412 FARM HORSES CLYDESDALES 



thirty or forty years ; and many maintain that horses in old 

 days were better furnished with bone, their legs better fringed 

 with hair, and in general much sounder than those for which 

 high prices have been paid during recent years." 



The Clydesdale was authoritatively described in 1881 

 from the Shire breeders' point of view " as high on the leg, 

 with a long, low back, and short flat ribs. He is high couraged, 

 active, with good, hard, flat legs, long pasterns, and firm feet." 



While the foreign demand, which resulted in a large 

 number of high-priced horses being shipped abroad, was 

 suspended about 1 890, yet the owner of a really good horse 

 had substantial inducements offered to keep him in this 

 country. For example, the Glasgow Society prize horse of 

 the year 1889, "Sir Everard" (5353), may be calculated as 

 follows to have earned .700 to his owner during the season 

 May, June, and July : 



The Society's premium . .. . 150 



Service fees of say 100 mares @ 3 . . 300 



50 mares estimated to prove in foal, @ $ . 250 



700 



The "Prince of Carruchan " (8151) would earn over 1200 

 for his owner, Peter Crawford, in 1892, with a covering-fee 

 of 10, and an additional 5 on sight of a foal. These were 

 very different returns from those recorded in the Stud Book 

 relating to the early years of last century, when the Clydes- 

 dale breed was practically confined, if we except Ayrshire, to 

 the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, " where nearly every farmer 

 kept a number of mares, from each of which it was his object 

 to breed a foal for the purpose of supplying the demand 

 of the more advanced agricultural counties." About one 

 stallion was required for every 80 mares. He was not over- 

 fed as horses too often are now, and he did his share of farm 

 work. The fee was ten, fifteen, or twenty shillings on proof 

 of foal, and one shilling to the ploughman, who might have to 

 unyoke the horse from the plough to cover a mare. Modern 

 returns are very variable. Montgomery's " Baron's Pride," 

 a grand foal-getter throwing 60 per cent, good stands at 

 20 guineas for service. " Flashwood " (3604) has earned as 

 much as 1050 in a year, and "Hiawatha" will net 



