482 HISTORY OF 



and must not be backed till they are eight years old. Normandy 

 furnishes the next best ; which, though not so good for the chase, are 

 yet better for war. In general, the French horses have the fault 

 of being heavy- shouldered, which is opposite to the fault of the 

 Barb, which is too thin in the shoulder, and is consequently ajJt 

 to be shoulder-slipt.* 



Having mentioned the horses most usually known in Europe, 

 we pass on to those of more distant countries, of whose horses 

 we can only judge by report We mentioned the wild horses of 

 America. Such as are tame, if we may credit the latest reports,' 

 are admirable. Great numbers of these are bred up to the 

 chase, and are chiefly kept for this pui-pose, particulaily at Quito. 

 The hunters, as UUoa informs us, are divided into two classes ; 

 one part on foot, the other on horseback : the business of the 

 footmen is to rouse the deer ; and that of the horsemen, to hunt 

 it down. They all, at break of day, repair to the place ap- 

 pointed, which is generally on the summit of a hill, with every 



* France, from its great extent, contains various breeds of horses ; and a!, 

 thiiugli much attention has been paid to improving the different races, the 

 I'xpi-rimeut has not been attended with full success. The late Emperor Na- 

 poleon was extremely anxious that his horses might cope with those of Eng^- 

 laiid, and used every means to procure some of our best blood ones, as well 

 as Arabians. Of late years, many steeds of racing blood have been sold to 

 the French, and some of tne nobility have hired persons from England ac- 

 quainted with breeding ; but all their eft'orts to produce horses equal to ours 

 for beauty, tieetness, and strength, have proved abcjrtive. There are various 

 excellent and serviceable breeds in different provinces; those of Normandy 

 have long been celebrated as carriage and troop horses. During the late war, 

 this province was agreat nursery for the cavalry. The Norman horses are tall 

 and strong boned ; with considerable spirit, and at tiie same time docile in 

 their habits. After the Norman conquest, William being sensible of the su 

 periority of this breed, imported many of them into England, and by crossing 

 ttiem with our native breeds, produced good troop horses and roadsters. 

 The best hackneys in France are bred in Limousin ; they are closely allied to 

 the Spanish breed, and have in all probability sprung from them. They are 

 also, from their spirit, well calculated for hunters, in which capacity they ac- 

 quit theinselves better than any others of the French stock ; but a great draw- 

 back is, that they do not arrive at their full strength, till they are eight years 

 if age. Auvergne, Poitou, and Burgundy, produce good punies, called bidets. 

 These horses are better adapted than the Norman steeds, for hunting; but 

 can by no means cope with those of Britain. Oood horses for the draught 

 are produced at Boulonnois and Tranche Comte. Bretagne, Auot, Navarre, 

 fiC, produce good saddle horses, though by no means to be compared to 

 those of Limousin, for speed and action, or to the Norman lor strength. 

 1 UUoa's Voyage, vol. i. p, 464 



