THE IIOKSl 



15 



TUE NOKMAN HORSK. 



This is the peculiar breed of Normandy, which is used so extensively 

 throughout the northern half of France for diligence and post horses, 

 and from the best French authorities I could command (I cannot now 

 quote the precise authorities), I learned that they were produced by the 

 cross of the Andalusian horse upon the old heavy Norman horse, Avhose 

 portrait may still be seen as a war-horse on the painted windows of the 

 cathedral of Rouen, several centuries old. At the time of the occupa- 

 tion of the Netherlands by the Spaniards, the Andalusian was the favor- 

 ite stallion of the north of Europe, and thus a stamp of the true Barb 

 was implanted, which remains to the present day. If you will allow 

 me to digress a moment, I will give you a short description of the old 

 Norman draught-horse on which the cross was made. They average full 

 sixteen hands in height, with head short, thick, wide, and hollow be- 

 tween the eyes; jaws heavy; ears short and pointed well forward ; neck 

 very short and thick; mane heavy; shoulder well inclined backward; 

 back extremely short; rump steep; quarters very broad; chest deep 

 and wide ; tendons large ; muscles excessively developed ; legs very 

 short, particularly from the knee and hock to the fetlock, and thence to 

 the coronet, which is covered with long hair, hiding half the hoof; much 

 hair on the legs." 



Mr. Youatt, in speaking of th > French horses, says: "The best 

 French horses are bred in Limousin and Normandy. From the former 

 district come excellent saddle-horses and hunters ; and from the latter 

 a stronger species, for the road, the cavalry or the carriage. The Nor- 

 man horses are now much crossed by our hunters, and occasionally by 

 the thorough-bred ; and the English roadster and light draught horsc> 

 has not suffered by a mixture with the Norman." 



In his remarks on the coach-horse, Mr. Youatt says : " The Normandy 

 carriers travel with a team of four horses, and from fourteen to twenty- 

 two miles in a day, with a load of ninety hundred weio-ht." 



