40 THE ORANGE COUNTY 



than amusing to the farmer, who may derive therefrom many 

 hints as to the treatment of his breeding-stock. 



THE DUTCH HORSE. 



The Dutch horse is large, but his action, though slow, is 

 steady and agreeable. 



The Flemish horses, though as large as the Dutch, are 

 inferior, their heads being uncouth, and their feet large and 

 flat. They are subject to watery humors in the legs, and 

 swellings in the heels. This arises from the low, rank pas- 

 tures on which they are fed these producing rank grass, 

 forming adipose and cellular substance, and rendering the 

 muscular fibre soft From the many hints of this nature 

 thrown out in the present treatise, the farmer will be at no 

 loss to perceive the influence of pasture on breed. 



THE DANISH HORSE. 



These are generally about fifteen hands high lean, 

 hardy, and capable of drawing great weights, being more re- 

 markable for this than for speed. 



A notice of the system pursued in the Danish royal 

 stables may not be without its use. The floor is laid with 

 rough stones, on an inclined plane, and is so laid to prevent 

 lameness, which frequently occurs when horses are allowed 

 to stand in their unmoved litter. The mangers are semicir- 

 cular, and are high ; the cribs are of iron. 



THE SWEDISH HORSE. 



These nearly resemble Scotch ponies, strong-built, clean, 

 neat, hardy little animals, better adapted, from their small 

 size, for the road, rather than for draught. On a journey 

 they rarely tire, and from the firmness of the hoofs, as 

 seldom stumble, whilst swelled legs and greasy heels are 

 unknown amongst them. Their size is from thirteen hands 

 upwards, and they are stout in their make. 



Besides these is the sledge-horse, of larger size and thin- 

 ner make. These are almost exclusively employed in draw- 

 ing sledges, and the speed with which they trot with these is 

 remarkable, going at the rate of eighteen miles in an hour. 

 At Gottenburg there are annual races, not for galloping, but 

 for sledge-trotting. The fleetest of these trotting horses fre- 

 quently sell for five hundred dollars each. Mr. "Wilson states 

 that the Swedish horses are only shod in the fore-feet 



