33 

 breeds, of the Shire, Clydesdale and Suffolk types, are 

 not in demand. When the war came to an end one of 

 the first matters to which the French Government devoted 

 attention was the improvement of the public breeding 

 studs ; and, in pursuance of the wise policy of supplying 

 the military needs of the Republic, great endeavours were 

 made to secure a sufficient number of stallions capable 

 of begetting stock suitable for military purposes. 



The French demand for Hackney stallions had been 

 steady for very many years prior to the war; but the 

 decision to gradually increase the breeding-stock soon 

 made its effect felt in this country. As I have shown 

 elsewhere,* there has been an increasing demand for 

 Hackney blood for the public studs. In 1874 the total 

 number of stallions standing at the national studs was 

 1,087 ; in 1905 the number had been increased to 3,267, 

 or within 173 of the full strength sanctioned by the law. 



Professor Davies, in the article previously referred to, 

 mentions a case in which a dun mare threw bay foals to 

 bay or brown stallions, suggesting the greater prepotence 

 of bay and brown over dun. 



Roan Hackneys 



Blue roans and red roans are more commonly seen 

 among Hackneys than any other breed of horses ; though, 

 as in the case of the greys, the pages of the more recent 

 volumes of the Stud Book contain the names of fewer 

 roans than did the earlier volumes. 



Perhaps the most celebrated Hackney sire ever known 

 was the roan Norfolk Phenomenon (foaled 1835), regarded 



* ' ' Horse-Breeding in England and India and A rmy Horses A broad. ' ' 

 By Sir Walter Gilbey, Bart. Vinton & Co., London. 



