THE SHIRE HORSE. 



441 



bulk of the transit in many districts was by means of 

 pack horses. In the colHery districts, coal was carried 

 by horses from the mines ; even manure was carried on 

 to the land in some places on the backs of horses ! Trusses 

 of hay were also occasionally met with loaded upon horses' 

 backs, and in towns, builders' horses might be seen bending 

 under a heavy load of brick, stone, and lime. Members 



Photo by] [C. A. Tadmax, Stansteu, ESSEX. 



Fig. 458,— Sir Walter Gilbey's Hackney Stallion, Royal Danegelt. 



of Parliament travelled to London on horseback, with long 

 overalls or wide riding breeches, into which their coat 

 tails were tucked to be kept from the mud of the high- 

 ways " (Live Stock Journal). The weight of the heavy 

 cart-horse increased more or less in proportion to the 

 improvement in roads, especially after the advent of 

 Macadam ; and of late years has received an additional 

 rise from fashionable requirements at Shows. 



