CART-HORSES 117 



cart-horse appears to be in comparison with that of the 

 thoroughbred, it is not entirely in favour of the former, for 

 not only is the grain far more porous, but the cavity inside 

 for containing the marrow is also disproportionately large, 

 and therefore the actual bone it not so massive as at first 

 sight it appears to be. 



To a great extent the power of a cart-horse depends upon 

 his weight, especially in a dead pull ; and he requires 

 considerable courage to continue to pull again and again at 

 an inert mass until it moves, and then to draw it, perhaps 

 for miles. Horses used in country work for drawing 

 brewers' drays and such-like heavy vehicles, travel from 

 twenty-five to thirty miles a day, the weight in a four-wheel 

 van being from 6 to 6^ tons, which is a full load for three 

 or sometimes four horses. Cart-horses require docile 

 tempers, and a placid, though generous disposition ; and 

 must also possess the best of constitutions to withstand the 

 changes of our variable climate. In breeding them a saving 

 point in their favour is the early age at which they can begin 

 to do something towards earning their keep ; while the dam 

 also can work through almost the whole period of gestation, 

 and again very shortly after the foal is born, so that the total 

 cost is small compared with breeding well-bred horses. A 

 young cart-horse can do light jobs when it is two years old 

 without detriment to its growth or general well-being, 

 whilst the well-bred hunting colt is of little use until it 

 is at least four years old. 



The Lincolnshire Black Cart-horse. 



There was a famous breed of black cart-horses in Lincoln- 

 shire which existed as a class till the middle of the last 

 century, which are traced to the times when the Dutch 

 came over and drained the Eastern fens during the reign of 

 William III., bringing their horses over with them. They 

 spread into Yorkshire, where occasional specimens still 

 crop up, throwing back to their Dutch ancestors. They are 

 set much store by, being invariably active hard workers, and 

 in their lean, game-looking heads they show evidence of 

 superior blood m their ancestral pedigree. 



