GERMAN HORSES. 



517 



of soil and climate. Therefore, there are good horses in 

 Mecklenburg, but they are not Mecklenburg horses. 



Rhenish Prussian horses. — The Rhine provinces are the 

 principal centre for breeding heavy horses in Germany. 

 Although that country has no famous breed of the Shire, 

 Clydesdale, or Boulonnais type ; efforts are now being 

 made to breed a powerful and well-built cart-horse (Fig. 



Fhoto by] 



[b\ Albert Schwarz, Bermn w. 

 Fig. 520. — Mecklenburg half-bred mare, Flamme. 



521), with strong bone and free action. In 1897, as 

 many as 81.38 per cent, of the non-military horses, out- 

 side the large towns in the Rhine provinces, were cart- 

 horses, but most of them were of foreign origin, and only 

 9 per cent, were home-bred. 



Oldenburg horses (Fig. 522). — " Most lovers of horses 

 will acknowledge that their value, from a useful point of 

 view, is not particularly great. The majority of Oldenburg 



