THE SITUATION IN PEANCE. 71 



The average weight which cavalry horses in Prance are expected to 

 carry is from 90 to 100 kilograms, or from 198 to 220 pounds. In order 

 to sustain such a weight and run and jump with it, as they may at 

 any time be required to do, they must have strong, short backs, good 

 loins, and heavy muscles. 



Mares used in the French cavalry, as well as horses, must be sound, 

 have good bone, short backs, heavy loins, strong hips, and good feet. 

 Action is not considered, except interfering, and they must be able 

 to gallop well. The requirements of the different armies are practi- 

 cally the same in all countries I have visited, but I find some mounted 

 on heavier horses than others. 



At the present time the French buy their army horses in the same 

 provinces that their cab horses come from, using only the inferior 

 ones for the latter purposes. Few American horses have been tried 

 in the French army, as few have met the requirements, but some have 

 doubtless been bought of the dealers without the officers who pur- 

 chased them knowing they were American bred, and in these instances 

 I am assured our horses have given entire satisfaction. At least 

 there have never been any complaints. 



In France, as in all other European countries, horses are seldom 

 weighed, and never described by weight. In describing them their 

 height only is mentioned, but if they are said to be a certain number 

 of meters high it is understood that they are uniformly built and will 

 weigh what a horse of perfect conformation of that height should 

 weigh. In America, on the other hand, the weight is of tener spoken of 

 than the height, but each custom is wrong, for if the height and 

 weight were both given one could form a much better idea of the gen- 

 eral conformation of a horse, his compactness, and distance from the 

 ground, etc., without seeing him. 



The artillery horse in all countries is more compactly built than the 

 cavalry horse, and differs little from the horse I have described as 

 being suitable for the 'buses. 



The cost of raising horses in France does not differ much from that 

 in England. The actual cost until 2 years old is about $150, and from 

 that time on every horse is expected to pay his own way. If he did 

 not do this, horses could not be raised in France at the prices men- 

 tioned above. Another important feature of this method is that by 

 handling the horses from the time they are 2 years old they become 

 gentle, which adds much to their value and which overcomes one of 

 the worst complaints against the American horses— which is, they are 

 not broken. This is the first complaint one hears in every country 

 where American horses have been used. 



Other complaints urged against our horses in France are that 

 their necks are too short, they stand with their hocks too close 

 toother their hips are not long enough, their backs too long, etc., 

 but many of these objections could be found with the horses of any 

 other country. 



