Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-09-12

NN' " W. Nslll bbill. uIhlll Nllbst lililu
tiuth now flashed Ike lightning.
HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN HORSE.
From Frank Forestcr> Horse and orsenanship n the
tuit-d states and British Provinces Of America
~ HrNHY NuitM illHHf7 ~. Author uf Frank Forccr's
fti SPORT" 'tsh anu Fishing, The Complete Man
gravrd Original Portraits Of Celebrated Horses. In two
Volume. shortly to be published By Phillips simpson
& Co.. Boston.
Atavery remote period in the history of Amer
l. IL this mos valuable of all the animals su iirct
tn man, began to be imported from Europe bv
the earliest settlers it being conceded that. al
though the horse had at some former IN exist
ed on this continent, as proved by his fossil re-
mans, he had become extinct previous 10 It's col
unizntion hy the white nailnn>.
II is generally believed that the horses. which
are found IN trra safe over the pampas of
South and the prarics oi North America 50 far
east rs to the Mississippi. the progeny OF the
parents released by the Spaniarls at The aba =
donlnent at Bucuos Ayrrs, bnt 1t seems to me
thai this date is too recent TO be compatible with
the vast numerical increase AMI the great hordes
of THESE animals now existing in a state Of ma
tnre: and should be inclined To ascrbe their
origin To animals escaped. or voluntarily liberia
ted, IN the earlier expeditions and wars of the
Spanish invaders. thecaSalry Of that nation on
s,ting cntf rely OF perfect horses. or mares.
/ Ii must have been the case. IN the bloody wars
of Mexico and Peru. where the battles more than
once went disa>lron.lv for the Spaniards, that
war-horses. their rider. being slam, would re-
cover their freedom, ard propagate their species
| rapidly. in the wide lnXnriant and well-watered
/ plains, where the abundance OF food, the genial
climate. and the absence of beasts Of prey cap
able OF coping with so powerful an aima the
Nurse, would favor their rapid increase.
We know that DE Snio had "A heavy force Of
cavalry in that expedition, IN which be- di,cov-
cred the Mississippi and found grave in its wa
ters; and, when the warriors of his party return
ed homc by water in barques, which they bpt
on the banks of the great river, it is nearly Ger.
tain that they must have abandoned their char
gers; ii is little probable that the irail yes.
sel,, built by inexperienced hands merely flr
the purpose Of ESCAPING with life, should have
been capable of containing the horses OF the iu-
gitites.
The first horses imported to Anne lea for the
purpus; OF creating a stock, wrie brought by Col
unhus IN ;93, in his second voyage TO The is
lands The fist landed in the United States
were introduced into Florida IN 1927, by l3abeca
de Naca, forty-two in number, but these all per.
ished or were kil ed. The next importation was
that Of DE Soto. alluded 10 above, OF which many
doubtless survived, and TO which attribute the
origin of the wild horses of Texas and the prai
ries, strongly marked to this day by the charac-
terstlcs of Spanish blood.
In 1905, +. L'Escarb1t, a French lawyer,
brough, horses with other domestic animals, in
to Acadia, and, in 1908. the French. extending
their colonization into Canada, introduced horses
into that coantry. where the present race, though
II Ias hat drnpnpratoA in si2p OVnU nrOh-
ably to the incleIncncy of the climate, still shows
the blond, sufficiently distinct, of the Norman
and Breton breeds.
In 1903, the English ships, landing at James
town, brought, hesde swine, sheep and cattle,
six mares aud a horse, and in 1867 the importance
of increasing the st ,ck of this valuable animal
was so largely recognized that an act was pass
ed prohibiting It's eXrortatl0n from the province.
In 1929, horses and mares were brought into
the plantations of Massachusetts Bay by Francis
lIigginson formerly OF Leice>tcrshire from which
county many Of the animals were imported
New York received its first horses in l625, i'm
ported from Holland by the Dutch West India
Company, probably of the Flanders breed OF
which, however few traces seem to exist. unless
it he in the Conestoga horse of Pennsy ivana,
which, think, shows some affinity to that breed,
either directly or through the English dray-
| morse. WIlCH II uUutlS'uOu W ub Ollpludnl VI
Flemish origin.
In 1850, the French of Illinois possessed con-
siderable numbers of French horses. and, since
thai time, as the science Of agriculture has i'm
proved and advenced, pure animals of many dis
tuct breeds have been constantly imported into
this country which nave created IN different
sections and districts distinct families easily re-
coanzed as the horses OF Massachusetts, and
Vermont, admirable for their qualities as draft
horses, both powerful and active, and capable OF
quick as well as heavy work--the Coneslogas,
excellent for ponderous slow efforts in teaming
and the like-and the active wiry horses OF the
West, well adapted for riding, and aff0rding
mounts to most Of the American cavalry. Al
thou.h however. these horses are readily known
apart and recognized by the eye of II Judge,
ii is not always easy or possible tn assign The orl-
gin of each breed, OF to trace out the foreign
family from which it is derived as, until recent
ly, amentable carlessness has existed as to pre-
serving the pedigrees of animals which was pro-
duced irreirvable coniusion-whie now, since
the value of blood and .ereditary qualities is
every where admitted, a much worse evil is be-
ginning to show itself in the manufacture oi
spurious pedigrees, which is becoming unfortu-
nately too common, and, owing to the want OF
properly kept and authenticated tud-books, is
nearly impossible of detection 1t would appear
that there is a growing necessity for the enact
ment Of some highly penal statutes, in all the
several States, for the repression OF this offence,
which is not only most infamous species OF
swndng, but, in fact, an absolute act Of forgery
The unlucky absence Of properly kept stud
hooks has also rendered II lmposs bly, 70 prove the
blood directly Of manv oi our most celebrated
race-horses and stations, the dams of which have
not been duly recorded. il cannot be said, how