406 FARM HORSES CLYDESDALES 



throughout the dark coats of many of the best Clydesdales of 

 the present day. 



It is a matter for conjecture whether some coaching 

 blood was or was not introduced into the breed by a stylish 

 black horse " Blaze " (named from the white marking on his 

 face), which belonged to Scott of Brownhill, Carstairs ; but 

 the ancestry of "all the best and noted Clydesdale horses 

 of the present day" can be traced to "Glancer" (335), alias 

 "Thompson's Black Horse," bred about 1810 by Somerville, 

 Lampits Farm, Carnwath, where was built up the most noted 

 breed of the early part of last century. " Glancer " belonged 

 to the Lochlyoch strain, and was consequently descended 

 from the Flemish horse. He was said to be " a very 

 complete horse in all points except the hocks, which were 

 considered to be a little full." Both hind legs were white, 

 and "his clean sharp bones were fringed with nice flowing 

 silken hair." From " Broomfield Champion " (95) the first foal 

 of a grey mare subsequently rendered barren by high feeding 

 and the great-grandson of Thompson's " Glancer," " The 

 Prince of Wales" (673) and "Darnley" (222) were both 

 descended. 



A considerable impetus to the breeding of good Clydes- 

 dales was given when the Highland Society began in 1827 

 to hold open shows and offer premiums for horses. One of 

 the Society's rules was that all horses eligible for competition 

 must be either "black bays or brown bays." James Frame 

 of Broomfield, one of the most successful stallion owners of 

 the day, set an example to breeders by castrating all grey 

 colts, thereby stimulating the desire which then existed for 

 bays and browns, and reducing the number of grey horses in 

 the country. The embargo on grey has long been removed, 

 and since the middle of last centpry "grey stallions have 

 taken some of the best prizes of the Society," but now grey 

 in common with chestnut is not a favourite colour. 



Another well-known early authority on Clydesdales was 

 William Fulton, of Sproulston, on the Ayrshire border of 

 Renfrew the breeder of the famous sire "Clyde," alias 

 " Glancer " (153), and of his son " Clyde " or " Prince of Wales " 

 (155), the sire of "Lothian Tarn " (506). Discussing the 

 merits of two predominating strains of the breed, he said : 

 " Frame's kind have plenty of style and good action ; but 



