EAST FRIESLAND HORSES — ELLIPTIC SPRING 



East Friesland Horses. — The East Friesland horse- 

 producing district extends from Oldenburg on the east to 

 Holland on the west, and from Osnabruch on the south to 

 the North Sea. The welfare of this breed is entrusted to 

 a very powerful society, called the Agricultural Head 

 Association of East Friesland, which officially inspects all 

 three-year-old stallions each spring, and all adults in early 

 autumn, while none but horses passed by the society as 

 sound may leave the district. The type now bred produces 

 a very serviceable and powerful, upstanding, bay-coloured 

 harness horse. Brood mares are submitted to a most search- 

 ing examination before they are entered in the Stud Book, 

 a rule to which the prosperity of the breed may be largely 

 attributed, whilst the custom of giving valuable prizes to 

 the owner of the mare from which at least two foals suit- 

 able for registration are obtained, and of carefully selecting 

 all stallions for the district, is also to be commended. 



Eating Beds. — A most objectionable, though 

 by no means uncommon practice, which even 

 muzzling will not prevent in confirmed offenders. 

 The most common course to pursue is to substi- 

 tute moss or sawdust for straw as bedding ; but 

 some horses will even eat moss, and many owners 

 dislike the appearance of sawdust for a bed. A 

 few drops of paraffin sprinkled on the straw, and 

 then forking it well over, has been found to be a 

 deterrent in the case of bed-eaters. 



Eel Mark. — The dark line or list which runs along the 

 back of some horses from the withers to the root of the tail. 

 (See Cleveland Bay.) 



Eild.— See Yeld. 



Elbow. — The upper joint of the fore-leg. (See Fore-legs.) 



Elliptic Spring. — This was invented by a coach-builder 



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