THE FRENCH HORSE. 43 



horse more noble than they, and of their courage ! why I have seen their entrails 

 hanging from them, through the number of wounds that they have received ; 

 yet they have carried off their rider safe and sound with the same pride wiih 

 which they brought him to the field, and after that they have died, having less 

 life than courage *." It is delightful to read accounts like these, and we know 

 not which to admire most, the noble horse or the man who could so well appre- 

 ciate his excellence. 



The modern Spanish horses are fed upon chopped straw and a little barley 

 When the French and English cavalry were there, during the Peninsular war, 

 and were without preparation put upon this mode of living, so different from 

 that to which they had been accustomed, they began to be much debilitated, 

 and a considerable mortality broke out among them ; but, after a while, they 

 who were left regained their strength and spirits, and the mortality entirely 

 ceased t. 



THE PORTUGUESE HORSE. 



There was a time when the Lusitanian or Portuguese horses were highly 

 celebrated. The Roman historian Justin compares their swiftness to that of 

 the winds, and adds, that many of them might be said to be born of the winds ; 

 while, on the other hand, Berenger, who lived at a time when the glory of the 

 Spanish horse had not quite faded away, says, that " the Portugal horses are in 

 no repute, and differ as much from their neighbours, the Spaniards, as crabs 

 from apples, or sloes from grapes *." He thus accounts for it. When Portugal 

 was annexed to Spain, the latter country was preferred for the establishment of 

 the studs for breeding, and the few districts in Portugal which were sufficiently 

 supplied with herbage and water to fit them for a breeding country were 

 devoted to the rearing of horned cattle for the shambles and the plough, and 

 mules and asses for draught. Hence, the natives regarded the horse as con- 

 nected more with pomp and pleasure than with utility, and drew the comparatively 

 few horses that they wanted from Spain. The present government, however, 

 seems disposed to effect a reform in this, and there are still a sufficient number 

 of Andalusian horses in Portugal, and Barbs in Africa, fully to accomplish the 

 purpose. 



THE FRENCH HORSE. 



According to the survey of 1829, France contained 2,400,000 horses, including 

 those of every description. The number of mares was 1,227,781. The greater 

 part of these were employed in the breeding of mules, and perhaps not more 

 than a fourth part were used for keeping up the number of horses. Besides 

 these, nearly 27,000 horses are annually imported into France, either on 

 speculation of immediate sale, or for the express purpose of improving the 

 breed. 



Two- thirds of the French horses are devoted to purposes of light work, 

 and possess a certain degree, and that gradually increasing, of Eastern blood. 

 There is room, however, for a great deal more than the French horse usually 

 possesses. One-third of the horses are employed in heavy work ; 70,000 in 

 post work, and about the same number are registered as fit for military use, 

 although not more than half of them are on actual service. The ascertained 

 number of deaths is about one in 12 or 13, or leaving the average age of the 

 horse at 12. This speaks strongly in favour of the humanity of the French, or 

 the hardihood of the horses, for it exceeds the average duration of the life of 

 the horse in England by more than two years. Calculating the average value 

 of the French horse at 400 francs, or 1G/. 13s. 4d., there results a sum of 



* Solleyscl's Complent Horseman, part 5. p. 21 1. 

 f Rccucil de Md., Oct., 1837, p. 80. + Berenger, p. 153. 



