saddle horse has many gaits. He can walk, trot, canter, rack, or fox-trot. Many good saddle horses have other gaits which may be combinations or modifications of the above.

The history of the American Trotter extends over several centuries. We find that there were horses of this strain around Yorkshire and Norfolk, England, as far back as two centuries ago; two centuries ago; and that the

breed was known in America as early as Colonial times.

These animals trace all of their history back to two great ancestors, one known as "Messenger," a Thoroughbred, and the other, "Bellfounder," of Arabian stock. After Messenger was brought to America, he spent most of his life in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Bellfounder was brought direct to New York where he spent the remainder of his life. American Trotters vary greatly in appearance, but are usually lean, muscular, and very intelligent.

Pacing horses have the same origin and history as the American Trotter, and are the same in every respect except in gait. Perhaps the most famous one of this breed in the matter of speed was "Dan

Patch," who held the world's pacing record of one minute, fifty-five seconds.

Shetland ponies were first found wild in the rocky Shetland Islands about two hundred miles north of Scotland. Their early history-where they came from and the origin of their parents-is uncertain. In general appearance Shetland ponies are very much. like draft horses, except, of course, that they are very much smaller. They are usually from thirtysix to forty-four inches tall, though some of them are not over thirty inches. In color, these little animals vary a great deal, some being bay, brown, roan, chestnut, or even spotted. Shetland ponies have been brought to America, and a great many of them are now being raised here. They are used for light driving, especially by children.

The horse he is noble, and valiant, and strong,
And looks all on fire as he gallops along;

Or patient and sturdy, he tugs at the load,

At the blow of the whip, or the prick of the goad,
When he lugs at the wagon, and pants up the hill,
With the all of his strength, and the all of his will.
And at the last gasp will he tug and strain on,
Till strength, and not ardor, is perished and gone;
Devoted to man, thus he gives up his breath,
And noble in life he is noble in death!

-PETER PARLEY.

The first place I can well remember was a large, pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge at one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master's house, which stood by the roadside. At the top of the meadow was a grove of fir trees, and at the bottom a running brook overhung by a steep bank.

mother's side, and

When it was hot, the shade of the

In the daytime I ran by my at night I lay down close by her. we used to stand by the pond in trees, and when it was cold, we had a nice warm shed near the grove.

As soon as I was old enough to eat grass my mother used to go out to work in the daytime, and come back in the evening.

There were six young colts in the meadow besides me; they were older than I; some were nearly as large as grown-up horses. I used to run about with them, and have great fun; we used to gallop all together round and round the field as hard as we could go. Sometimes we had rather rough play, for they would frequently bite and kick as well as gallop.

One day when there was a good deal of kicking, my mother whinnied to me to come to her, and then she said:

"I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say to you. The colts who live here are very good colts, but they are cart horse colts, and of course they have not learned manners. You have been well bred and well born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won a cup two years at the Newmarket races; your grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse