28 FOREIGN MARKETS FOR AMERICAN HORSES. 



sters can be sold to advantage for use in the country, but as a rule 

 they do not bring the prices of the more showy park animals. 



SADDLE HOUSES. 



A great many of these are in use. Every rider in Belgium uses 

 the English saddle and rides with the English seat, and therefore 

 their mounts must be in keeping. The Irish and English horses, 

 well bred, with small heads and ears, necks tapering and easily 

 arched, short, straight backs, long, sloping shoulders, and clean legs 

 with high knee action, are of the type most in demand. Everything 

 is for style and showy action. The gaits are the trot, the walk, the 

 canter, and the gallop, in that order. 



HUNTERS AND JUMPERS. 



Although there is no hunting to amount to anything in this coun- 

 try, still a high jumper will bring almost any price on account of the 

 fact that in the spring there are many contests with prizes for jumping. 



In the three classes above mentioned there is no limit to be put as 

 to the price, as so much depends on the need and means of the seller 

 and buyer. A wealthy man wanting a riding animal will readily 

 give 4,000 francs or more for a stylish, well-built horse that suits his 

 fancy. I have asked the prices of many horses here in Brussels, and 

 have found them all high. A good-looking pair of bay carriage 

 horses, 15f hands, of good action, were held at 8,000 francs ($1,600). 



DRAFT HORSES. 



These have the quickest sale. There is a good market for them 

 always. The best type is the short-coupled, short-legged, large-bodied, 

 large-boned horse, with a rather small, intelligent head. No very 

 pronounced Roman noses nor long, coarse hair on the legs above the 

 fetlocks are liked. 



The heavy weights (some of the American horses reach 1,800 pounds) 

 bring from $190 up, while the smaller animals, 800 to 1,000 pounds, 

 bring from $125 up when good. Such horses can be used for delivery 

 wagons and for trams or street cars. They can be found in many 

 parts of our country. 



Horsemen and buyers here object to the long-legged, long-backed 

 horse of any sort, and such animals do not seem to bring as good prices 

 as others perhaps not so finely bred, but more to the taste of the buyers. 



The cavalry and artillery horses are furnished to the Government 

 by contract. 



The Irish horse is here again the favorite. Perhaps American 

 animals shipped through England or Ireland oftentimes become natur- 

 alized in a few days and are sold as natives of those islands. The 

 price paid is between 1,100 and 1,200 francs. At present it is 1,150 



