t8 



animals that by Government inspection are pronounced of good 

 quality and worthy of pubHc patronage. To further prevent the use 

 of inferior individuals a decree was issued in 1885 excluding from 

 public service all stallions not authorized by the Government. 



The valuable qualities claimed for the French Coach horses over 

 those of other coach breeds are based upon a system of breeding not 

 possessed by any other race. Instead of being the product of a multi- 

 plicity of ideas, the French Coach horse has been developed under 

 the exclusive guidance of the Director-General of the National studs 

 of France ; and as those officials are educated in the same schools, 

 trained in the same system, and taught to seek the same qualities and 

 form, it is easy to understand how such great perfection and uniformity 

 in this breed has been attained. These horses are' the descendants 

 of the Arab, the famous breed of the Merlerault and the French and 

 English Thoroughbreds. The uniting and concentrating of all t)ie 

 valuable qualities of these breeds through so many generations, has 

 develojied a race of such size and wonderful endurance, combined with 

 perfect symmetry and graceful carriage, that our idea of perfection in 

 a coach horse has been attained, while their breeding assures their 

 power to transmit these qualities to their offspring. The most famous 

 trotting families of this breed are the result of the mingling of the 

 blood of the Norfolk trotters, a breed that through imported Bel- 

 founder has given to American trotters much of their renown imported 

 Phenomenon in France corresponding to imported Belford in the 

 United Slates. 



No other coach horse can approach them in the combination of 

 size and stylish action, for though they may never attain as high a 

 rate of speed as the ligh-weight American trotter, yet their achieve- 

 ments over the inferior tracks of their native country, in their three 

 to seven miles races, stamp their endurance as something wonderful 

 — a quality that can only be obtained by a horse of their size. 



Many of these horses weigh from 1,300 to 1,400 pounds, and yet 

 are as graceful as a fawn and beautiful as a picture. 



In order to secure the very finest, we make our purchases in the 

 summer, before the government stallions are selected, thus securing 

 the choicest of every year's production, the government always buy- 

 ing three-year olds. AVhile this system has the advantage of securing 

 the very best animals, it also necessitates the payment of larger prices 

 in order to obtain them. This course indicat'^s sound business 



