THE DRAFT BREEDS OF HORSES 25 



of the legs, and a general massiveness of form not easily 

 secured by the use of any other breed of draft stallions. 



18. Distribution. The Belgian breed of horses had no 

 wide distribution outside of its native home, until within 

 the past seventeen years, since which time it has been in 

 general demand on the continent, as it is particularly de- 

 sirable for use in the heaviest kind of work in large cities. 

 Numbers have been imported into Germany, France, 

 Holland, Sweden, Austria, and other European countries, 

 the Argentine Republic, and other South American coun- 

 tries, and to the United States, where they have found 

 rather extensive favor, particularly in the central states. 



19. Organizations and records. The National Draft 

 Horse Society of Belgium (Le Cheval de Trait Beige) was 

 founded in 1886, and the American Association of Im- 

 porters and Breeders of Belgian Draft Horses in 1887. 

 The former association has issued a number of stud-books, 

 and is very aggressive in the interest of the breed. It 

 receives national financial support. For twenty years 

 the latter association did very little to encourage the 

 breed, which accounts, in part, for the little interest 

 taken in these horses in America until within recent 

 years. It is now more active. The first stud-book was 

 issued in 1905, since which time five more volumes have 

 been published. 



CLYDESDALE HORSE. Plate II. Figs. 4, 5. 

 By John A. Craig 



20. This breed has been known for many years as the 

 draft breed of Scotland. It is one of the oldest breeds 

 of British draft horses. 



