86 



extensive horse dealer in the New York horse market, and in fact in 

 the country. Nearly all the dealers called upon referred to him as 

 the highest authority on horseflesh. / 



Calling in the evening, Mr. Dahlnian said : • 



" I handle between 9,000 and 10,000 horses annually on my own 



accoimt. Do not handle horses on commission for other people. 



These include all kinds of horses — draft, coach, driving, trotting, and 



railroad horses. Between 2,500 and 3,000 of these are heavy draft 



horses. Of the draft horses I handle the great proportion, nearly 



all, are Norman-Percherons. These Norman-Percheron horses are 



docile, intelligent; broad between the eyes, and have some brain. 



rhey are easily broken, and are steady in harness — meaning that 



hey don't fret when they do their work. They are powerful horses 



and comjiactly built — short in the back, deep in the body, and broad 



rin the chest. This gives them what we call ' a good dinner basket.' 



" The Normau-Percherons have the best feet of any horse in 

 America. They have a high cup foot. Their feet will stand work 

 on the pavement better than those of any other breed. They are 

 short-coated and thin-skinned, and stand the hot weather the best of 

 iny breed. Our heavy draft horses here have the hardest work in 

 lot weather. The Norman-Percherons generally give the best satis- 

 action to the people who buy them to wear out. I'hey are very 

 inely developed for their ages. I put them into the heaviest work 

 hen four years old. I buy these horses because they give the best 

 atisfaction to my customers. 



" I don't want it understood that all Norman horses have the good 

 ualities. I have seen some imported that were as bad-shaped horses 

 .s could be found. Some are what I call ' nigger-toed,' — too long in 

 he back and very narrow waisted. They were not worth their 

 •eight from France here. That class of horses is only imported by 

 eople who have no judgment in selecting horses — who buy to sell 

 nd not to breed, [f a man with judgment goes to France to select 



stallion or a mare he can find them with the quality. 



'* A cross on the thoroughbred with a Norman crossed again with 



thoroughbred makes a nice coach horse. There is a scarcity of 

 :oach horses in this country , and the demand is increasing yearly, 

 t would pay to import some." 



Mr. Dahlman was then asked in what respect he considered the 



lydesdale horses inferior to the French horses. He said : " I will 



