Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-03-10
farulers' department,
The Draught Horses Of France.


light and wonder OF strangers in Paris. Their
merits are conspicuous TO those most lacking
in horse wisdom. They are good-louking,
spirited and pre-emiutntly useful. They are
"a condensation OF muscular force, n vivilica.
lion OF dead pull, and IN incatnniion OF horse
pluck. Large or small enough none are
really smaii), they impress all IN the same
wny--wiih mingled emotions Of surprise, ad-
lnira,ion and respect
The mos, noticeable horses are Percheron
and Norman stations which are beginning 70
be well known in America. One sees, how
ever Flemish, Belgian aud Boulonnnis stall
lions aud geidings, the latter preduminalins
~ point OF Numbers. The horses from these
districts are much alike-in fact, cannot
tell how they difIer--iheY are not so close knit
and sinewy as the Norman breeds, hui are
larger and Of various colors browns, sor-
rels bays aud blacks being more common
shan the prevailing dappled gray Of the Nor
mans. There are among them superb specl-
mems Of horse-1esh, and with the careful and
admirable shoeing Of The French lurriers, they
have good useful teet even on Paris paeemeuls.
These are not the horses that the curious tray
ver stops 10 watch and to admire nor is il
the superb arch-nccked, housekeeping, we'll
kept carriage horses, though there are many
VI these and among them those whose Thin
necks, small heads, big nosirils silky coats
and lilin names indicate good share OF blood
The admirable horse Is the Norman. The
Percherou is a branch Of the family and may
or NAV not be regarded as an improvement,
according to the use tor which he is destined
an improvement certainly, regarded as q
Nurse OF varied work--not for htary draft
The true Norman for honest, lasting, hard
pulling, | believe, has no superior in The
world What The ClYdes would do, were
they used ns stations in pairs or in
strings Of four 10 six, do not know
The two are rival breeds and are well
matched. The preertnce for the batter when
when used as geldings is no doubt well found
"a and where farmers depend upon regular
sales OF certain number Of colts annu-
ally, they are OF course, right in selecting
sires which Will insure them the greatest
profit
AT present, taste or fashion in America is
fer tall big geldngs and gray is a color lit
Ne in favor Hence clyde stations are the
eivoriics now as STOCK horses. and there is lit
lie profit in fghting The fashion. few such
Stables as Babbiits, in New York will do
much towards making change in favor Of
powerful compact, picturesque stallion teams
VI Norman blood For one | have great faith
in such being The toughest, easiest kel
hardest workers, most lasting, best footed.
and, If all this be irne, by far the cheapest
teams for city draft from the very hea les
casting and boiler hauliug, 10 The lighter draft
o one horse trucks.
The color of draft horses would seem 10 b.
nn almost Absolutely immateria thine-let II
is not. II any Que color belongs pecnlarl.g To
the horse it i the dappled-gfay. and betui-
full MS hre other colors, none equals this pictur-
sequences, especially when combed with the
rounded forms and massive proportions which
aie natural to these animals For carriage
and family horses, gray is an undesirable col-
or, for by the shedding Of the hair, more OF
less from early srring Until settled cod
weather, the owuer OF such a horse is mark
cd man. When horses are bred Of all colors
match in color is often hard 10 make ami
cross-paiches or contrasts are often forced
Bpon one, While mntchiu Size or form is Of
tea sacrificed to one in color. II is therefore
of no small advantage to breed Of druit
horses that their colors vary so i:te, lha
laulllcss color matches are the rule rathel than
the exception among ordinary teams, aluus
perfectly matched in Other particulars. To
my eve gray is alwas beautiful ia "A draf
Morse when age beaches il at never tndes)
aud il it becomes suow white or nearly 50, i
is still handsome, while The fact that il shows
dirt and stains so readily, is no disadvantage.
inasnuch rs ii makes careful grooming ne.
esssity
"a go con,,,, ,,neb p, r,,,e,',,, ~ s,.ld
=, n,ira nnnfify Tbei,. o,,nih,tses arr mnch
heavier than onrs, and have seats ior twelve
or fourteen inside, and Tor as many on th,
top The horses take slow lrot and keep il
up hin aud down, except up quite steep grades
when they frequently have the aid OF II hird
horse.
uavs wen tad ma Il aoo6 working ord.'
.a,aa,;nas e., ,rbe,r enryire !. w. s.,,.,,
~, ai,,,,.s sb,ay no ,nne, ,bn,o,,,l
,,ia,k IA s,,ir, Wh.n a, rost ~ ~ 80,
ifssn,iai ~ 3, X s,,,,,.i,, ,.l.,.as ,ba me-
,.,,,",,r,iY o~hih,, ,ifa aad ,r, ,,i,,s .,,,.
III, ,i,i,.e,.,d octi,,s r,.,.1 rast1,fs MA a.
l',,..3 IL ss,,Ietb.;. si,,,,la.rv ,n,n H..
..Iiar
n,her and spnarior clnssas If perrberons az.
.aa a., n,,,lar.,,el NV, as'f, Nv li,.,...,t
,rncls n,sn ~ mer,.aaiilc hansas ~ nthars
IN, nasssss tbe same rborae,",,s,,Ds in ".S.
.r,i In, ars LARGER n,ora hean,if,I md mr..
stylish. They are usually not worked 50
steadily. and are better groomed aud better
fad. MANY are worked singly, aud others
tandem or in pairs
One is struck with the excellence of their
f.e, which are clean. Trim, round. fun hea,i-
l. ironed and never creased and never SHOW
dle marks Their build is 40 much ike pen
nine monies That they do n,t strike The otsrr
x.ras larse. thongb perhais le1 hands hivhs
or higher. bui they make Their drivers look
small This effect 4 increased by The yreal
sige of The c,rts ur1 other yebicles In Tisit
ing the lie stables in several Of which a INN.
area Or more ., these horses we're exposed tor
sale / was struck with The manner Of The
lie hands and urupreiors In rw4nty-fourIh
,,See, n Ne,y YORK nd one If III enulnvses
thinks ~ ooino behind ma ,nonu III. b1rse.
without a whip, and the pumps of the poor