CHAPTER XV 



THE BELGIAN 



The native home of the Belgian horse is in western Europe, in 

 Belgium, which lies within latitudes 49| -52N., with its west 

 border bathed by the North Sea. It is a small country of but 

 11,373 square miles, being but slightly more than one fourth the 

 size of Ohio. In 1914 Belgium had about seven million popula- 

 tion, with more persons to the square mile than any other European 

 state. The country is level and low near the sea, undulating in the 

 center, while the eastern part is hilly or mountainous. There are 

 nine provinces. The soil is naturally fertile in much of Belgium, 

 and agriculture is conducted on an intensive scale. The small 

 grains, potatoes, market gardening, and nursery stock are impor- 

 tant crops. Horses and cattle are the predominating farm animals, 

 while dogs are universally used in labor both in town and country. 



Horse production in Belgium extends back to remote times. 

 Remains of the horse have been found in the cave dwellings of 

 the Lesse and Meuse, showing the relationship of man to this valu- 

 able animal in that country in prehistoric times. Since the days of 

 historical record the horse of Belgium has been famous. Diodorus 

 Siculus, a Greek historical writer of the first century B.C., mentions 

 that the Belgians were great judges of horses, and Caesar states that 

 they were willing to pay high prices for a superior class of foreign 

 horses. Tacitus, the historian and well-known writer of the first 

 century A. D., commented on the extensive buying of horses from 

 Belgium and the inability of the people to furnish as many as were 

 desired. It has even been assumed that perhaps the greater part 

 of the Roman cavalry consisted of Belgian horses. 



Two breeds of horses of ancient origin in Belgium are said to 

 be the progenitors of the present-day stock. In the first volume of 

 the " National Studbook of Belgian Breeders " the secretary states 

 that two pure races of horses come up from early times in Belgium. 

 One is the Ardenne, which originated in the valley of the Meuse 



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