152 



Breeding of Horses. 



Vol. VI. 



tion is attempted, and the imperfections of the 

 dam are thus frequently perpetuated. 



The most important of these establishments 

 in Normandy, are the Hara de Pin, near 

 Caen, and the depot for stud liorses at St. 

 Lo. In the former there are generally about 

 500 horses and mares, and in St. Lo about 

 120 stallions. That at Pompasour, in the 

 south of France, is another of these great 

 breeding establisiiments, so creditable to the 

 energies of the government. 



So entirely unaccustomed are the French 

 to "riding across" an enclosed country, that 

 until very lately they thought it absolutely 

 impossible for any man to ride a mile straight 

 ahead, over fences ! To convince them of 

 their simplicity on this point, an English gen- 

 tleman, residing in the province, and possess- 

 ing a very choice thorough-bred English 

 hunter, offered to bet at a large French party, 

 where the subject was alluded to, that he 

 would ride his horse over a mile and three- 

 quarters of the rich vale of Avranches, in 

 less than ten minutes, taking fences. Ills 

 offer was immediately taken, giving him odds, 

 and allowing him twelve minutes for the 

 work, which the French politely insisted was 

 the least portion of time they could allow 

 him. The match came off last April, and 

 several thousand persons, of all ranks, came 

 from very distant places to see the perform- 

 ance — feeling quite satisfied that the thing 

 could not be done in the time specified. It is 

 diflicult to describe the enthusiasm of the 

 spectators, among whom were noblemen of 

 the highest rank, pressing to be introduced 

 to the rider, after he had easily accomplished 

 his task, and paying him compliments far dis- 

 proportioned to his achievement. Some ladies 

 did him the honour of assuring him, that he 

 was "the admiration of the whole world!" 

 nay, so exciting was the subject, that the 

 Count of St. Germain, president of the Avran- 

 ches Agricultural Society, gave a long state- 

 ment of the whole affair, in the journal of the 

 society, bearing his signature. — From this we 

 shall literally translate a passage, likely to 

 amuse our readers. After many preliminary 

 observations, including the dress of the rider, 

 and the correctness of his horsemanship as he 

 came to the starting post, amidst a vast crowd 

 whose eyes followed his movements with in- 

 tense anxiety, the count proceeds thus: — 



" The noble animal glided like a serpent 

 through the branches which opposed his 

 course, lowered his head with great sagacity, 

 and then extended Iiis limbs horizontally, 

 clearing at a single bound the fences in his 

 way ; presenting, as he went along, the image 

 of an ideal course in open space, he surmount- 

 ed, in two bounds, the wooden fences protect- 

 ing the streams, coiling up his legs some- 

 times like a stag in his effort to escape from 

 the hounds, proportioning his exertions to the 



difficulty of the leap, and changing his style 

 of going according to the nature of the 

 ground; obedient to the slightest intimation 

 of his rider, he neither felt at any time the 

 want of the guiding hand, nor failed to take 

 advantage of it; — no refusal, no hesitation, 

 no check of any kind, stopped him for a mo- 

 ment; on the contrary, his multiplied bounds 

 seemed only to accelerate his speed. Long 

 and repeated huzzas were soon heard at the 

 winning-post, which Mr. Moggridge reached 

 in four minutes and fifty seconds! The rider 

 appeared to have experienced fatigue, but the 

 horse showed no symptoms of distress, finish- 

 ing with a leap of more than twenty-three 

 feet, over a brook. He had cleared, in his 

 course, fifteen obstacles, one of them a hedge 

 six feet high, with brush-wood at each side, 

 and a distance of a mile and three-quarters 

 in the time. Many anticipated dread at wit- 

 nessing an exhibition which they considered 

 excessively dangerous ; but on seeing the 

 mutual confidence between the horse and his 

 rider, they were soon relieved from their ap- 

 prehensions. The emotions experienced at 

 an ordinary horse-race are dull compared 

 with the palpitations excited on witnessing 

 an exertion which some cavillers have been 

 disposed to compare with the combats of the 

 circus, but which should rather recall the re- 

 membrance of the rude tilts of the middle 

 ages." 



The style of this description shows the 

 entire want of acquaintance, on the part of 

 the French, with modern horsemanship. — 

 They view with astonishment a performance 

 which is so familiar with us. But the fact 

 is, the Norman horse, although he may an- 

 swer for the common purpose of hunting, in 

 a close country, and may find his way over 

 ordinary fences, has neither the length of 

 form which would enable to make a good 

 stretchy leap, the speed to keep up with fast 

 dogs, nor the bottom to hold out. They have 

 trotting matches occasionally, with and with- 

 out draught; and prizes are given by the 

 government in proportion to the merits of the 

 horses, in single or double harness, or with 

 riders only. One of these exhibitions took 

 place last year at St. Lo, where a young man 

 came up to the starting-post to ride a trotting 

 match on a horse of good promise, but encum- 

 bered with a huge new saddle, having at- 

 tached to it in front a horseman's cloak, in 

 complete French style, and a portmanteau 

 behind. An English gentleman, perceiving 

 the absurdity of unnecessarily imposing upon 

 the horse an additional 35 lbs., offered to the 

 rider the use of an English saddle, weighing 

 eight pounds. But the fellow refused to ex- 

 change, on the ground that the horse was ac- 

 customed to the heavy saddle, &c., and would 

 not travel well with any other ! He lost the 

 race accordingly. — Quart. Joum. Ag. 



