196 Report on the Agriculture of Sweden and Norway. 
2*5 per 100 acres of agricultural land. Then, on the other hand", 
it must equally be borne in mind that only about three-sevenths 
of our English horses are used in agriculture (one-seventh are 
brood-mares and young animals, and the remaining three- 
sevenths are used for non-agricultural purposes), though what is. 
the proportion used in the cultivation of the land in Sweden and 
Norway the published statistics do not enable me to ascertain. 
In Norway there are two distinct breeds of horses, namely, the 
larger, or Gudbrandsdal breed, and the smaller, or Nordfjord 
breed. The latter is well known as the compact and hardy 
dun-coloured Norwegian pony, from 13 to 14 hands high, with 
dark legs, mane, and tail, and a dark stripe along the back. 
The Gudbrandsdal horse is somewhat larger, without any speci- 
ality of colour, and has its home, as its name implies, in the 
district of Gudbrandsdal, in Hedemarken. Pure specimens of 
the latter breed are now rarely seen, as it has been very much 
crossed with Danish blood. Some hundreds of horses are annu- 
ally exported from Norway, chiefly to Sweden. 
The following descriptions of these breeds, translated from 
Mr. Smitt's ' History of Norwegian Agriculture,' * will further 
elucidate this subject : — 
" The horse of the Fjord districts is distinguished by a very compact and 
powerful build in proportion to its size. The head is sometimes a little rough, 
but most often well-formed ; the forehead is broad, and smoothly united witli 
the straight nose ; the ears are small, on the inside thickly covered, or filled, as it 
were, with rather long hairs; the eyes are lively, and have a gentle expression ; 
and the disposition of the animal is generally friendly and docile. The head 
is rather stifBy connected with the neck, which is short, thick, and strong, 
with a short stiff nape and a strong mane. The back is most often straight ; 
the loin short and broad ; the buttocks bread and strong, sometimes straight, 
but more often somewhat slanting ; the chest is broad ; the legs small, but 
strong and well placed ; the hoofs small, commonly black ; the hams oftcr. 
somewhat crooked, but strong, with little disposition to spavin. The chest i- 
vaulted and deep, the shoulder sometimes a little oblique, the flanks short. Takoi 
as a whole, this horse may be said to be rather short than long in the body. 
" The colour is most usually yellow — dun-coloured yellow — white, or mouse- 
grey, with a mixture of black in the tuft of hair on the top of the head anc" 
the tail, black along the middle of the mane, a black stripe al,ong the back 
and black, black-grey, or brownish feet from the fore-knee and the ham t( 
the hoof, with black cross-stripes on the back of the fore-knee, and black hoofs 
In general it may also be obsei-ved that the outer streak and the jwints of thi 
ears are black. A brown colour, with black tuft of hair, black mane, tail, anc 
•■fitripe along the back, black feet and ear-points, is very frequent. How fa 
this colour originally belongs to this race, or has been introduced througl 
crossing with foreign breeds, would perhaps be difficult to decide with an; 
certainty, but that it is due to crossing may perhaps be considered as th i 
most probable. The size is usually about 13 to 14 hands, reckoned fror 
the mane to the uppermost streak of the outer side of the hoof. 
* ' Det norsko Landbrugs Historic i Tidsrummet 1815-1870.' Af J. Smit ; 
Christiiiniu, 1874. 
