64 TUE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 
French Coach Horse Society of America, organized in 
1888, with the present secretary at Oak Park, Illinois. 
This society published the first volume of its stud-book 
in 1906. 
GeRMAN CoacH Horse. Fig. 11. 
By M. W. Harper 
65. The title indicates that this is a breed of coach 
horses, taking its name from Germany, where it was 
developed. Horse-breeding in Germany is influenced 
greatly by military requirements, and few of the draft 
types are found there. Although Germany has several 
types or breeds of horses that are suitable for commercial 
and military purposes, she still imports many English 
horses. 
66. History in Germany.— Formerly the German 
Empire was comprised of a number of states or princi- 
palities each with its own form of government. Since 
there was no interchange of ideas, a number of strains of 
horses developed, varying widely in weight, conformation 
and action. Such was the condition of horse-breeding 
at the time of the formation of the German Empire. 
While several of these strains retain their identity at the 
present time, many others have been absorbed. This no 
doubt accounts for much of the obscurity in the early 
history of the German horse. 
The northwestern parts of Germany, particularly the 
lowlands drained by the rivers Elbe, Weser and Ems, 
which flow into the North sea, have long been noted as the 
horse-breeding section of the Empire. Early records of 
horse-breeding in Germany go back nearly five centuries. 
As early as 1500, important annual fairs were held in 
