258 
Breeding Horses. 
without succeeding. I furnished myself with all the information 
to be obtained as to fairs in my way home ; to some of which 
I went, and found, just as at our common small horse fairs, 
not a good horse in them. I happened to stay a day at Rouen, 
when the pavement of the bridge was up, over which great loads 
of goods had to be drawn to the quay ; there again I saw these 
horses coming with their great loads of goods, which they could 
not draw through the mud more than a few yards at once, drag 
themselves almost to the ground, and I never saw one refuse to 
draw again and again. 
This confirmed my resolution to have one of them ; so I made 
an arrangement with a principal dealer in Paris, and in 1856 
bought the horse I call " Napoleon," which Mr. Denison has asked 
about. I have never once regretted the purchase. He has been 
worked on my farm ever since, almost always with mares. I 
have never had so good, quiet, active, and powerful a horse 
before. In no one instance has he given us any trouble. He is 
unlike our English cart-horses, for with great size hands high) 
and immense substance, he shows a dash of blood. He has an 
Arabian head, not small, but of fine character, Avell proportioned 
to his size. The neck is very muscular and well turned, the 
shoulders large, very deep, without lumps on the sides, and 
oblique, such in shape as would not be objected to for a riding 
horse. The bosom open, the fore legs magnificent and very 
short, with great bone, hard sinews, and with little hair upon 
them. His feet are perfect in shape, and perfectly sound in 
work ; his back short, rather dipped, round-shaped ribs, large 
loins, rather plain drooping hind-quarters, very large thighs, low 
down, and tightly joined together with prodigiously powerful 
clean hocks, and very short hind legs, well under him. We 
never have had a difficulty with the engine or thrasher, or with 
anything in the mud that Nap. could not extricate us from. His 
stock are as good and kind as possible. It is a saying with the 
men, that Nap.'s colts want no breaking. My marcs are small 
and active ; the stock are considerably larger than the damsj but 
so cleanly, that as foals they look more like carriage horses. 
I think the cart mares to work and breed should be of 
moderate size, from 15^ to IG hands. They should be long, 
low, Avide, and handsome, compactly made, with short backs, 
arching downwards, and with wide, table-shaped loin. The 
legs should be short and clean, the bone large, especially 
behind. They should be good walkers, and as I recommend 
working the mares on the farm, the high stepping action must 
not be overlooked. The mares should not be put to the horse 
to produce foals before the grass comes in May, when the 
Avork of the farm is very much abated, the mares can be spared 
