as 1828, others as late as 1826. He was owned by John W. Hunt, Lexington, Ky., 1840, and brought back to Long Island the next year. Died 1852 at Gravesend, L.I. DESCRIPTION". Taggart's Abdallah stands fifteen hands three inches high ; weighs 1,050 pounds ; clean, rangy, thorough-bred look, bright dappled bay color, coat like satin, a fine disposition. At the New-England Fair at Manchester, 1870, in soft condition, trotted his mile in 2.28, and repeated a half in 1.12^. He has shown his trotting-qualities in several public purses. At Saugus, Mass., Providence, R.I., Hillsborough County, for a purse for all horses, he, in every instance, distanced his com- petitors. He is without speck or blemish, and a model of perfection ; and, more, he is the sire of the best trotting- family in New England. For further information, address D. M. Taggart, Goffs- town, N.H. (See portrait, p. 64.) 462 THE PERFECT HOUSE. LIVE OAK. The property of W. H. H. Murray, Guilford, Conn. Live Oak is in color a rich mahogany bay with black points. He stands a little short of fifteen hands and a half in height, weighs 1,100 pounds, and is of very spirited and noble appear- ance. His muscular development is most extraordinary ; so much so as to distinguish him among horses noted in this respect. He has never been trained or driven for speed, but moves with the squarest trotting-action. In ability to transmit his likeness, and way of going to his offspring, he resembles his Morgan ancestors. He was bred in Danville, Vt. ; and is now ten years of age, just past. He is regarded by his owner as every way worthy of public patronage. PEDIGREE. Live Oak was sired by Morrill ; he by the Jennison horse ; he by One Eye ; he by Bulrush Morgan ; he by Justin Mor- gan, founder of the Morgan family. The dam of One Eye, the great-grandsire of Live Oak, was sired by the Farrington horse ; he by the Vance horse ; he by Messenger. The dam of the Vance horse was Garland : and she was sired by Du- roc ; he by imported Diomed. Garland's dam was Miller's Damsel, sired by Hambletonian ; he by imported Messenger. Young Miller's Damsel's dam was Miller's Damsel, sired by imported Messenger, out of imported PotSos mare. It will be observed that Live Oak, on his sire's side, runs back through three strains to imported Diomed, and also three strains to imported Messenger. The dam of Live Oak was sired by the Judivine horse ; he by Vermont Champion ; he by Vermont Morgan Cham- pion ; he by Sherman ; he by old Justin Morgan. (See por- trait, p. 32.) GALLERY OF CELEBEATED HOUSES. 463 DANIEL LAMBERT. The celebrated trotting-stallion Daniel Lambert is kept at the Cream-hill Breeding Farms, Shoreham, Vt. DESCRIPTION. Daniel Lambert was foaled in 1858. His color is chest- nut, with one white hind-foot, and mane and tail of lighter hue, and of extraordinary fineness and beauty. He is very fine drawn in his limbs, neck, and head. He is called, by those competent to judge, one of the most beautiful horses in America. In trotting-action he is simply perfect. His record as a three-year-old was 2.38. As a stock-horse he is having extraordinary success. He transmits his beauty and speed to his colts. If any doubt this statement, we invite them to come and look at his stock. PEDIGREE. Sire, Ethan Allen, by Vermont Black Hawk, by Sherman Morgan, by Justin Morgan. Dam, Fanny Cook, by Old Abdallah, by Old Mambrino, by imported Messenger. Fanny Cook's dam was by Old Amer- ican Star, by Old Eclipse. Fanny Cook's grand-dam was by Red Bird, by Old Red Bird, by Old Eclipse. For further information, address A. C. Harris, Shoreham, Vt. (See portrait, p. 192.) 464 THE PERFECT HOESE. MORGAN ABDALLAH. Owned by W. H. H. Murray, and kept at his farm, Guil- ford, Conn. ; where samples of his stock can be seen. DESCRIPTION". Morgan Abdallah is of rich bay color, beautifully dap- pled with jet-black points. At four years of age he is fifteen hands and one inch in height, and weighs a thousand pounds. His disposition is perfect. From the da}'- he was foaled he has been remarkable for his beauty. His admirers pronounce him the handsomest colt they have ever seen. He is a natural trotter. When twenty-six months old he trotted a quarter of a mile in forty -five seconds, and repeated it in forty-three without a break. He had never been shod, and had been harnessed only twenty times. Possessing a large share of Morgan blood, he transmits his qualities to his proge- ny. We recommend him with confidence to the public. PEDIGREE. Sired by Taggart's Abdallah ; he by Farmer's Beauty ; he by Gifford Morgan ; he by Woodbury ; he by Justin Morgan. Morgan Abdallah's dam was sired by Morgan Tiger ; he by Cock of the Rock ; he by Sherman ; he by Justin Morgan. His grand-dam on the sire's side was sired by Old Abdallah : his grand-dam on the dam's side was sired by imported Bellfounder. For further information, address head groom, Alexander Good, Guilford, Conn. (See portrait, p. 352.) GALLEEY OF CELEBRATED HOESES. 465 HARVARD. Owned by Peter B. Bradley, Boston, Mass. DESCRIPTION. Harvard is four years of age, and is fifteen and a half hands in height. His weight is one thousand pounds ; and he is of beautiful.dark chestnut color, with white blaze in the face. He is a horse of great muscular development, and of faultless action when in motion. He is a natural trotter ; was able, when a three-year-old, to trot a mile in three minutes without professional driving or training. As a roadster and gentle- man's driving-horse he cannot be excelled. He is of docile but spirited disposition ; which, with his trotting-action, he transmits to his colts. We invite attention to his PEDIGREE. Harvard was sired by Quinipiac ; he by Green's Hambleto- nian. Green's Hambletonian was full brother to the cele- brated horse Volunteer. His first dam was sired by the noted horse Leviathan, which, although kept for the stud, has a record of 2.26 to saddle, and of 2.30, 2.30|-, 2.31, in three heats to wagon. Second dam was a fast-trotting Messenger mare. Leviathan was sired by Flying Cloud ; he by Hill's Black Hawk. Leviathan's dam was sired by imported Levi- athan. For further information, address Peter B. Bradley, 24 Broad Street, Boston, Mass. (See portrait, p. 256.) 30 466 THE PERFECT HORSE. RYSDYK. Owned by C. M. Pond, Hartford, Conn. DESCRIPTION. Rysdyk is a beautiful bay with black points. Height, fifteen, two and a half; and weighs 1,050 pounds. In structure he is the picture of great muscular power ; while in appearance he has almost the fineness of a thor- ough-bred. In temperament and disposition he is faultless ; full of fire and gentleness. Representing as he does the union between the best trotting-family and best running-family of the country, he responds fully to his high breeding. Through his dam he is connected with the Diomed blood, which, mingled with the Messenger blood, has produced the highest results American breeding has achieved. We invite special attention to the pedigree table. PEDIGREE. Sire, Rysdyk's Hambletonian, by Abdallah. First dam, Charles Kent mare, by imported Bellfounder ; second dam, One Eye, by Bishop's Hambletonian ; third dam, Silvertail, by imported Messenger. Abdallah, by Mambrino ; he by Messenger. Dam, Amazo- nia, by Messenger. Bishop's Hambletonian, by Messenger. First dam, Pheas- ant, by imported Shark ; second clam, by imported Medley. Dam of Rysdyk, by the famous Lexington. [I regard this horse as full proof of my views touching the crossing Hambletonian with a thorough-bred. In my opinion, lie is one of the very best colts the old horse ever sired. — Author.^ GALLERY OF CELEBRATED HORSES. 46T Second dam, Magdalen, by Medoc ; third dam, Keph's dam, by Sumpter; fourth dam, by Lewis's Eclipse; fifth dam, Maria, by Craig's Alfred ; sixth dam, by Tay Ice's Bellair ; seventh dam, by imported Medley. Lexington, by Boston. Dam, Alice Carneal, by imported Sarpedon ; second dam, Rowena, by Sumpter ; third dam, Lady Grey, by Robin Grey ; fourth dam, Maria, by Melzar. Medoc, sire of Magdalen, by American Eclipse. Dam, Young Maid of the Oaks, by imported Expedition ; second dam, ]Maid of the Oaks, by imported Expedition ; third dam, Annette, by imported Shark. American Eclipse, sire of Medoc, by Duroc, son of im- ported Diomed. Dam, jNIiller's Damsel, by imported Messen- ger. Sumpter, by Sir Archy, son of imported Diomed. Dam, Robin mare, by imported Robin Redbreast. Lewis's Eclipse, bred by Horatio Turpin, Virginia, by im- ported Diomed. Dam, by Harris's Eclipse ; second dam, by imported Granby ; third dam, by imported Janus ; fourth dam, Poll Flaxen, by imported Jolly Roger ; fifth dam, im- ported Mary Grey, by Roundhead. Craig's Alfred, by imported Medley. Dam, by Symme's Wildair ; second dam, by Sloe ; third dam, by imported Valiant. Tayloe's Bellair, by imported Medley. Dam, Selima, by Yorick ; second dam. Black Selima, by imported Fearnaught ; third dam, imported Selima, by the Godolphin Arabian. For further information, address C. M. Pond, Hartford, Conn. (See portrait, p. 160.) 468 THE PERFECT HORSE. FEARNAUGHT, JUN. Owned by David Nevins, Jan., Framingham, Mass. DESCRIPTION. Fearnanglit, jun., is of beautiful chestnut color, with one white foot behind, and small stripe in the forehead. He is fifteen and a half hands in height, and weighs 1,050 pounds. He has never been trained for the turf since he "svns a colt, when he showed speed of the very first order ; but the public know that his ability as a trotter to go very fast, and stay, has never been doubted. Fearnaught has left no other son so noted, or apparently so likely to perpetuate the family name in honor. In disposition, Fearnaught, jun., is remarkably amiable ; and his success in the stud has been worthy of him- self and his ancestors. His colts closely resemble him in color, action, and courage. Indeed, as a stock-horse, his fame is already secured. PEDIGREE. Fearnaught, jun., was sired by Fearnaught ; he by Young Morrill ; he by Old Morrill ; he by the Jennison horse ; he by One Eye ; he by Bulrush ; he by Justin Morgan. (For further pedigree in the male line, see Tables V. and XXIX.) Dam of Fearnaught, jun., is said to be by Old Abdallah. Of this, evidence by affidavit is lacking ; but, from all we can ascertain, it is entirely worthy of credence. For further information, address David Nevins, jun., Fra- mingham, Mass. (See portrait, p. 22-i.) GALLERY OF CELEBRATED HORSES. 469 THOMAS JEFFERSON. Owned by William B. Smith, of Hartford, Conn. DESCRIPTIOK. Thomas Jefferson is jet-black in color, with beautiful silky coat, and a white star in his forehead. He is fifteen hands and a quarter in height, and weighs nine hundred and fifty pounds. He is a naturally-gaited trotter, and one of the fast- est in the country. Of his speed and staying qualities the public can judge by the fact that he trotted a third heat at Prospect Park in June, also a third heat at Hampden Park in August, 1871, with ease, in 2.25|-. As a stock-horse, Jefferson is a success ; the majority of his colts being able to beat three minutes at four years old, and many of them at three years old : besides, they possess this crowning capacity, — that of training on like their sire, with- out flinching. For temper, soundness, speed, and stoutness, they cannot be surpassed. His capacity to produce fast and famous colts from common mares has been fully established ; and I will endeavor to convince any and all of this truth who will take the trouble to call on me. PEDIGREE. Toronto Chief, the sire of Jefferson, is brown, sixteen hands, sound and handsome ; a natural trotter, with a record to saddle of 2.24|-. He is the first horse that ever trotted a half- mile in 1.08|- in a public race. 470 THE PERFECT HORSE. Gypsy Queen, the dam of Jefferson, is black, fifteen hands and a quarter ; handsome, with the exception of light tail ; being famous at the West as a perfect " stayer," and a winner at three, five, and ten miles. In her last teii-mile race she was beaten less than a length by Capt. McGowan, in 28.11. She was purchased by Thomas J. Vail, at Louisville, Ky., of Bidwell, a Western trainer and driver, who represented that Gypsy was sired by Wagner, and her dam by Glencoe. She was perfectly sound when put to breeding. For further information, address William B. Smith, Hart- ford, Conn. (See portrait, p. 96.) t [As in the case of Rysdyk, because both are owned in my native State, and therefore of peculiar interest to me, as to all Connecticut breeders, I have felt at liberty to call their special attention to this horse. He is, beyond doubt, the fast- est stock-horse ever owned in the State, and one of the fastest in the country. — Author.'] GALLERY OF CELEBRATED HOUSES. 471 FEARNAUGHT. Lately owned by Col. H. S. Russell, Home Farm, Milton, Mass. (Pedigkee. — See Table XXIV.) DESCRIPTION". The engraving on page 8 is an admirable likeness of the celebrated stallion Fearnaught, whose recent death at Milton must be a disappointment to all who are interested in improv- ing the stock of New England, as well as to those wdio sym- pathize specially with the efforts at Home Farm to encourage the breeding of fine horses in this part of the country. Fearnaught's public record was 2.23| at Buffalo in 1868, when he beat some of the horses now most prominent on the trotting-turf ; and, without considering his speed, we may well mourn the loss of a stock-horse which had the power of giv- ing to his progeny, in very great degree, the beautiful form, action, and speed, which placed him first in the list of the favorite horses of New England. His last victory was at the New-England Fair of 1872, when he received the first premiums and gold medal offered for the best stock-horse ; and, when the trustees barred him from competing this year, they little thought he could not be present to receive the praise of those who had grown to re- gard him as the common property and pride of New England. But, while lamenting the loss of this noble horse, it must be remembered that he has left a numerous family at his last home, some of whom will doubtless successfully fill his place: for, during several years, he has been bred to mares carefully selected from different parts of America and Europe, the 472 THE PERFECT HORSE. mingling of whose blood with that of Fearnaught ought to give stock-horses equal if not superior to their sire ; and great care will be taken in selecting the one to stand at the head of the farm with which the name of this famous horse has been so closely associated. INDEX. INDEX. B. PAGE. Blood, the 22 Bones, the 28 Bones, size vs. strength of 28, 29 Bones, canon 38, 39 Bones, the size of 39 Back, the 48 Back, length of 48 Backs, weak . . . . . . .... . . . 48, 49 Back; how strengthened 51, 52 Breeding, principles of 72 Breeding, non-success of 73, 74 Breeders, ignorance of . . . . . . . . . 74, 75 Breeding, causes of failure in 77 Breeding remunerative 78 Breeding, how to succeed in 80 Breeding, law of 133 Bitting a colt 163 Bitting-machines 164 Balking 177 Breaking . 209 c. Color 16 Chest, the J 20 Chest ; how related to speed 26,27 475 476 INDEX. Curb Colt, the ; his relation to the family Colt, the, how to halter-bi'eak Colt, the, eiliicatiou of . Colt, the, how taught to draw Colt, the, how taught to back Colt, the, how to bit . Colt, the, true method of educating Colts, vicious .... PAGE. 61, 62 154, 155 155 159 IGl 1G2 168 170 171 D. Dam, the, influence of . Dam, value of blood in the . Dam, value of a pedigree of the Dam, size of . Dam, temperament of . Dam ; how treated in foaling Driving a colt Driving, over Driving, how to hold the lines in 139 141 142 143 145 148 201 205 206 Eye, the Ear, the Elbow, the . Exercise-ground, value of Exercise-ground, use of Exercise, up-hill . 15 16 44 187 188 197 F. Forehead, the 17 Fore-leg . .......... 36, 37 Fore-feet 42 Feet, size of 42 Foot, shape of .....••.• • 43 FrosT 43 INDEX. 477 PAGE. Foaling, treatment of mare before 84 Foaling, the treatment of mare in 85 Foal, the ; how treated .... 150 Foal, the, diet of . 151 Foal, the, protection of. 152 Foot, the .... 226 Foot, the, popular ignorance of 232 Foot, the, easily understood . 233 Foot, the, sense of touch in . 234 Frog, paring of . . . 240 Frog, use of . 241 Foot, non-expansive 243 Foot, bars of 244 Flat foot, how to treat a 257 Fitting, hot and cold 282 Gexeratiox, theory of G. 96 H. Head, the Head, description of the Hock, the Horse, highly-organized I. IXBREEDIXG .... Inbreeding, effect of ... , Inbreeding, limitations and rule of 10 12 60 76 134 135 137 Jibbing, or running backward 173 KxEES, the Kicking 45 176 478 I^'DEX. Long backs . Lungs, use and value of Lungs; how developed . Lungs ; relation to speed Lines : how to be held . Morgan, Justin, as a stock-horse Muscles; how strengthenL'iI Muscles, back Morgan horses Morgan, Justin, pedigree of Morgans, beauty of the JNIorgans, docility of the Morgans, endurance of the JNIorgans, speed of the . Morgan, Justin, description of Morgan, Sherman, history of Morgan, Woodbury, history of Morgan, Bulrush, history of . M. PAGE. 40, 50 184 186 189 218 91 193 195 292 293 296 297 298 298 305 319 325 330 N. Neck, the .... • 18 Nails, the 278 Nails; how driven 279 P. Pasterns, the 40, 41 Perfect horse, size of the 121 Paring, evils of 258, 269 Q. Quarters, hind ^2 R. Rump, the ^^ INDEX. 479 SUOULDER, the Shoulder-lameness Shoulder, muscles of the Spavin, caustj of • Sire, the Stock-horses ; how judged Sire, intluenee of . Suillions, low-bred Stallions, vicious . Stallion, natural and artificial state Stallions; what ones to avoid Stallions, proper age of . Stallions, health of Speeding, how to drive in Shoers, ignorance of Sole, inner .... Sole, danger of paring . Shoeing, errors in . Slipping ; how prevented Shoe, crescent-shaped . Shoeing, instructions in Shoes, thin .... Shoes, error in construction of Shoe ; how constructed Shoe ; how fitted to the foot . Shoes, heavy .... Stable and stalls ; how made of PAGE. 30 34, 35 35, 36 63, 64 89 95 102, 103 105 107 108 111 114 116 212 230 234 237 248 253 253 255 263 275 277 281 287 289 T. Temperament, four kinds of 4 Temperament, nervous 4 Temperament, bilious 4, 5 Temperament, sanguine 5, 6 Temperament, lymphatic 6 Temperament, importance of, in breeding 7 The thigh 56 480 INDEX. Trotting action vs. vital force Trotting, open gait in . Tliorougli-breds, relation of, to breeding Tliorough-bred, definition of . Thorough-bred trotting-horse Tips PAGE. 117 118 124 125, 126 129 274 W. Withers. Weight-pullers WJloa, use of. Whoa; how taught to a colt Work, slow . 32, 33 121 180 181 199 KIMBALiI^ BROTHKRS^ MAXUFACTDRERS OF FINE 112 SUDBURY STREET. Onr manufactorios aro under the immediate supervision of our senior partner. Mr. C P. Kl.MBALL, who has had over twenty-Hve years' experience In the manufacture of FirVE CA.rc,R,TA.GlI!*?! A.1VD SLEIGHS. Parties orderin? or buying of ub can rest assured of getting a sti/lish, well- proportioned., and tlioroiifthly-finished vehicle. Our worli is all custom-made, and ■warranted in any part of the Uuited States. Many have an impresfion, from the high reputation we have gained, that our work is high in price; but, on the contrary, our long experience in the business, and superior facili- ties for manfacturiug, enable us to offer great inducements to any who may wish a tirst-clase CARRIAGE OR SLEIGH. Orders by mail will receive prompt attention ; and parties ordering will receive as good an article, and at as low price, as if present to select. On application by mail or otherwise, we will give full description of any Carriages in the Catalogue, with price of same. Particular attention paid to Hoxing and Shipping. Visitors aro cordially invited, and will receive the same attention, whether desiring to purchase ornot. KIMBALL BROTHERS, BOSTON, MASS., U.S.A. C. P. KIMBALL. O. F. KIMBALL. 'B 76 6^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS iiil m fiililiii 'ii