New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-10-30
Nepaperssa eai4n9 rahnsse
HEN PUBLICATION
TIE AMERICAN HORSE.
,r.sx yosEs7rRs HORSE AND RcRsExAsss'

lures Of this country than the inveterste love Of
horse. flesh. TIE passion pervsdes every portion
Of the Union. In the ea,ly dsys Of Virginia colo
pization, the planters pace WAS s proverb, aud a.
long ~ the New. Eosland stage-cosetes were on
the road, team Of Vernon. horses wss tue pride
u the Yankee ,ix in. hand driver, and the sduirs-
ton Of young and old in every village. If good
horne Is such & favoris Object with the American,
good book shout The horse Of Americs is ,ure to
ind general welcome. Many who read little else,
viii esgerly devour a lively description of tho
stately animal in which they take a personal in
terest Indeed, all cls,,es of readers may well be
plea,ed TO dip into these sumptaous volumes of Mr..
Herbert. i. would not be easy 70 name = writer
with such qualifications ss be possesses for tho
composition Of such work. With thorough
English education ard breeding, which includes
Ii owledge Of the msnege, as wei a. Of the cate
cbism-s familiarity with rural and sporting life in
this country which has brought him into contact
with the fines. specimens o. his favorite anims-
and an enthusiastic study of the great standard
thorities who have preceded him a. writers On the
subject he combines an uncommon power of ex-
preston and illustration and sturdy common
sense which adds certain muscular vig0f TO the
graces Of bis style.
sIr. Herbert, in the first volume of his work,
devotes large space to the history Of the English
ard of the American thoroughbred horse, which
be enlvens by memoirs and descriptions of several
of the most celebr sted racers in the country, TO-
gether with accounts of their most remarkable
performances, and various essays on the breeding,
training, and general comparative qualities of the
thoroughbred horse. The second volume 10 Of
more miscellaneous character, treating Of the pre-
vaiiDg horse stock of America, the different fami-
lies in the various States, as the ConestOga. the
Canadian, the Narrsganse1 PAGER the Vermont
draught horse the Indian pony, the Morgan horse,
&C., with history of the trOttius turf from its
commencement. in 1915 to 1856, and essays on
horsemaDship, field, stable, and read management,
and multitude Of ether topics directly bearing on
the main subject of the work.
The manner in which Mr.. Herbert relates his
own experience in horse-Resh, is illustrated BY the
following description of
THE INDIAN rONy.
The various breeds Of Indian ponies found IL the
West generally appear to me to be the result o!
cross between the Southern mustang, descended from
the smallest type Of the Canadian, the proportions
varyine according to the localities in which they are
found thOse farther TO the south sharing more largely
Of the Spanish, and those to the north of the Norman
blood.
On my fret visit TO Canada, in 1881, had On oppOr
tunity Of seeipg great herds Of these ponies running
nearly wild the rich meadOw lands about the Grand
River, belonging to the Mohawk Indians, who had a
large reservation on that nver near the village Of
Brantford, which took its name. believe, from the
chief, who was Q son Of the famous Brsnt, Thayen-
NJ ante. valu tOpRr
These little animals, which do not think any OF
them exceeded thirteen hands, had all the character
iscs of the pure Canadians and except In nZe, were
not to he distinguished from them They had the same
bold carriage, open countenance abundant hair, al
most resembling hon nlape the same general build
and above all, the fame iron feet and legs.
hired "a pair of these, well remember both stab
lions and they took in a light wagon with heavy
driver and hundred weight or upward OF baggage,
over eSecrsbe roads, sixty miles day. Tor ten days
and at the end OF the journey were oil resdy to ret ou
on the same trip again.
was new at the time in Ameries, and was much
gallant little pair of animals. They perfectly
matched, both IN size and color, very dark brown,
and twelve hands and half high; and where the
road was hard and good could spin along at nearly
II was their wonderful sure ootedness, sagacty and
docility, however, which most delighted me. They
were driven without binkers or bearing reins, and
where a. often the case, bridges seemed doubt
full the bottom of miry fords suspicious of quasmres
or the roads otherwise dangerous, they would put
down their heads TO examine, try the difficulty with
their feet and, when satisfied would get through or
over places which seemed utterly impractcabe.
In short, beosme perfectly in love with them; and,
as the price asked for them Was fabulousy small
considerably, if recoe,t Alright under fifty dollars
for the parI should certainly have bought them had
there been any way of getting them down from what
was then almost wilderness, though It Is now the
very finest part of the Province.
Whence this pony breed Of Canadians has arisen
am unable to say but believe il to be almost entirely
peculiar to the Indian tribes, wherefore am nchIed
10 think it may hsve been produced by the dwariins
process which will arise from hardship and pTiva.
ton endured generation after generation, particularly
by the young anipals and the mares while heavy 10
foal.
These animals had can say almost positively, no
re cent cross of the Spanish horse; but have seen
since that time ponies approaching nearly to the
type which showed evident cross OF the mustang;
and have seer animals called mustangs, in which
was convinced that there was Canadian blood.
In regard to the breaking Of horses in general,
and in this country in particular, We have some
explicit suggestions in the chapter on
PRACTICAL HoRsEMANSur.
row come 10 very important part of my subject
TO one very different fIOm any on which j have yet
touched. but at the same time one On which hold
most finite opinions, and one, touching which ap
pests TO that there is vast room for improvement
in the United States generally; mean the breaking Of
horses. and the riding Of men.
In the erst place, l must say it, whether i: give
pleasure To my readers the revere, Que rarely
ever properly spd thoroughly horse lie Ame
rica, and still more rarely thorough horseman.
In the ULited States generally, horse is called
thoroughly broke when he will allow himself q be
mounted and ridden, or put in harness and driven,
without rearing pungDg, kicking, throwing his rider
over his head or smashing the vehicle 10 pieces with
his heel-when he will neither run away, nor stand