THE FLEMISH— FRENCH— SPANISH, &c. 21 



^nany as he needs, and shoes them himself, and that sometimes with a 

 sheep's horn*. 



THE FLEMISH AND DUTCH HORSE. 



The Flemish and Dutch horses are large, and strongly and beautifully 

 formed. We are indebted to them for some of the best blood of our 

 draught-horses, and we still have frequent recourse to them for keeping up 

 and improving the breed. They will be more particularly cfescribed when 

 the cart-horse is spoken of. 



THE FRENCH HORSE. 



France contains, Hke England, numerous breeds of horses, and consi- 

 derable attention has lately been paid to their improvement ; but they are 

 far inferior to ours in beauty, fleetness, and strength. The provinces of 

 Auvergne and Poitou produce good ponies and galloways ; but the best 

 French horses are bred in Limousin and Normandy. From the former 

 district come excellent saddle-horses and hunters ; and from the latter a 

 stronger species, for the road, the cavalry, or the carriage. The Norman 

 horses are now much crossed by our hunters, and occasionally by the 

 thorough-bred ; and the English roadster and light draught-horse has not 

 suffered by a mixture with the Norman. 



THE SPANISH HORSE. 



Spain was early celebrated for her breed of horses. The Andalusian 

 charger and the Spanish jennet are familiar to all readers of romance. 

 The subjugation of so great a portion of the peninsula to the Moorish 

 sway, by introducing so much of the Barbary blood, mainly contributed to 

 the undisputed excellence of the Spanish horse. One breed, long in the 

 limbs, and graceful in all its motions, was the favourite war-horse of the 

 knight ; while another race, carrying the esquire, although inferior in ele- 

 gance, possessed far more strength and endurance. The Spanish horse 

 of the present day is not much unlike the Yorkshire half-bred ; perhaps 

 with flatter legs and better feet, but far inferior figure. 



THE ITALIAN HORSE. 



The Italian horses were once in high repute, particularly the Neapolitans ; 

 but hke every thing else in those mismanaged countries, they have sadly 

 degenerated. One circumstance has mainly contributed to this falling off 

 in reputation and value, viz. that the breed has been kept up by occasional 

 intermixture, not of Eastern, but of European blood. A few of the Nea- 

 politan horses, from their superior size and stateliness, are well adapted for 

 the carriage. 



THE AMERICAN HORSE. 



In the extensive territory and varied climate of the United States, several 

 breeds of horses are found. 



The Canadian is found principally in Canada, and the Northern States. 

 He is supposed to be of French descent, and many of the celebrated Ame- 

 rican trotters are of this breed. We will speak of some of them when we 

 describe the paces of the horse. 



* Kerguelen's Voyage to the North, 



