Modern Manage Horses in Paris. 45 



" In the choice of breeding mares, I would advise you to take either a well-shaped Spanish 

 one, or a Neapolitan. When these are not easily obtained, then a beautiful English mare, of a 

 good colour and well marked. 



******* -x-*** 



" I am no friend to astrological remarks in this case. The moon's aspect or that of any 

 other celestial body are equally absurd in affairs of this kind ; it matters not whether the moon 

 is increasing or decreasing, or whether any other planets are in conjunction or opposition, for 

 horses are not begot by astronomy or by the almanack." 



But although the Duke of Newcastle expresses himself thus impartially on the merits of all 

 the breeds of horses known to him, it is a very curious circumstance that the forty-three elaborate 

 copper-plates which illustrate his book all represent one style of horse — the Flemish war-horse, 

 of large limbs, heavy crest, shaggy fetlocks, flowing mane and tail. The horses ridden by Charles 

 I. in Vandyke's portraits of that monarch at Windsor and Warwick Castles and Blenheim 

 Palace are fine specimens of the breed. 



In the Winter Exhibition of the Royal Academy in 1877 Her Majesty contributed a portrait 

 of Charles I. in armour, mounted on a dun-coloured horse, probably also a portrait of the Flemish 

 breed, by Sir Anthony Vandyke. This is the sketch for the large picture at Blenheim. 



There is not the slightest difference in the apparent breed of the following list of horses, which 

 are drawn on a double folio page: — "Paragon, un Barbe ;" "La Siipcrbc, Cheval d'Espagne ;" 

 " Jllako-nielia, un Turque ;" " iV^iJ/Z/wj/w^, Coursier Napolitain ," " Riibetan, un Roussin (a thick 

 stallion of moderate size). There are also two large plates, one representing mares and foals, and 

 the other three-year-old colts, in an enclosed paddock, gambolling in various attitudes, making 

 natural curvettes and caprioles, but all of the hairy-heeled sort, like the Norman horses that used 

 to draw the French diligences thirty years ago, or the improved Sufifolks. The Neapolitan 

 war-horse only differs from the Barb in that he has a rather more drooping croup, and is branded 

 on the rump with the mark of his breeder, as horses bred on Italian plains are to this day. Some 

 of these old brand marks are represented on the preceding page. These plates illustrating the 

 Marquis's book were all drawn by Abraham Diepenbcke, a Flemish artist, "under the Marquis's 

 immediate direction." Several of them represent the Marquis on horseback, performing one of the 

 feats of the Jiautc ccolc, or high-school of riding, and engraved conspicuously across them are the 

 words, "Monsieur le Marquis Donuc uue Lcc n" So that after commencing by saying that he 

 prefers a Barb, this noble teacher of horsemanship depicts nothing but a series of lively cart- 

 horses, rather heavier than that hearse-like animal, in an impossible attitude, on which Charles 

 I. is mounted at Charing Cross, which Horace Walpole, who was no horseman, so much admired. 



This anomaly occurred vividly to me in 1865, when present at the opening of a French 

 Horse Show in the Palace of Industry in the Champs Elysees. A troop of the pupils of the 

 cavalry school of Saumur appeared in the arena, dressed in the style of Louis XV., with 

 small three-cornered hats with ostrich plumes, green and gold coats, white leather breeches, 

 and black boots, mounted on well-bred horses. They commenced by drawing up in a line, 

 and at foot pace passaging (moving sideways) in front of the Emperor's box, each man as he 

 passed saluting by raising his plumed hat ; the horses keeping an exact line, every foot rising 

 along the line at the same moment — a performance I had often seen attempted at professional 

 hippodromes, but never with horses so fine or men so admirably trained. Other feats followed, 

 the least successful of which was the leaping of low hurdles. After this very pretty exhibition, 

 the troop retired, and presently returned mounted on fat Norman horses with buckskin demi- 

 piqucd saddles, without stirrups, their manes plaited with ribbons, their tails plaited and tied 



