CoNSCK/PT/OX or HoJ^SES AXD Jlfu/.ES. I I J 



The most decided success obtained by forty years of Government inspection, Government 

 studs, Government stallions, and Government prizes, was in the ancient horse-breeding district 

 of Normandy, a grazing and dairy country, where large farms still prevail, where the produce 

 of English blood-horses out of Norman mares were supplied with the food and the care required 

 for rearing vigorous full-sized stock. 



Speaking in round numbers, for nearly forty years more than ;£'50,000 a year have been 

 expended by the French Government in prizes and premiums for the encouragement of French 

 horse-breeding ; to this must be added the cost of maintaining fifteen hundred State stallions 

 and several breeding farms, and the extra prices paid for the troop-horses purchased for the 

 cavalry — in all, at a reasonable estimate, not less than ^^250,000 sterling per annum. 



There has been a decided increase in the number of horses bred in France — an obvious 

 improvement, as already stated, in the quality of heavy draught, for which no money prizes 

 were offered. But at no period since these efforts were made and expenses incurred has France 

 been able to put her troops on a war footing without resorting to foreign importations ; and 

 it was found that the protective or artificial price fixed for cavalry horses almost entirely 

 put an end to the home trade of horse-dealers, and drove them to make their purcuaSca of 

 nag and light harness-horses abroad ; it has, therefore, been given up. 



In 1878 the Minister of War estimated his requirements for the army and gendarmerie at 

 123,000. The breeders of light and medium horses formerly found a difficulty in selling them, 

 because, as before observed, there is no demand for riding-horses, and very little demand for 

 well-bred harness-horses out of the small, select, luxurious upper classes of Paris. But this 

 difficulty has been removed by the steady demand that has been established since 1870 in 

 England for horses " zvith two good ends " from any country. Admirable horses for saddle and 

 harness are bred now in Normandy, which fetch very high prices on the spot. They have, 

 however, the defect of being unsound when first taken into fast harness work. With care they 

 recover. 



In 1874, by a decree of the National Assembly, all the horses and mules six years old and 

 upwards in France are to be registered and classified, with the view of making them available for 

 public service in time of war. With this view the general commanding each military division is 

 to visit every commune, and, in the presence of the mayor, muster all the animals. " This 

 registration is a great nuisance. It sometimes lasts five days, and men wanted at home have to 

 come five or ten miles with their horses. The examination only lasts a few minutes, but the 

 delay is a grievance " — something like calling out our army reserve, who liked the pay very well 

 for doing nothing, but (at least some of their friends) made it a grievance when the men were 

 called to give the consideration for which they had been enjoying pay. 



But the French system answers its purpose, for, according to a correspondent of T/ic- Times, 

 the arrangements are so perfect that in the course of six days allowed for mobilisation all the 

 corps would be supplied with the horses they required without any fuss. Compensation is to 

 be settled by a committee of landowners {proprietaires). 



It is stated that the Algerian bred horses that are quiet at pickets and drill in Africa become 

 quite unmanageable on the different food and climate of France. There is only one Government 

 breeding stud in France, at Pompadour, in Limousin, which has been re-established for the 

 purpose of breeding Arab and Anglo-Arab thorough-bred stallions. It is to consist of sixty 

 brood-mares. "The sires used in France are about 12,000 in number. Of these the State 

 owns about 1,000. Those intended for getting saddle-horses are selected after a public trial 

 The blood-sires are tested at a gallop over a flat course ; the half-breds over a two-and-a-half- 



