Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-01-12
JOSEPH BATTELL
ORIGINAL HOME OF HORSES.
Middlebury, VT.

OnISINFNG IlOHG ~ ''O''OGO'
"The original habitat OF the horse is
not known, but it is clear that at the
earliest period known to history they
existed in wild state in various parts
of Europe, Asia and Africa, and that
they differed greatly in many particulars
before they were subjected to domestica-
ton and broken up into the more modern
breeds. Those inhabitating the hot, dry
and unproductive regions, where
sparse supply of food made frequent
changes of grazing grounds absolutely
essential to existance, were distinguished
ffOr spirit, activity, speed3 and endurance.
or these, the horses of Turkey, Persia
and later, of Arabia, and also those on
the African side of the Mediterranean,
presented the most characteristic type.
Those found in low, fiat regions abound
ing in nutritious heritage were larger,
more sluggish, and less graceful
Europe, from the North sea to the
Euxine, once contained immense num-
bers of wild horses of this type. In the
inhospitable mountain regions of Europe,
Asia and Africa were always found
rough-coated, hardy ponies-the most
diminutve specimens of the race" says
j. ii. Sanders, in the Breeds of Horses.
"These points of divergence prevailed
throughout the three grand divisions of
the Eastern Hemisphere, with many
minor points of difference or pecular
ties existing in various localities. The
horses of Northern Africa-the Barbs
especially-were very tall, with long
legs, very short bodies, and possessed
great speed; while those of Turkey and
Persia were rather heavler-bOdied on
shorter legs and possessed greater
powers of endurance. Arabia most
probably originally obtained her horses
from Turkey, Persia and the regions
further northward aud eastward. In
deed prior to their general DEMONSTRATION,
horses appear to have been more abund
ant in Eastern Central Asia than in any
other part of the world. Tartary and
Circassia were. at a very early day,
famous for the immense numbers of their
horses. Those of Tartary were greatly
inferior in point of beauty to those of
the regions further southwark, but they
were a hardy race. Their heads were
large; ears long, wide, and dropping
back ward; legs short and stout; muZzle
and jaws frnged with long stiff hair or
bristles; name thick and bushy; hair
long and shaggy, and some of them with
hair frizzled or curly. In color they
were usually brownish dun, some of
them approxlmating a cream color. In
the high mountainous regions of North
ern India, near the head-waters of the
great rivers of that country. were found
race of very dimlnutive ponies. Corsica
had, down to a very late period, race
of small, wild horses vicious and I'M
tanned. Early writers describe peculiar
race of horses found in the mountains
near the coast of Northern Africa called
CoomsleI by the natives. They were
said to be ten or eleven hands high, of
a reddish color, with broad foreheads,
short heads, wide between the eyes,
muzZle small, ears wide, eyes small,
bair long, and the tail covered with hair
like that of the body to its extremity,
but terminating in tuft of long, black
hair.
ga characteristic difference between
the Asiatic horses and those of Africa
has been noticed by many writers, in
that while in the Asiatic varieties the
length of the body is about equal TO the
height at the withers, those of Africa
are much shorter, the height being con-
siderablv more than equal to the length
of body. And this difference appears
To have been so pronounced that Prof.
Law questions whether they were not
descended from species originally and
radically distinct Spain, of all Euro
pean countries, appears to have drawn
most largely upon Africa for her supply
of horses, the Moorish conquest, per-
haps, having been the cause of this; and
here we find the horses, many centuries
ago, parlaking largely of the character
of the African Barb.
''In color these horses differed as
greatly as do the modern domestcated
ones. In Tartary, many of them were
dun, with dark names and tails and with
a dark streak along the spine and some
times across the shoulders. Many of
the horses of Asia Minor, Persia and