Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-09-26
THE FRENCH COACH HORSE,
h French Government Has Don
to Improve It's Horses.

What the French Government Has Done
to Improve Its Horses.
The king Of horses is the French
coach horse. I should say general pur-
pose horse" for I do not class thorough
breds, Arabs and t~rotters in the ranks of
utility; they are there to improve our
stock, and today they are scarcely need
ed for that. The French coach horse,
demi-sang, Or Anglo-Norman, as he is
variously designated, halls from the
thoroughbred; and Rather, who was i'm
ported in 1909. did more for the coach
horse than any Of the other thorough
breds used by the government.
1t was the Rather blood that found
the missing link in the French coach
mare, and from these two, I believe, came
the breed of horses, and the only nj
besides the thoroughbred capable of re-
producing itself to a certainty. 1t is the
admirable direction of the French gov-
eminent which has enabled that country
to produce this noble animal. It is the
thorough plan for uniting and develop
ing all the valuable qualities of the very
best breeds, so that it has given v e to
the world a race of horses chat possess
a degree of perfection never before at
tained-size. style and action.
AS early as 1865 the government studs
were permanently established, and from
that time down to the present day the
horse breeding Of France has been re-
duced to a science.
In 1889 there were in France 1880 ap-
proved and government stations, and
from 1916 to 1888 the government bought
for service in their studs 1909 stations.
In 1881 a notable advance was made to-
ward the improvement Of the light breeds
suitable for coach and cavalry purposes,
which was followed in 1888 by a decree
establishing a government stud book for
the preservation Of pedigrees, and this
was placed under the supervision of the
minister of agriculture.
After the establishment of this stud
book more critical Judgment was exer-
cised in the selection of stations for gov
eminent use; a decided improvement has
taken place in the character of the horses,
between 5000 and 30, 1000 owned by the
government having been recorded, no
animal being numbered unless belonging
to the government studs. In 1870 the
arrangements Of the government studs
WAS vested in the department. of agri-
culture and commerce., under the i'm
mediate supervision of a director general,
eight inspectors, twenty-six sub-direct-
ors, ten superintendent and twenty-six
veterinaries.
Previous to the war France wa living
In its height ofluxury. The finest teams
tn the world then belonged to the en-
peror. Private individuals were all vie
ing with each other who should W the
largest, handsomest and most stylish
turnouts. Hundreds Of horses seventeen
bands high, drawing eight spring ba-
touches, were to be seen in the Bots de
Boulogne.
Today the French coach horse has OBJ
tanned what to my mind is the correct
height, 16 hands to 1879, and numbers Of
these can now be met with.
In 1874 the number Of stations owned
by the government was ordered to be in
creased 200 per year until they should
reach $500, and the credit necessary for
prizes awarded to breeding animals
should reach i, 500, 900 francs per annum,
and a special sum Of $4,000 francs per
year was granted to make experiments
at the Haras or Stud of Pompadour.
The French coach horse has been de-
veloped under the exclusive guidance of
the manager of the national studs. It is
the careful selections through so many
generations that has developed a race of
such size and wonderful endurance,
combined with perfect symmetry and
graceful carriage, that the idea of per-
lection in a coach horse has been at
tanned, while the in and in breeding as
sures their power to transmit shese quail
tiles to their offspring.
No other coach horse can approach
them in the combination of size and
stylish action, for though they do not
attain as high a rate of speed as the
light weight American trotter, yet their
achievements over their native turf
tracks, in their two mile, half and four
mile races stamp their endurance as
something wonderful. Many of these
horses attain the weight of 1,4OO pounds,
and yet are as graceful as an antelope
and as beautiful as a picture.-Cor. Pa
ciic Rural Press.