The Nineteenth Century , No 182, Apr 1892 [‎87v] (179/244)

664
THE NINETEENTH
April
This stud was formed in the year 1785, and the mares that were
put to the haras were in the first instance selected more from their
shape and form, and some special excellence that they had shown in
the army, than from their breeding. Since then, a most careful record
of the pedigrees has been kept, and gradually certain families have
been established possessing specially good points and strong charac
teristics.
The object of the stud is to improve the breed of horses in the
country. All the best animals that are bred in the stud are kept for
stud purposes, and there is a regular drafting each year, so that the
stud is kept up to the highest state of perfection. Also in each
year 200 of the best colts that can be found in the country are pur
chased from the big landowners and others, the best being kept as
sires, and the others sold as geldings. The stallions may be divided
into—
1. For stud purposes. These number nineteen, of which nine are
thoroughbred English and ten half-bred. Among the thoroughbreds
were some nice, useful, compact-looking horses, with good records as
to racing, but I was not so much struck with them as with the half-
bred stallions, five of which were remarkably good, strong, on short
legs, with good shoulders, good action, excellent feet, and good behind
the saddle, their chief fault being a little coarseness in the head and
Jaw. They must produce a good stamp of horses, and Hungarians
now seem to aim very much at size and strength. All these stallions
are ridden out for exercise two hours each morning, and seem per
fectly quiet.
2. Those that are let out to private proprietors, who pay from 300
to 800 florins a season for them.
3. Those that are stationed at the military stations scattered all
over the country, and are let at fees varying from 2 to 5 florins ; and
4. Those that are sold to the communes.
Of the second and third classes, some 2,700 Mezohegyes stallions
•are standing at various stations at the low fees I have given, two
florins being more often paid than anything higher. I saw a hundred
of these stallions standing in one stable with nothing but a swinging
pole between each horse, and was greatly struck with their appearance,
and the fact that every horse I had out, some twenty in number,
■seemed to have really good action. These were all going out to sta
tions this year. I then went into a similar stable where the stallions
for the communes were standing.
These were three-year-old stallions with a label up at the end of
each stall, giving the horse s pedigree and price. The price is fixed
by the Minister (Kosmar) at a figure very much below the horse's
real value. Representatives from the communes come to inspect the
horses, make their choice, and pay down a quarter of the price, which