THE HEAVY-HARNESS BREEDS Off HORSES 65 



Friesland, near the Holland boundary, where buyers from 

 Holland, Belgium and Germany found superior horses. 

 A government stud was established at Ilo, which con- 

 tained 182 horses in 1648. At Harlingerland, in East 

 Friesland, government studs were in operation, and re- 

 ports refer to these as far back as 1712, when sixteen 

 stallions were used for the service of 819 mares. In 

 1889, in this same region, fifteen stallions were used 

 on 1421 mares. While the Thoroughbred was ex- 

 tensively used in the formation of the French Coach 

 horse, the Germans made little use of English blood in 

 the development of their horses, particularly in the breed- 

 ing of horses for cavalry. The Germans demanded a 

 horse possessing much substance. In other horse-breed- 

 ing countries, particularly England and France, we find 

 draft and coach horses being developed side by side, which 

 leads to a division of labor, the heavy or draft horses doing 

 the heavy work, and the light horses doing the lighter 

 work. In Germany, the same breed often serves both 

 purposes. It is interesting to note that no attempt has 

 been made to breed horses for speed as in England and 

 France. It seems that the prevailing idea was to produce 

 a heavier horse suitable for general purpose and for mili- 

 tary service. 



Government supervision of horse-breeding in Germany 

 has obtained for centuries. The use of stallions on mares 

 of East Friesland was regulated by royal edict for many 

 years. It was made a law that no permits should be 

 issued authorizing the use of stallions, unless the latter 

 had passed a satisfactory government inspection. At 

 the present time, both the government and the agricul- 

 tural societies promote intelligent horse-breeding. Prizes 

 are awarded to animals of special merit, and such animals 



