In the preceding chapters the pacer has been considered from the standpoint of his antiquity, history, speed at the pace, and his contributions to speed at the trot. We now come to consider him as the founder of the best and most delightful type of saddle horses in the world. This estimate of his quality and value had a solid foundation in the judgment and habits of our ancestors at an early period in our history. When our patriotic forbears entered upon the struggle for independence, they were fully alive to the necessity of foreign sympathy and aid. For this purpose agents were sent abroad to enlist the good feelings and, if possible, secure co-operation of foreign governments, especially that of France. Mr. Silas Dean was sent to Paris, and in a communication to the secret committee of Congress, under date of November 28, 1776, he writes: “I wish I had here one of your best saddle horses, of the American or Rhode Island breed—a present of that kind would be money well laid out with a certain personage.” This was probably intended as a present to Marie Antoinette, or some other person having great influence at court. It further indicates that “the American or Rhode Island Saddle Horse” was at that period, in Mr. Dean’s opinion at least, the best in the world. (See Dean Papers, New York Historical Society, Vol. I., p. 377.) To the man of average intelligence and candor on horse subjects it certainly is not necessary to enter upon an elaborate discussion to show that the saddle gaits come from the pacer, but a certain class of writers, who neither declare nor attempt to prove their position, constantly imply that the saddle gaits came from the “thoroughbred.” As it is better, therefore, to make everything plain as we go along, I will very briefly consider this point. Twelve years ago, through _Wallace’s Monthly_, I presented the following questions to all gentlemen interested in saddle-horse affairs and acquainted with saddle-horse history: “Are all the tribes and families noted for their saddle qualities descended in whole or in part from pacing ancestry?” In order to cover the whole question, no difference from what standpoint it might be considered, I added the following: “Has any family or subfamily of saddle horses come from pure running ancestry and without any admixture of pacing blood?” To these questions Major Hord, then editor of the _Spirit of the Farm_, at Nashville, Tennessee, a gentleman of very wide and accurate knowledge on this subject, but strongly in favor of running blood, made the following response through his paper: