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ployed in the counties of Pesth, Csongrad, Bekes, Aradszabolcs, &c., and in the
valleys and plains of Transylvania. In the last 10 years Babona has placed
312 stallions at the disposal of civilian breeders.
3. Mezzohe-
gyes.
Mezzöhegyes is the largest stud farm in Hungary, comprising 40,000 acres
with 2,190 horses. It was founded in 1785, and is the oldest of all the Royal
Hungarian studs. In the other studs only horses of one race are bred; while
here, on the contrary, for more than a century particular types have been
formed by means of crossing, climatic conditions, food, and other considera-
tions. These horses are described as Norman, English, or Arab merely to dis-
tinguish the type and origin.
The stud of Mezzöhegyes was originally formed from Transylvanian, Bes-
sarabian, Polish, Mecklenburg, and other mares selected from the best animals
found in the Austrian army which had gone through the Turkish campaign or
the French campaign at the beginning of the century. In many cases mares
captured in war were placed in this stud, where the blood was considered of
less importance than powers of endurance shown on service. Thus mares of
different breeds have been covered in the course of time by Arab, Spanish,
Transylvanian, Moldavian, Hungarian, Mecklenburg, Holstein, and Norman
stallions, and their selection is now, as formerly, less due to blood than to other
considerations.
Although the horses on this farm have been bred for a number of different
objects, the idea has been to work so as to favour a certain race or type.
In this manner four different types or cross-breds have been formed at
Mezzöhegyes, i.e.—(1) the "Gidran" breed, with 100 brood mares; (2 and 3)
the small and large "Nomus" breed, each with 100 mares; (4) the half-bred
English, of which there are 80 mares.
The Gidran breed, called Anglo-Arab, are descended from a pure Arab
stallion called Gidran brought to Babona in 1818. At first Arabs were exclu-
sively used in this breed, but for the last 20 years it has been crossed with
English thorough-breds. These horses average about 16½ hands high.
The two "Nomus" types are of French origin, and descend from a Norman
stallion captured from the French in 1815.
The strongest mares in Mezzöhegyes have been crossed by this horse and
his descendants, forming special type, have been latterly divided into two
classes according to size, which are called large and small "Nomus." The
former average 16¼ hands, and the latter 14½ to 15½ hands.
To correct faults, the result of in-and-in breeding, this race has been crossed
during the last 20 years with English thorough-breds. As with the Gidrans,
the size and bone of this breed has been preserved by the thorough-bred stal-
lions of the race.
The breed of half-bred English (Furioso-North Star) horses of this stud
are not as fine as those bred at Kisber, but are found better able to stand the
extreme climate. This race is really of mixed origin, but since 1840 it has
been improved by the descendants of Furioso-North Star, and now all the mares
are covered by thorough-bred or half-bred English stallions for getting light
harness or strong saddle horses.
The Nomus mares are 200 in number; the half-bred English 100.
4. Fogaras.
This stud is situated at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains in Transyl-
vania. It was founded in 1874 for improving the breed in the mountain dis-
tricts. It contains 9,000 acres.
The race from which this stud was founded is mostly of Neapolitan,
Spanish, and Oriental origin. Here the principal of native breeding is practised
exclusively.
The brood mares are 100 in number.
The average height of horses raised at Fogaras is just over 15 hands; they
rarely exceed 15 hands 1½ inches.