Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-10-31
THAT $4,000
BELGIAN HORSE
1t Took q Thousand Years to Create
the Belgian Breed Of Horses.
ANIMAL RECENTLY SOLD
BRINGS HIGHEST PRICE
Belgium Has Been Home of These
Horses Like Island of Jersey
Home Of the Jersey Cow.
(Des Moiles Capital)

On October 18th William Crown
over of Cedar Falls, Iowa, sold a Bel
gian stallion to C. G. Good, Ogden,
Utah, for the sum of $4,000. This
is said to be the highest price ever
paid for horse of the Belgian class.
The Belgian breed of horses is the
result of one thousand years of care
full breeding. Belgium has been the
home or nest of this style of draft
horses just as the island of Jersey is
the home or beginning of the Jersey
cow The Belgian horse is noted for
his ability to work on small rations.
He is not a big eater, but he retains
his muscle and flesh. Many years ago
there was another famous Belgian
horse called the Flemish. This ami
NAL was from the north part of Bel
GUM, called Flanders, while the real
Belgian horse is from the province
of Ardennes. The Flemish horse was
attractive aid for time had quite a
rage in the United States. He was a
, monster in size, but he lacked e1dur-
anee. His ankles were not strong
enough to support his body, hence he
soon grew tired. The real Belgian is
short and stocky. When the Germans
invaded Belgium in 1914 they took
possession of every good Belgian
horse or mare to be found and sent
all Of them to Germany. The editor
of The Capital, while visiting the
German lines in Belgium in 1915,
being chaperoled by Captain
Schroeder, saw 700 brood mares
which had been brought back from
the firing line where they had been
drawing and swinging artillery. The
editor asked the captain what we, in
America were to do for our Belgian
breed of horses. He replied with a
smile you will have to get them
from us, up in Germany. These Bel
gia1 brood mares were with foal and
the Hair had been worn off their
necks and sides by rough application
of harness. They were being stabbed
in an immense railroad shop. Stalls
had been created by the use of two
by fours and the mares were being
given plenty of hay and oats to re-
vive them. The editor heard OF one
Belgian colt which the Germans did
not succeed in getting Belgium is a
small country and no man has more
than two or three horses. Seldom one
family has more than one brood
mare. The family in question had a
dapplei gray male colt aged eighteen
months. When the Germans came In
to Belgian at Liege the family
\ didn't know what to do with the colt
In America the animal would have
been worth four thousand dollars.
he family united in digging a deep
sub cellar under the house. They
also dag b sloping pathway leading
from the surface to the cellar. They
then restored the earth and gave 1t
the appearance Of never having 3esa
touched. The Germans had not Sac.
.cedca in rac'Lg the colt Up 1, hast
accounts. Lat doubtless they esptnr-
ed him in the end However, the Bel
gian breed of horses will not rur out,
There are enough pure Belgians in
the Ulited States to keep up the
breed. At the last Iowa state fair
there were many samples. of the Bel
gian breed which could not be sur
passed even in Belgium.