Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-09-23
Tho Color Of HOrAes.

A correspondent Of the London Field writes
remark Of Lord CSlthorp, written in letter
which appeared in the Times short while ago,
deserves, think, some ventilation. He men,
toned "horses Of good color" and the ques-
ton that arises is, What is good color ? The
most prevailing color in England Is certainly
bay why this arises am unable to saw We
must, therefore, believe the best horses are
bays, without proof. Some time after the Pc
nlnsulsr war 1t WAS customary to have the troops
OF one cavalry regiment in colors but the bay
troops 80 far exceeded all tho other troops, and
such difficulty existed in supplying the other
troops that the distinctive colors of troops were
abolished throughout the army, and only two
regiments, the Queens Bays and the Scots
drays, were allowed to retain distinct color
IL was attempted to retain the Seventh Dragon
Guards as the Black Horse" but that utterly
failed. Since then, in the days Of the Crimeat,
war, we have lad the gray and chestnut troors
OF horse artillery. l do not allude to the black
troopers OF the household regiments, as they are
so well known TO the world at large, and are
purpose.
The French are very fond of bays, but then
they must not have single white hair. The
Cleveland bays are well known. They supplied
the whole OF the carriage horses OF the nobility
ahd. leading gentry of the last generation They
were slow, tall, but carried themselves well. The
dams were the cart horses OF Cleveland, a por-
ton OF North Yorkshire, and were crossed with
INC thoroughbred. Ii the produce was heavy,
after the dam, it reverted to her state in the
pillow il it took after the sire it was promoted TO
the ''lcopers." The intermediate stage made the
carriage horge. The breed is now totally extinct
The late emperor Of the French had a great
fancy for these Cleveland bays, and finally
drained the district of the few left. The chest
nut ID the color OF the Arabs. 1t is much liked
by the Irish, and of course We all remember the
best horse on record (Eelipse) WAS chestnut !;
but 1t must BIO allowed that chestnuts Fare more
subject to lntrmlties of temper and constitution
especially III regard to their eyes, than bays.
The grays are generally undarbred. Ces terri
bhs girls, as Napoleon called them however, did
good service at Waterloo. do not remember a
gray ever winning the Derby or a "big race"
nor did ever see good English gray in hunt
ing field, though, singular to say, some OF the
best hunters in ireland have been grays. Grays
DO fairly in harness, and consider gray and
chestnut the prettiest match OF any. To blacks
there are the same objections as to chestnuts-
lniirmlty OF temper and constitution. They are
more liable to contracted feet and nayicular than
other colors, and the most vicious horse | ever
saw was black, and that was in the army. They
are generally underbred, for never remember
seeing black race horse. Pray do not confouud
blacks with black browne, of which latter color
WAS old Voltiseur; and there is Il stallion now in
Iipperary, Blue Peter, getting some of the
hhest hunting stock ever saw. Blacks are very
good for agricultural purposes, and on all the
large farms nowadays in Yorkshire and Liucou-
shire black horses are alone used.