58 THE HORSE 



drooping quarters, and somewhat long in the leg — quaHties which are 

 all opposed to stoutness at a high pace. But they are very hardy, and 

 can live on food which would starve an English horse, so that in a 

 campaign they are not by any means to be despised. The German 

 cart-horses are thick, strong, and useful, of great size, but somewhat 

 slow in their movements, and flat in their feet. 



THE FRENCH HORSE 



The Norman Charger or Destrier has been celebrated for ages as 

 the type of horse for the purposes of show and utility combined. With 

 a fine upstanding fore-hand he i;nites a frame of the most massive 

 proportions, and this is moulded in a foi*m as elegant as is consistent 

 with his enormous power. Even the diligence horses of many parts 

 of France are of very handsome frames, and their legs and feet are so 

 sound that they are able to trot over the paved roads at a pace which, 

 slow as it is, would speedily lame our English horses of similar size 

 and strength. Their tempers, also, are so good that the stallions may 

 be used together with mares in all kinds of work, and though vice in 

 its various forms is not altogether unknown, yet it is comparatively 

 rare. Their countrywoman, Rosa Bonheur, has made this variety of 

 horse familiar to most of my readers, and I need not, therefore, trouble 

 myself to describe them minutely. The Limousin is chiefly used for 

 the saddle, and is supposed to be descended from some one of the 

 Eastern horses introduced by the Crusaders. He was not, however, 

 in high request until the invention of gunpowder caused heavy cannon 

 to go out of use, when a lighter horse was required, and the old heavy 

 animal bred between the Flemish and Norman cart-horse went entirely 

 out of fashion. The true Norman horse is large, powerful, sufliciently 

 active, and very hardy. He has, however, the disadvantages of a heavy 

 head and long cannon-bones. The valley of the Meuse is supplied with 

 a small, active horse, generally of a roan colour, with strong limbs, 

 clothed Avith an abundance of hair, and a large heavy head. The 

 Lingone horse, in the valley of the Marne, is still smaller, with lop-ears, 

 drooping quartei'S, and cat-hams, which latter qualities enable him to 

 display the activity and sure-footedness of the goat in scrambling over 

 the rough mountain passes bounding the district. Lastly, the Barrels 

 variety, in the valley of the Arne, is a mere pony, but makes up for 

 his want of size by his agility, hardiness, and good temper. 



As in Austria and Prussia, so in France, the Government has done 

 its utmost to encourage the breeding of horses for cavaliy purposes, and 

 numerous " haras " have been established throughout France. For a 

 long time purchases have annually been made of first-rate English blood 

 stock, chosen, like those selected by the Americans, chiefly for their 

 stoutness and soundness of constitution. Still there are so many 

 drawbacks in the shape of bad hay, hard training-ground, etc., in the 

 way of the breeder and trainer, that though their horses run us hard, 

 we are still enabled to give them a lump of weight. Throughout nearly 

 the whole of France there is no upland grass in the summer months, 



