56 THE PERCHERON HORSE. 



if I cross the Channel in search of a stock horse, I should 

 wish him to possess the following qualities: 



This stallion should be rather large, have thick and 

 strong limbs, chest fully developed, the girth as great as 

 possible, very heavy in the hind-quarters, buttocks descend- 

 ing well, forehead broad and open, and the eye large and 

 expressive. He should be always shorter in height than 

 the mares, but quite as broad, and, I repeat it, as short- 

 limbed as possible, on account of an invariable, innate ten- 

 dency of the English horse to height and thinness. He 

 should be neither cross, nor, above all, affected with that 

 nervous sensitiveness too common in the English breeds. 

 His action should be quick, well kept up, bold and square. 

 He should have, if possible, a decided and well-pronounced 

 color, either a dark bay or a chestnut. Breeding stock 

 of his get should be chosen under identical conditions, 

 and then they would be on a footing with him, although, 

 logically speaking, there would be always an inclination 

 to prefer the type to the sub-type. 



But, at present, it is easy to be deceived, even in Eng- 

 land, in regard to the sto'ck of the country. There is less 

 risk in using, if he can be found, a good, heavy Anglo- 

 Norman horse, bred and reared under our eyes in Merle- 

 rault or on the plains of Alengon, than a spurious English 

 one, which is often none other than a forlorn hope of some 

 nameless region. In fact, from certain appearances, there 

 is reason to fear that persons from the other side of the 

 Channel visit the continent to do a smart thing, and pur- 

 chase heavy, lymphatic colts to bring up on some English 

 farm, and then resell them as Norfolk horses. What kind 

 of improvement is to be expected from such means? 

 We should always respect the will of nature, which allows 

 us to assist her in her course, but we should never violate 

 her laws. 



Man vainly wishes to force nature with all these cross- 

 es, at which she takes exceptions. To all this so-called 



