39S 
HORSE BREEDING IN FRANCE. 
misery: he then rode away. The knacker was accordingly sent 
for, and soon arrived, knife in hand; bat after a short consultation 
we thought it was a pity to destroy so valuable an animal without 
some further effort, and therefore decided to await the arrival of 
Mr. Nicholson, come when he might. Mr. N. at length arrived, 
late at night, and, saying she had “ phrenitis,” expressed strong 
hopes of her recovery under his treatment. In a short time he 
eased her of her struggles; and now, I am happy to say, the mare 
is quite convalescent, and performing her daily work. 
My desire in bringing this before the public is to put people 
upon their guard who may have similar cases, and not trust to 
these empirics and their quackery, but obtain proper advice. 
With respect, Sir, I am yours truly, 
Thos. Wood, 
Knottingley, May 8, 1849. Farmer and Lime-burner. 
HORSE BREEDING IN FRANCE. 
By J. T. Hodgson, V.S. 
Late of the East India Company's Stud Department. 
To the Editor of “ The Veterinarian .” 
Sir,— The case I am about to bring before you, contained in the 
following statement, is a libel on the character of the English 
thorough-bred horse:— 
“ The Breed of Horses in France. —At the last sitting of the 
Academy of Sciences, M. Duvernoy read, in the name of a com¬ 
mittee of which he is a member, a report on a paper by M. Richard, 
Director of the Ecole des Haras. M. Richard states that horses 
artificially bred and trained for racing are of too delicate a nature 
to be useful for military purposes; that the mixture of the English 
race-horse with the French breed rather deteriorates than improves 
the latter; that the only race of horses in France which have pros¬ 
pered or have not been deteriorated, are those used in agriculture, 
and bred by agriculturists; that the Arabian horse, well chosen, 
is the only foreign race proper to revive the breed of light horses 
in France, such as were used before 1790, by crossing them with 
the breeds of Auvergne, Limousin, and the Pyrenees. The reporter 
agrees with M. Richard as to the unfavourable results of mixing 
the English pure blood horse with the French race, and thinks his 
