The breed of which the French Government has most 

 largely increased its number of stallions, having regard to 

 proportional strength, is the English Hackney. 



From the table showing how the stallions are distributed 

 among these 22 Studs, we may select two important examples ; 

 the stud at Tarbes, in the Pyrenean region, where light horses 

 are chiefly bred, and Le Pin, in Normandy, where heavier 

 saddle horses, carriage and light draught, and a proportion of 

 heavy draught horses are produced. 



At Tarbes, in 1905, the horses available for distribution 

 among covering stations were : — Thoroughbreds : English, 39 ; 

 Arabs, 29; Anglo-Arabs, 55 ; total, 123. Half-Breds: Southern 

 horses, 51 ; Normans and Vendeans, 8 ; English Hackneys, 2 ; 

 total, 61. In all, one hundred and eighty-four stallions. 



At Le Pin, the following were available for distribution : — 

 Thoroughbreds: English, 17. Half-Breds: Normans and 

 Vendeans, loi ; Qualified Trotters, 62 ; English Hackneys, 

 17; total, 180. Draught Sires: Percherons, 77; Boulonnais, 3 ;, 

 total, 80. In all, two hundred and seventy-seven stallions. 



The largest stud in France is that at St. Lo, in Nor- 

 mandy, whence 423 stallions were distributed in 1905; but it is 

 less representative than the two of which details have been 

 given, consisting of 317 Norman and Vendean stallions, with 

 74 Qualified Trotters and 32 English Thoroughbreds. 



To further illustrate the system, let us take one small 

 covering station, to which there are hundreds similar — that 

 at Lesparre, in the Medoc. The stallions which stood for 

 three months during the season 1904 at Lesparre were as 

 follows : — 



* All these " Half-bred Trotters " and Half-bred Norman stallions 

 have Hackney blood in their veins. 



25 



