448 THE HORSE CLEVELAND BAYS 



employment of a good horse named " Sportsman " and his 

 descendants. It is owing to the presence of an abundance of 

 Arab blood in the Hackneys of Yorkshire and of Norfolk that 

 it is now possible to cross the two varieties with satisfactory 

 results, and to maintain them as they now exist in the same 

 Stud Book. At an earlier date, but so late as 1775, crossing 

 in this way was not advisable, as it is recorded l in reference 

 to Norfolk horses, that " not a single horse of any repute has 

 been produced from these half-bred horses brought from 

 Yorkshire or elsewhere." 



The Hackney horse of to-day should be " a powerfully- 

 built, short-legged, big, broad horse, with an intelligent head, 

 neat neck, strong, level back, powerful loins, and as perfect 

 shoulders as can be produced ; good feet, flat-boned legs, and 

 a height of from 15.2 to 15.3^ hands." Plate CXI. shows 

 that Hackney-bred carriage-horses over 17 hands can also 

 be produced. 



Hackneys have been largely exported to all parts 

 of the world. They have been taken to India as stud 

 horses 2 for breeding army remounts by the native mares. 

 The Yorkshire variety possesses the necessary qualities for 

 the purpose in a greater degree than the Norfolk. 



THE CLEVELAND BAY, 



A branch of the old Coaching or Chapman horse, 3 is now 

 mainly to be seen in Yorkshire, although at one time its 

 habitat covered a much wider region. The breed was in a 

 most flourishing condition for about two decades subsequent 

 to the middle of the eighteenth century, after which period it 

 declined. It, however, sustained its worst blow at the time 

 when the advent of railways led to the reduction of the 

 demand for stage-coach horses, and when it became fashion- 

 able to breed carriage-horses and other light-legged horses 

 by mating a Thoroughbred horse with a light farm mare. By 



1 In the first volume of the Hackney Stud Book, 1884, to which the 

 Author is indebted for many details of the early history. 



2 The Report (1892) announcing the transference of the management 

 of horse-breeding operations from the military to the civil authorities, 

 says: "The stallions at the end of the year numbered 367, Norfolk 

 trotters being most numerous, and most popular with native breeders. 

 An improvement in horse-breeding is noticed." 



3 See Appendix O. 



