This practical treatise surveys horse development and types in the United States, tracing prehistoric ancestors and the influence of Arab, Barb, and other foreign stock while describing American-bred lines and major breeds. It explains breeding principles such as like begets like, addresses the rise of trotters and saddle-horses, and outlines government and farm breeding concerns. Practical guidance covers buying, stable management, riding and driving, training versus breaking, conformation and action, and mule breeding, with recurring attention to economic value and adapting equine practice to technological change.