THE GERMAN HORSE. 45 
in the only direction which they can take by suspending balls covered 
with sharp points from a surcingle passed round the body, in such a 
way that at every stride they rebound against the sides of the animal and 
prick him severely. A street is chosen for the purpose, and in one end 
of this they are confined by a rope drawn across it till the moment of 
starting, when it is dropped, and the whole lot getting away gallop to the 
other end, where again they are stopped by an impassable barrier. The 
horses employed for this purpose are called Berberi, though none of them 
in the present day are pure Barbs, but they retain the appellation as 
indicative of their Oriental origin. The Italian horse seldom attains the 
height of fifteen hands, the average probably being little more than 
fourteen. He is thick in the shoulder and wide in the bosom, but has a 
tolerably light forehand, good legs and feet, and short drooping hind 
quarters, 
THE GERMAN HORSE. 
In Austria Proper, Huncary anp Prussia, horses are bred in exten- 
sive studs for military purposes, and of late years the rulers of those 
countries have heen largely indebted to English blood for the improve- 
ment which has been made in the horses of the respective countries. 
The Emperors of Austria have also caused races to be established at 
Vienna, Pesth, Buda, Breslau, &c. Some idea may be formed of the 
extent to which the sport is carried on at these meetings, when it is stated 
that at the meeting at Vienna, in May, 1860, nine races were run, the 
value of the stakes being more than 2,000 sovereigns, while at Pesth they 
amounted to £3,320. Even the latter of these is a poor sum when con- 
trasted with our own Epsom, Newmarket, and Doncaster meetings, where 
five times the amount are won by the horses engaged in them; but as 
compared with foreign races of an older date, it is a magnificent one, and 
the spirit which has been displayed shows that the present state of things 
is doubtless a forerunner of still greater successes in turf proceedings. 
The plan of breeding stallions for the supply of the provinces, adopted by 
the Austrian government, is excellent, and I should much like to seea 
similar one introduced into this country. From 100 to 200 stallions 
are annually bred for this purpose, and sold for about 100 guineas apiece, 
which price is quite sufficient to cover all expenses, and leave a slight 
surplus to the imperial treasury towards lowering the cost of the cavalry 
horses, bred at the same studs. 
There is a considerable variety in the native breeds of the three 
countries mentioned, but they are all useful in their several ways. In 
speed and stoutness they cannot compete with our thoroughbreds, nor 
with our “half-bred” hunters, many of which have at least seven-eighths 
of pure blood. They are generally light in the middle-piece, with drooping 
quarters, and somewhat long in the leg—qualities 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. 
Tur Norman CHARGER OR Destrier has been celebrated for ages as 
the type of horse for the purposes of show and utility combined. With 
# fine upstanding forehand he unites a frame of the most mazsive propor- 
