The Horse-hreeding Industry in Yorkshire . 105 



vent to the opinion that they should never have been separated 

 when the stud-books were founded. Still, quite apart from 

 any mere question of sentiment, there are other strong reasons 

 to be urged in opposition to the idea of amalgamation, nor is 

 this proposition likely to be successfully revived, at least in 

 the more immediate future, despite the fact that there is some 

 overlapping between the two breeds and that inter-breeding is 

 being freely favoured in frequent cases. 



In olden times the Cleveland Bays were known generally 

 as Chapman horses, a title that eventually fell completely into 

 abeyance, and was after a time superseded by the present one, 

 the changing of the name having probably coincided with the 

 gradual evolution of the more modern type of animal from its 

 aboriginal form. It was claimed for the old breed — and 

 admittedly with perfect truth — that it was free from " black or 

 blood," /.e., had neither a trace of cart-horse nor of thorough- 

 bred blood in its veins, but represented an entirely pure-bred 

 and distinct race of light-legged horses. While the old-time 

 Clevelands were agricultural draught horses pure and simple, 

 essentially blocky in shape, very sturdy and devoid of all 

 quality, their descendants of the present epoch have undergone 

 considerable modification in regard to type, being altogether 

 lighter and more shapely of outline, and showing to a greater 

 or less degree quality. Some of the best bred ones, indeed, 

 are now but little — if at all — inferior to the Yorkshire Coachers 

 in quality, and will pass muster as representatives of the latter 

 breed. The general tendency, moreover, is to breed them 

 with increasing quality. The breed formerly Avas very com- 

 monly characterized by a Roman-nosed head, a peculiarity now 

 mostly bred out in the leading strains, though it still not 

 infrequently occurs in some, and continues to be looked upon 

 by old breeders as a sign of pure blood. The old-fashioned 

 Cleveland Bays were also apt to be long in their backs, but they 

 have of recent times been much improved in that respect. 



At the l)eginning of last century the practice of crossing 

 Cleveland mares with thoroughbred stallions in order to breed 

 coach or cari-iage horses, and incidental!}' also weight-carrying 

 hunters, was initiated, which finally led to the Yorkshire 

 Coach Horse being developed as a separate type. At that 

 period the Cleveland breed was extensively kept for farm work 

 all over the North Riding and flovirished greatly, extending 

 also into other parts of Yorkshire and Durham, but soon after- 

 wards, owing to changing coiulitions, it gradually commenced 

 to lose grcjund. It was increasingly supplanted by cart-horses 

 of a heavier type which tlien began to come into vogue for 

 agricultural pui-poses in these parts, and in many cases it was 

 crossed with cart stallions as well as'with'blood. sires, the stock 



