The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-10-14
Useful Horses OF Europe, and their
Origin.

Origin.
Our horse-breeders are interesting
themselves so much nowadays in
the horses of Europe, that we give
some of the oldest, original races,
from which the rest have largely
sprung, and some typical modern
breeds improved, and by careful
breeding brought to their present
excellence. Prominent among these,
and probably that one approaching
most nearly the original horse, IN
changed by contact with men, Is the
Tarpan, or Wild horse of Central
Asia. Closely allied, are the Kiangs,
the wild horses of the northern
slopes and steppes of the Himalayas.
These are the horses upon (which
the mounted hordes of Parthia
swept over the rich plains of Persia
and Medea in ancient times, and
which greatly improved the breeds
of horses then used by the Persians,
and the dwellers in Mesopotamia,
and the Caucasus. Their influence
has extended in process Of time to
what is now Turkey, Greece, South
ern Europe, and the Danubian prin
cipalities; thence, no doubt, to Ger
many and Central Europe. and per-
haps, by the Roman conquests, even
farther. The Arabians are a dis
tinct race, greatly modified by man,
yet maintained to the present day
little changed from the earliest his
toric times. They have been reared
from these early times, with regard
TO the strictest rules of breeding, and
with unbroken pedigrees. Their in
fiuence upon modern horses has
been immense, and their blood is
still sought. to give quality and bot
tom, where close breeding or other
cause develops weakness of consti-
tuition, or any falling off from typic-
al excellence. We have the breeds
of races of Morocco and Barbary, in
Africa, and of the Russian Steppes,
and Moldavia, as examples of the
effects of mingling Arabian blood
with that of the native races of these
countries, modified largely, as init
mated in the case of European
horses, by the blood of the wild
horses of Asia, particularly by that
introduced by the Parthians.
The English thoroughbred is es-
sentially of pure Oriental blood, al
though doubtless somewhat modi-
fed by unknown admixtures of that
of the original British horse, before
the days Of stud-books, and the most
careful breeding, which has prevail
ed during the past two hundred
years. He is much larger than the
Arab, and is preferred by modern
breeders as source of the highest
qualities of the horse-speed, bot
tom, style, action and constitution.
He has given the finest characters
tics to all the breeds of England and
excepting only the native
breeds of ponies, and of the heavy
draft horses of England and Scot
land, which last affiliate closely with
the heavy horses of Flanders and
Denmark. Examples of this i'm
provement are seen IN the superb
Cleveland Bays, used chiefly as car
riage horses, and in the excellent
Suffolk Punch, an admirable horse
of-all-work, while the English hunt
er, which is not a breed, but high
bred grade, is doubtless the best
saddle horse and heavy weight car
ter for rough work to De found in
the world-in fact, typical war
sorse for the uses of modern warfare.
The French horses have been greatly
since the times of the
crusades, by the the introduction of
and in some cases Barbary
and Spanish (Andalusian) blood. |
Prominent among these are the
Percheron, which show the Arabian
blood prominently the Melleraud. |
which was modified by native Brit
ish blood prior to the crusades, and |
by Arab blood since the Crotentin,
which shows the influence of the
Danish horse; the Limosine. in
which the Arab, through its congen-
er, the Barb. has been the improving
influence. Then we have the horse !
Of Boulagne, affiliating with those of
Burgundy and Flanders, which as
now bred, are taking a prominent
rank among draft horses. The horses
1f Germany owe their excellence.
aud among them are many of good I
quality, to crosses with the Arabian I
and with the English thorough [
bred, or both-but largely to a mag. !
lifieent Arab stallion, given by ,Ee
Empress Catharine I'd, Of Russia, to
he Austrian General Kannitx. and |
by him to Count Lindenau, who |
With him established breed which,
ike the 0EloHs OF Russia, have been
exceedingly useful in improving the |
itoek OF other breeding studs. His
name was Turkham Atti.