Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-01-29
HISTORY OF THE CANADIAN
HORSE.
JOSEPH BATTELL.
MiddlcburV, VT.


HORSE.
From Frank Forcstcr's The Horse OF Amcri-
ca.
The Canadian is generally loW-sized,
rarely exceeding II hands. and oftcner
falling short of it. His characteristics
are broad, open forehead; ears some
what wide apart, aud not unfrequently
basin face: the latter, perhaps, Il trace
of the far remote Spanish blood said to
exist in his veins the origin of the i'm
proved Norman or Percheron stock be-
ing, it is unusually believed, a cross of
the Spaniard. Barb by descent, with the
old Norman war-horse.
His crest is lofty, and his demeanor
proud and courageous. His breast is
full and broad; his shoulder strong,
though somewhat straight and a little
inclined to be heavy; his back broad,
and his Group round, feshy and muscu-
lar. His ribs are not however, so much
arched, nor are they so well closed up,
as his general shape and build would
lead one to expect. His legs and feet
are admirable; the bone large and fiat,
and the sinews big, and nervous as
steel springs. His feet seem almost I'M
conscious of disease. His fctlocks are
shaggy. his name voluminous and mas
sive, not seldom, if unframed, falling
on both sides of his neck. and his tail
abundant, both having a peculiar crmp-
led wave, if | may 50 express myself. the
like of which never saw in any horse
which had not some strain of this blood
He cannot be called a speedy horse in his
pure state; but he is emphatically quick
one, an interchangeable, undaunted travel
err, with the greatest endurance, day in
and day out, allowing him to go at his
own pace, say from six to eight miles
the hour, with horses load behind him.
of any animal have ever driven. He is
extremely hardy, will thrive on any
thing, or almost on nothing, is docie,
though hIgh-spiritcd, remarkably sure
footed on the worst ground. and has
fine, high action, bending his knee
roundly and setting his foot squarely on
the ground. As a farm horse and ordi-
nary farmers roadster, there is no
honester or better animal; and, as one to
cross with other breeds. whether up
ward by the mares to thoroughbred
stations, or downward by the stations
to common country mares of other
breeds, he has hardly any equal.
From the upward cross, with the En-
DliSh Apnnrinap Aforementioned tI
sire's side. the Canadian has produced
some of the fastest trotters and the bes +
gentlenen's road and saddle horses in
the country: and, on the other hand, the
Canadian stallion, wherever he has been
introduced, as he has been largely in
the neighborhOod of Skeneateles, and
generally in the western part of the
State of New York, is gaining more and
more favor with the farmers, and is im-
proving the style and stamina of the
country stock. lie is said, although
small himself in stature, to have the I'M
usual quality of breeding up in size with
larger and loftier mares than himself.
and to give the foals his own vigor,
frame and general aspect of their dams.
This, by the way, appears to be char
acteristic of the Barb blood above all
Others, and is strong confederation of
the legend which attribute to him an
early Andalusian strain.
THE.INDIAN PONY.
The various breeds of Indian ponies
found in the West generally appear to
me to be the result of cross between
the Southern mustang, descended from
the emancipated Spanish horses of the
Southwest, and those to the North of
the Northern blood, On my first visit
to Canada, in 1881, had an opportuni-
ty of seeing great herds of these ponies.
cunning nearly wild on the rich meadow
lands about the Grand river, belonging
TO the Mohawk Indians, who had "A large
reservation on that river, near the viii
lage of Brantford, which took its name.
believe, from the chief, who was a son
of the famous Brant, Thayendanagea,
of ante-revOlutionary renown.
These little animals, which | do not
think any of them exceeded l3 hands, had
all the characteristics of the pure Canad-
ians, and except in size, were not to be
distinguished from them. They had the
same bold carriage, open countenance,
abundant hair, almost resembling a
lions name, the same general build, and
above all, the same iron feet and legs.