76 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



During the first part of the nineteenth century the government 

 purchased many stallions for the haras. From 1815 to 1833 

 there were bought 1902 stallions, Of which 223 came from Arabia 

 and Other foreign countries, 853 from the northern departments 

 of France, and 826 were selections from the government studs. 

 In 1833 a royal decree established a studbook for the preserva- 

 tion of pedigrees. This was designated The FrencJi Studbook : 

 A Register of Demi-Sang Horses, Born and Imported into 

 France} the first volume of which was published in 1891, com- 

 prising 3219 stallions and 1445 mares registered between 1840 



and 1890. 



On May 5, 1870, the 

 management of the gov- 

 ernment haras was given 

 to the Department of 

 Agriculture and Com- 

 merce. These were placed 

 in charge of a director 

 general, eight inspectors, 

 twenty-six sub-directors, 

 ten superintendents, and 

 twenty-six veterinari- 

 ans. To hold one of these 

 offices one must be a grad- 

 uate of the equine school 

 at Le Pin, 



In 1874 the government issued an order to increase the stallions 

 in France by 200 per year until the total number should reach 

 2500. The Chamber of Deputies appropriated 1,500,000 francs 

 ($300,000) for prizes for breeding animals, and 50,000 francs 

 ($10,000) to experiment with the Arab and Anglo- Arab, using 

 60 superior mares at the haras of Pompadour. 



Classes of breeding stallions in France. In order to promote 

 intelligent breeding and a superior stock of horses in France, the 

 government made three different classes of stallions, both coach 

 and draft : 'First, stallions owned in the government haras. 



Fig. 2S. A view of the Equine School at Le Pin, 

 France. Photograph by James B. McLaugh- 

 lin, Columbus, Ohio 



1 Stud-Book Fran^ais : Registre des Chevaux de Demi-Sang, Tome I, Paris, 



