Austria and Hung as y. 127 



In 1867 the kingdom of Prussia, containing nearly 24,000,000 inhabitants, had rather more 

 than, 2,300,000 horses. Of these, 1,600,000 were employed in agriculture. But in East Prussia, as 

 in Ireland, there are very few horses of the cart-breed ; the farm work is done with horses that 

 can gallop when fed on corn. 



The Prussian Government takes most elaborate means to encourage horse-breeding, but 

 contrives to combine efficiency with economy in a manner which appears impossible with English. 

 French, or American officials. 



There are three breeding-studs which were originally founded to supply the royal stables with 

 carriage and riding-horses, but now employed to breed covering stallions for country studs ; twelve 

 depots for covering stallions. 



Prizes (on a very moderate scale) are awarded to covering stallions kept by private persons 

 approved by the official heads of depots, and also to good brood-mares and foals. 



Loans bearing no interest are granted to associations founded for the purchase of stallions. 



The first stud was established at Trakehnau, in East Prussia, a province as horsy as 

 Yorkshire, by Frederick William I., successor of Frederick the Great, in the year 1732, for the 

 supply of the royal stables ; and by this was established three tribes, we cannot call them 

 breeds, of carriage-horses, distinguished from each other solely by their colours — black, bay, and 

 chestnut. 



Two other studs were established in 1788 and in 18 15. 



The eleven country depots for covering stallions — a twelfth has recently been established in 

 Pomerania — are recruited from the already-mentioned royal breeding-studs, and from purchases in 

 Germany and in foreign countries, notably since 1870 in England. The number of stallions at the 

 eleven depdts as reported in 1873 amounted to 1,750. 



The director-general of each district stud, at the proper season, distributes the stallions over 

 the country in small detachments of six or eight. He generally quarters the horses, under charge 

 of servants of the stud establishment, on country proprietors who are interested in horse-breeding. 



These arrangements are worthy of attention, should it be decided to give Government 

 assistance in the way of stallions to Ireland. Beyond the maintenance of these studs, the expenses 

 incurred by the Prussian Government in prizes and premiums are very insignificant. 



The total number of horses required by the North German imperial army on a peace footing 

 is little under 100,000, on a war footing it is nearly 300,000. After reading these figures, one is 

 not surprised to learn that the German losses of horses by death and sickness in the Franco- 

 German war exceeded a million, and are by some put as high as a million and a half. The 

 original number were three times renewed, including all the horses of the French army taken 

 prisoners at Sedan and at Metz. 



Should peace be preserved, Prussia is one of the countries from which English prices may 

 attract a supply of well-bred riding and harness-horses. Nowhere is horse-breeding carried out on 

 more intelligent principles. The stock of mares in East Prussia and Galicia is of the right stamp, 

 and English stallions are most judiciously selected and employed. 



AUSTRIA AND HUNGARY. 

 Not in Yorkshire, not in Ireland, are the gentry and commonalty more fond of a horse 

 than the subjects of Francis Joseph's kingdom of Hungary. As for the Hungarian cavalry 

 officers, as horsemen, and learned in every kind of horse lore, they are second to none. The 

 Emperor himself is, without flattering exaggeration, one of the finest horsemen in Europe. When 

 he was crowned king of now loyal Hungary, part of the ceremony compelled him to ride a fiery 



