The Agricultural Features of the Paris Exhibition. 
261 
blood in them. In height, the Anglo-Normans vary from 15 to 
16 hands, the average being about 15-3. Dark bay in colour, 
they are lively blood-looking animals, well adapted for carriages. 
The truer specimens are elegant and well formed, perhaps a 
trifle long in the limbs, but fairly provided with muscle ; flat 
and fine in the bone ; feet clean and firm ; head fine ; nose 
straight, eyes bright, ears small ; neck light and graceful ; 
shoulders long and sloping ; the body usually handsome and well 
ribbed up, but frequently rather light ; their mane and tail are 
full, and their general gait and action lively and graceful. 
The turn-out of this breed made up a large portion of the 
French display of horses, and formed in itself a very grand show. 
In the parade before the jurors, the Anglo-Normans, as a rule, 
exhibited excellent action, good looks, fine quality, and fair sub- 
stance. There was perhaps a tendency to an excessive length 
of legs, and a lightness all over ; but, on the other hand, a large 
number were well knit, flat and clean in the bone, with good 
muscle, fine heads, sleek skin, and silky hair. High in spirit, 
and very lively, their action was often faultless, " corky," and 
graceful. Most people who saw the appearance they made at 
Paris would admit that the Anglo-Normans are a thoroughly 
good and useful class of light-legged horses. The race deserves 
careful tending, and is, in fact, well worthy of further pains and 
expense being devoted to its amelioration. A little more sub- 
stance and muscle, and in many cases more quality, might be 
infused with great advantage. Selection in breeding, and im- 
proved treatment, would, no doubt, accomplish much of this ; but 
past experience proves that gain would result from a larger 
infusion of English blood. It is worthy of mention, that the 
stud which carried the champion prize of 3000 francs for the 
best collection of horses — that belonging to M. J. Lefevre, of 
Chamant, Oise — contains a large proportion of Norman blood, 
as well as some of the best English strains. 
Other Light-legged Horses. — Brittany is spoken of as being 
the largest nursery of horses in France, and is said to contain 
more than one-tenth of the whole stock of horses in the country. 
The ancient Brittany breed is supposed to have been brought 
from the East in the twelfth century ; but, like the Percherons, 
they now present few of the characteristics of pure-bred Oriental 
horses. In the south and centre of Brittany, Arab, Anglo-Arab, 
and Anglo-Norman horses have been extensively used, and in these 
parts there is a large stock of useful light carriage and saddle 
horses. From Finistere, particularly, there was a very good 
muster of these light horses ; and, both in the carriage and 
saddle classes, they obtained a fair position in the list of awards. 
They averaged over fourteen hands, and some reached sixteen, 
