THE HORSE. 
15 
TUB NOKMAN UOR8R. 
This is the peculiar breed of Normandy, which is used so extensively 
throughout the northern half of France for diligence and post horses, 
and from the best French authorities I could command (I cannot now 
quote the precise authorities), I learned that they were produced by the 
cross of the Andalusian horse upon the old heavy Norman horse, whose 
portrait may still be seen as a war-horse on the painted windows of the 
cathedral of Rouen, several centuries old. At the time of the occupa- 
tion of the Netherlands by the Spaniards, the Andalusian was the favor- 
ite stallion of the north of Europe, and thus a stamp of the true Barb 
was implanted, which remains to the present day. If you will allow 
me to digress a moment, I will give you a short description of the old 
Norman draught-horse on which the cross was made. They average full 
sixteen hands in height, with head short, thick, wide, and hollow be- 
tween the eyes; jaws heavy; ears short and pointed well forward; neck 
very short and thick; mane heavy; shoulder well inclined backward; 
back extremely short; rump steep; quarters very broad; chest, deep 
and wide; tendons large; muscles excessively developed; legs very 
short, particularly from the knee and hock to the fetlock, and thence to 
the coronet, which is covered with long hair, hiding half the hoof ; much 
hair on the legs.” 
Mr. Youatt, in speaking of the French horses, says: “The best 
French horses are bred in Limousin and Normandy. From the former 
district come excellent saddle-horses and hunters ; and from the latter 
a stronger species, for the road, the cavalry or the carriage. The Nor- 
man horses are now much crossed by our hunters, and occasionally bv 
the thorough-bred ; and the English roadster and light draught horse 
has not suffered by a mixture with the Norman.” 
In his remarks on the coach-horse, Mr. Youatt says : “The Normandy 
carriers travel with a team of four horses, and from fourteen to twenty- 
two miles in a day, with a load of ninety hundred weight.” 
