No. 9. 



Diligence. 



281 



DILIGENCE. 



The property of Edward Harris, Esq., Moorestown, New Jersey. 



This splendid portrait, drawn from the life by Woodside, and engraved by Mumford, is a 

 futlifiil representation of one of the most perfect animals of that distinguished breed of 

 Norrnan:ly horses, the Percheron. fie was imported into this country by his present owner, 

 and retains all the life and vigour which distiMffuish that peculiar race of horses in their 

 native country, althou;jh so different in soil and climate; Normandy partaking, in a great 

 degree, of the climate of England, moist and cool, in contradistinction to the heat and dry- 

 ness of that of New Jersey ; the change, however, appearing to have no influence whatever 

 upon his constitution of iron. 



Diligence is of a handsome dapple-grey colour, and measures 15 hands under the stand- 

 ard ; he was purchased by his present owner in 1839, at the Fair of Guibray, a small village 

 near Falaise, in Normandy, the birth-place of William the Conqueror. This fair lasts 15 

 days, and being held in a district the most celebrated in France for the breeding of horses, 

 and the first three days of the fair being devoted to their sale, it is resorted to by dealers from 

 all parts of the country, particularly from Paris, for the supply of the diligences, and for post 

 and carriage-horses. This fair is largely supplied with the English breed raised in Nor- 

 mandy, and with its crosses upon the French stock, as well as with this peculiar race (of 

 which Diligence is a true type) called the Percheron, so universally used in the northern 

 half of France, to draw the diligences and for post-horses. 



The oricin of this race, according to French authorities, dates from the occupation of the Netherl.Tnds by the 

 SpHni.Trd=, who introduced the Andalusian liorse, which soon became the favourite stud horse all over the con- 

 tinent. The Spanish horse is known to spring from the Barb or Arabian, introduced by the Moors, on their 

 conquest of that country. All who are conversant with the history of the horse, know that the Andalusian has 

 always been celebrated for his beauty, and for his great spirit, combined with extraordinary powers of endur- 

 ance. TIi;; French horse, upon which he was crossed, was the old Norman draucht-horse, which still exists in 

 th" country in all its puiity, and is, perhaps, the best of all horses for slow draught. 



Thf? avorase height of these horses is Hi hands, and they may be described as follows : head, short.vvide, and 

 hollow between the eyes; jaws, heavy ; ears, small and pointed well forwards; neck, very short and thick; mane, 

 heavy : shoulder, wellinclined backwards; back, extremely short; rump, steep; quarters, very broad; chest, deep 

 and wide; less, 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; tendons, large ; and muscles excessively 

 developed. 



