Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-17


one gait being also the sire Of speed at the other.
horse with a speedy pacing inheritance will
transmit speed either at the pace or the trot.
More than century and a half ago there were
PAGERS In the colony Of Narragansett Bay that
were wonderfully fast at that gait. The Rev. DIR.
Mcsparran, the early historian Of that colony,
speaks Of them as pacing a mile in little more
than two minutes and great deal less than three.
The fame Of these PAGERS spread through all the
colonies, and they were carried In all directions,
especially into the colonies Of Pennsylvania and
virginia. The pace was then the fashionable
gait More than that, pacing blood was then the
fashionable blood. There is tradition that
have not been able to verify by any contempo-
raneous history that large numbers OF these Mar
ragansett PAGERS were also carried into Canada
Wherever these Narragansett PAGERS went the in
heritance Of speed went with them. Now Of the
four sons Of the original Justin Morgan that were
kept for stock purposes, three Of them certainly,
and perhaps the fourth also, were out OF pacing
mares. Here is the source from which the in
heritance Of speed at the trot reaches the Morgan
family. Into this original pacing stream from the
dams OF the four sons there were constantly rivu-
lets OF the Canadian PAGER emptying and strength
ening 1t in every succeeding generation. In the
light of history and Of reason, therefore, ! con-
slider the conclusion legitimate and fair that the
trotting inheritance Of the Morgan horse, what
ever the measure Of its potency comes from
pacing origin. The only argument that can be
brought against 1t is the small percentage Of
Morgans that pace. This argument would be
good II it were not for the interehangeability and
oneness Of the two gats.
Alongside Of your stylish, trappy, popular
Morgans, you had another small family that was
generally neglected, especially when all the states
we're sending delegations here for your Morgans
refer to the Hambetonian family, that had
few supporters in the southwestern borders Of
your state. The descendants of the Bishop horse,
the son of Messenger, however, have had their
revenge, and their supporters have lived to claim
the rank OF the prophets. These Vermont Ham
bletonians have their faults and mperiections, but
they possess a rich stream of trotting inheritance
that greatly enhances their market value.
"You have also had, at one time or another,
some running bred stations Of greater or less
ability, but they gone and left trace behind
Your horse history tells your experience with
thoroughbreds,' all pointing to the same re-
suit, failure
Let me not be understood that | have any
quarrel with the thoroughbred horse or with his
owner. For two hundred years he has been bred
for single purpose, and for that purpose he has
no equal in the world. Speed at the gallop has
been and still is the single aim of his breeder
This being the single qualification, every breeder
ran to the winner no difference what his shape
or what his quality. To attain the object aimed
at this right, and the speed Of the race-horse
has been constantly increasing In the sense of
excellence, then, he is thoroughbred for speed
but in every other quality he is a mongre Aside
from this general adaptation of lightness where
weight is not needed, there is no uniformity nor
ixedness of form in the thoroughbred horse
Hence, in breeding to the thoroughbred horse,
you have no right nor reason to expect anything
better from him than any other horse except the
Inheritance OF speed at the galop. Therefore,
there is advantage in breeding to the thorough
bred horse except for the approximate certainty
Of speed at the galop.
"The error that is so widespread about the
thoroughbred horse grows largely out Of our ex-
perience about other domestic animals. The Short
horn has been bred for form and perfection of
carcass hence a thoroughbred Shorthorn bull is
much more likely to propagate perfection of form
than mongre bull, just exactly as a thorough
bred horse is more likely to propagate speed at a
gaop than a mongrel horse. Each has been
bred for special purpose and each will surpass
in that special purpose. In the one all qualities
are subordinated to form, in the other all quail
tiles are subordinated to speed. We can study
the bull and by the of sight and touch de-
termine where he is perfect and where he lacks
of being perfect, and we can study the horse, too,
and see where he is perfect and where, according
to ideas, he is imperfect but we can tell moth
ing about his ability to win till see the end OF
the race. He is more than a machine and it is in
his mental and not the perfection OF his physical
organization that carries him to the front. II you
are breeding horses for the saddle or for cavalry
or hunting purposes, you should by all means
seek an infusion OF running blood. great deal
of nonsense has been written about his superior
intelligence and sense but the truth is that of all
the tribes and varieties of horses he appears TO
have the least sense. II he has distinguished
himself as winner, he may then go into the
breeding stud, but if not, he is made gelding
and condemned TO life of drudgery. In the fillies,
however, the cause that we wish to bring out is
more apparent When transferred to the breed
ing stud they are never harnessed and seldom II
ever saddled, and their only experience with man
W tuo tuict years VI hic Wnhc
| they were in training. With this three years of
nervous excitement as their only domestic expe-
rience, they must of necessity transmit their own
mental qualities to their offspring,
81 will call your attention to actual tests and
| experiences that are open to the observation of
every one. II it were true that the running-bred
horse by virtue of his blood had greater endur-
ance than horse with running blood near
him, then the half-running-bred horse should stay
out his laces better than what we call a cold
blooded horse Staying the distance should be
practically determined by the proportion of thor
| oughbred blood a horse possesses. | accepted
| this belief for long time as a fundamental truth
in the capacities of the horse but for some years
past have been observing and investigating very
carefully the blood well as the performances of
all our great trotters, and have found that the
theory does not hold good. Among the hundreds
OF our great trotters there is one thoroughbred
and only three or four that are half-bled. Now,
as the records will show, there is not single
ample, past or present, in which one or more
crosses of running blood, close at hand, has ena-
| bled the animal TO stay single mile better, or a
succession fhoty contested heats better, than the
/ horses that have no running blood whatever
| 1t was long time before | was ready to made
this admission and especially this declaration, but
there stand the facts and every man can examine
| them for himself"
| The speaker continued in the same interesting
vein for some time; but owing to the fact of fire.
quent interruptions from the crowd and an mad
equate voice. he was very indistinctly heard and
his words did not reach one in fifty Of his audi-
ence. The latter part OF his Grafton we were ut
terly unable to hear,
PREMIUM LIST
The premiums were awarded on Thursday, a
complete list Of which will be found on the third
page.
| DARTMOUTH COLLEGE and its surroundings is
soon IN he made mora attractive bv the turninp of