494 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the product of a cross between the English thoroughbred and native 

 raares of France that have considerable Oriental blood in their veins. 

 Since 1780 the French government has assisted and supervised the 

 breeding of horses in France. Government horse-breeding studs are 

 maintained at Pin and St. Lo, under the management of a director gen- 

 eral, with qualified assistants. In 1883 a stud book was established by 

 government decree for the recording of pedigrees of stallions used in 

 the government studs. Stallion colts are inspected annually as to sound- 

 ness and conformation, and "approved", if sound and suitable. In 1885 

 a decree was issued excluding from public service all stallions not 

 authori:?ed by the government. To encourage the use of the best stal- 

 lions, and discourage their exportation, the government allows annual 

 subsidies to selected horses, as follows: Thoroughbreds, $150 to ?500; 

 coach, $75 to $150; draft, $50 to $100. The thoroughbreds have not, it 

 is alleged, been much used since 1840 in the breeding of French coach 

 horses. 



Characteristics. — The typical horse of this breed stands 16 hands 

 high or over, weighs 1,200 to 1,400 pounds, and is, in all essentials, a 

 coach or carriage horse. He is more rangy in type than the Hackney; 

 an up-standing, graceful, free moving, strong horse; bay, brown or 

 black in color, and possessed of high, airy, knee and hock action, which, 

 however, is not so "trappy" as that of the Hackney. Some of the 

 horses of this breed incline to coarseness, and, while true to type per- 

 sonally, do not successfully repeat it when mated with mares of trotting 

 or mixed blood. Others are of more refined type and great prepotence, 

 while many of them possess considerable speed, owing to admixture 

 of French trotting blood. In general make-up evidences of thorough- 

 bred type are still plainly apparent, but the breed is gradually improv- 

 ing in essential breed character and prepotency. 



Utility. — Tliey are suited for the production of large, handsome 

 coach carriage and "wagon" horses, when mated with mares that are 

 strongly possessed of the conformation, quality and character essential 

 in the dams, as well as the sires of such stock. 



THE GERMAN COACH HOESE. 



The Coach horse breeds of Germany have been formed by mating 

 thoroughbred horses with native mares of Arabic origin. This work has 

 been carefully carried out for many years and the resultant horse is, 

 tlierefore, fairly well fixed in breed type but still shows some evidences 

 of "cold" blood. Government stables have been established for the 

 production of these horses and government supervision as regards sound- 

 ness and suitability is similar to that enforced in France. It is said 

 that horses of this type were found in Germany as early as 1608 and 

 that registration has been enforced since the sixteenth century. 



Characteristics.— The Germ.an Coach horses are usually solid black, 

 brown, bay, chestnut or sorrel in color; stand 16 to 16% hands high and 

 Aveight 1350 to 1550 pounds. They are noted for early maturity and the 

 best types are symmetrical in build, up-standing, high and graceful in 

 action and in carriage of head, neck and tail; strong, well-sprung and 



