THE CART-HORSE. 443 



THE CARRIAGE-HORSE. 



In the old coaching days in England the favorite carriage-horse was 

 the Cleveland Bay, which was formed by the progressive mixture of the 

 blood of the race-horse with the original breeds of the country. The 

 points of a good carriage-horse are, substance well-placed, a deep and 

 well-proportioned body, bone under the knee, and sound open feet. At 

 present, it is merely a larger saddle-horse, combining size, strength, and 

 elegance — in other words, a tall, strong, oversized hunter. 



THE CART-HORSE. 



The Clydesdale Cart-horse (Plate XXXll) One of the best 

 horses for ordinary heavy work is the CLYDESDALE ; it is docile in 

 temper, and possessed of enormous strength and great endurance. It 

 owes its origin to one of the Dukes of Hamilton, who crossed some of 

 the best Lanark mares with stallions that he had brought from Flanders. 

 The Clydesdale is larger than the Suflblk, and has a better head, a 

 longer neck, a lighter carcase, and deeper legs ; he is strong, hardy, 

 pulling true, and rarely restive. The southern parts of Scotland are 

 principally supplied from this district ; and many Clydesdales, not only 

 for agricultural purposes, but for the coach and the saddle, find their 

 way to the central and even southern counties of England. Dealers 

 from almost every part of the United Kingdom attend the markets of 

 Glasgow and Rutherglen. Mr. Low says that " the Clydesdale horse as 

 it is now bred is usually sixteen hands high. The prevailing color is 

 black, but the brown or bay is common, and is contmually gaining upon 

 the other, and the gray is not unfrequently produced. They are longer 

 in the body than the English black horse, and less weighty, compact, 

 and muscular, but they step out more freely, and have a more useful 

 action for ordinary labor. They draw steadily, and are usually free 

 from vice. The long stride, characteristic of the breed, is partly the 

 result of conformation, and partly of habit and training ; but, however 

 produced, it adds greatly to the usefulness of the horse." 



The Percherox breed, justly celebrated for ages, is the model of 

 a light draught-horse. In the days of mail-coaches and diligences, this 

 race was, par cxccllmcc, the post-horse of France. At the present time it 

 almost exclusively supplies the horses for the omnibuses of Paris and the 



