Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-10-05
sLlDeRS AND ROLLERS
Two Gifted Breeds Of Horses Found Only
In The Keuka lake Region.

Two Gifted Breeds Of Horses Found Only
In the Kruka Lake Region.
''To look at this horse coming here"
said Maj Gardner, pointing TO an or.
binary, everyday looking bay horse
that a man was driving toward the
Fairchild house, you wouldn't think
he had any points out Of the usual run
Of horses. but If you happened to be
driving him and should come to a hill
in the road, especially a steep hill,
that horse would undoubtedly sur,
prise you. He is one OF a breed OF
horses that is known nowhere except
along Keuka lake. The origin Of the
breed was queer, Down the lake about
twelve miles Is Bluff Point Ii rises
500 feet high on the west shore, and
is as steep as the roof of a house.
There are farms on its summit and
vineyards on its slopes. A man that
owns a farm on top Of the Point
had a par ra~turing there years ago.
She fed along the brow Of the hill,
and when she got 10 the very highest
and stcepr,t point she commenced 10
aide, aud She kept on sliding, and she
never stopped till she had slid feet
first clear 10 the bottom Of the hill
and brought up on the edge of the
lake.
Folks that saw the mare shooting
down that great escarpment like a
falling star thought Of course, that
when She stopped, if she aver did, she
would be 81 no further service except
as meat for eats DR. ready bait for bull
heads. But when her owner had
worked his way down by an easier
route and r0wed up along the lake 10
the spot where he expected TO shovel
up the remains Of the tobogganing
mare, his surprise was greater than
his Joy. for lac had tried 10 sell her
Cor twenty shillings alive, and could
MT, and had hoped 10 get twice that
for her dead, and there she was, after
her 500 foot slide, browsing on the
overhangiug bushes along the lake
with appetite unimpaired and skin
unbroken. The only thing her owner
could do d~ccently was 10 take her
around the bottom Of the hill aud lead
her back to her pasture.
"a few months after that the mares
owner found a colt al her side n
morning. and Il rice and lively one it
was. The colt grow 10 be a horse that
its owner WIS proud Of, hut the first
time lac drove him after breaking him
10 harness he noticed an extraordinary
thing about him. The first hill he
came b., which was a very steep one.
the horse stuck bis fore feet out and
just slid a. the bottom like a streak,
and then went on like amy ordinary
horse, lie repeated this ut cynry bill.
II was simply a hereditary slide. "A pre-.
natal impression from his mothers re-
markable performance on Bluff Point.
That slide was Just the thing for the
short, almost perpendicular hills that
are n peculiar feature Of the roads that
run along Ecuka lake. Teamsters
dreaded 10 20 down those hills with
loads, for few horses were sure footed
enough to do IL safely. The slide that
this horse developed made the descent
not only safe, but quick, il il could be
reproduced in n strain Of stock. IL
was, and the slider stock Of horses had
the call every time along Keuka lake
for years, and advanced the interest Of
the region almost as much as a double
track railroad.
"But an event happened a few years
ago that ruined the strain. Bricout,
the champagne man. up here in Ham