The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-05-07
THE HORSES OF GERMANY.

Columbus,
While Germany has long been noted
for the excellence of her horses and
given much attention to the thorough
bred, the breed which is best known
beyond her territorial limits is the
coach horse. We have imported from
tierinany during the last few years
four breeds, all of which are known
here as German coach horses, each
iaking its name from its native state
In Germany there is separate stud
book for each. In this country there
are two so-called German coach horse
stud books, viz: one including the
1lanoverians, the llolsteins, the Olden-
lurgs and the East Prnssians, or Trak-
ebrcns, while the other includes
only the uldenburgs. These four
breeds are said TO differ
considerably in size, the Oh
sienburgs being the largest, and the
other three ranging in point OF size in
the following order-the ii anoverians,
the Holsteins and the East Prussians
The latter has larger percentage OF
thoroughbred blood than either of the
Others, and is used chiefly in the Ger
man cavalry service.
The Oldenburg horse is bred in
province or state of that name, in
territory embracing about the same
acreage as five average Ohio counties.
The little town of Rodcnkirche, situ-
sted about 20 miles northwest OF Ere
men and about the same distance from
The German ocean, or North sea, is ap-
lroximately in the center of the dis
trict A visit to Oldenburg. the home
pf the German coach-horse; Normandy,
The home of the French coach horse,
The Perchcron and the Boulonnais;
Yorkshire, the home of the Hackney,
the Cleveland bay and the English
coach; and central Kentucky, the
home of the trotter. shows that the
hest feeding place is the best breed
ing place of the best stock. The
home of the Oidenburg, which is best
entitled to the name of the German
Coach, is On almost ideal grazing coun-
try, although il is very fiat and much
of it is SO low that the bitches used in
l;euof fences arc supplied with water
which flows at high tide through the
pipes or sluice-ways in the embank-
ments of the Weser river. Indeed,
within historic times, perhaps since
The citizens Of Bremen and Olden nburg
beheaied each other when taken pris-
Oners of war, many thousands of acres
have been reclaimed from the sea and
the river marshes by the construction
of successive dykes. Looking for miles
in every direction, one can not see a
fence of any kind except few here
and there near some dwelling house,
usually a hedge main tanned apparent
ly for ornament rather than for use.
The territory in question contains
comparatively little arabic land, but
the soil is capable of main aiming very
rich permanent pasturage on which
large numbers of horses, cattle and
sheep thrive from early April unit
late November, without shelter and
without other food, although it is as
far north as the lower part Of Hudson
Iay. One of the farmers whom l ask
ed if he did not feed grain to his
young stock, even during the grazing
season, according to the custom
on government farms of East
ern Prussia, promptly replied;
mo, indeed, the pasture is SO
rich that they wouldn't touch grain ="
saw in the fields thousands of cattle,
in appearance closely resem mbling the
Jiolstein, although the true Holstein
cattle are said to come from Hollandi
hundreds, perhaps thousands of horses
of all ages; and numerous flocks Of
native sheep; all of which were in
prime condition, except the milk cows,
which, as a rule, were fat enough for
The butcher, therefore too fat for the
American standard. The best graz
ing land has market value
of from S40O to $500 per
acre, the farms, owned chiefly by those
who occupy them, containing less on
an average than 100 acres each. Near
ly every farmer keeps brood mares,
all being of the so-called Olden bug
coach horse breeds. There is no other
type of horses bred in the district, and
no others are to be found there, bar
ring an occasional Russian pony and a
few cheap mongrels imported from a
distance. The farmers are loyal to the
type which their fathers and grand.
fathers bred before them. This is not
the result of prejudice, but of a delib'
crate judgment and intelligent choice,
for some of them at least import and
breed English cattle, sheep and hogs.
The Oldenburg horse is said to be
traceable back to or to date from the
wear 1903, and to have been a distinct
breed under government supervision
for about 30 years. 1t derived some OF
its best blood from England. The
first stallion, No. 1 in the o. S-B,
der Stanesche Hengst" was foaled in
England in 1906, while many others
appear to have been foaled there, and
still others are registered as full
bloods" or ''half bloods" The stud.
book shows that of the first 200 stal.
lions mentioned in it, about one-fourtt
were imported from England or arc
descended from such importations
and the same is true Of the first 2o(
mares. OF the first 90 mares whose
redigrce> ar -.ven, eight were sired
by English Eorses and two others by
horses of English extraction.
There are about S, GOO brood mares in
the district and about three-fourths o.
tDe pEOuuCc 1IC SOlN Oub "a ohS uioek AZ
each year, about one-half going to 9th
er parts of Germany and the remain
der, chiefly, and in point OF numbers
in the order named, to England
France, Italy, Austria, Russia, Nortf
America and Australia. This state
ment is based on information given t.
me by the president of the
Oldenburg Coach-Ho association
But from an examination of tn,
stud book am inclined to believe tina
for breeding purposes there are NOR
sent to the United States than to an.
other country, for the stud-book show
that in 1891, ~ stations were exported
20 "Nord Amerika" and &c in 1892. Il
each of those years about 20 mares ar
shown to have been sent to this coun
try, which is probably far below :he
true number because many are entered
simply as sent abroad" The export
alton to South America commenced
about fifteen years ago but none wert
brought into this country until about
Gavop uoars later