THE DRAFT BREEDS OF HORSES 29 



other breed of horses. The demand became insistent 

 for action in show and breeding stock, and the result is 

 that, in the possession of this feature, judged from a purely 

 mechanical standpoint, the breed has made marvelous 

 progress. The action required had to be straight, regu- 

 lar and free, both at the walk and at the trot, with a free 

 flexion of the knee, a springiness to the pastern and a 

 straight and close passage of the hocks. In the effort 

 to secure these improvements, the Scotch breeders were 

 very ably supported by the American breeders, although 

 the latter did not feel like going so far in the securing of 

 quality as the home breeders. It is very likely that the 

 latter felt misgivings on the point, for there is no doubt 

 but that the slight infusion of Shire blood, which was made 

 into the Clydesdale, chiefly through the use of Prince of 

 Wales (673), is, to some degree, evidence that they wished 

 to regain some substance and weight, which, for the time 

 being, had been sacrificed to a degree for quality. 



The Clydesdale breeders ultimately secured what 

 they had striven for, even though little attention has 

 been paid to the American dislike for splashes of white 

 on legs or body. In this connection it may be given as 

 a general principle that while it is well to bear in mind 

 the peculiar requirements of any trade, yet it is well to 

 be careful in the matter of humoring any fad as to color 

 or any other fancy point, when it clashes in any way with 

 real essentials. Having secured the latter, then the 

 question of markings and color may properly be allowed 

 to enter as a substantial factor. Another feature is that 

 the history of the live-stock trade in this country indi- 

 cates that to cater to a color, especially of a fad, has its 

 dangers. The preference for red among Shorthorn ad- 

 mirers carried to the point of a prejudice against the roan, 



