184 VARIETIES OF THE HORSE 



judges; for however grandly topped a hor.se may be, he is of no use to 

 anybody if he has not legs and feet to carry him. In this connection 

 it is essential to see that the fore-feet are of the same size, for often 

 they are not, and this, of course, will detract considerably from the value 

 of the animal. They should be wide and open at the heels, and of a 

 good size, and the horn should be dense, tough, and dark in colour. The 

 hind-feet should stand square with those in front, turning neither out 

 nor in, and be hard and durable. The height of a Shire horse should 

 be a good 17 hands when he is full-grown, whilst in the case of mares 

 less height is permissible, but 15 '3 hands at shoulder is quite small 

 enough. 



There is a considerable latitude permitted to judges in their selection of 

 a Shire horse so far as the question of colour is concerned, but it is notice- 

 able that during late years there has been a perceptible increase in the 

 number of chestnuts, whilst the old-fashioned blacks have proportionately 

 decreased. Still, if breeders were to be polled, it would probably be found 

 that blacks, bays, and browns were the most popular shades, grays, which 

 at one time were highly prized, being not so much liked as formerly, 

 though why it is hard to conceive. In addition to the chestnuts, a few 

 roans keep on appearing, in spite of there being a certain amount of 

 prejudice against them in some quarters. 



The action of the Shire horse is not by any means an attribute of 

 the breed that can be overlooked, for, as may be readily imagined, a 

 draught - horse that is unable to get away briskly with a load behind 

 him is at a great disadvantage, both from the point of view of the 

 breeder and (if the employer of horse labour. The walk should there- 

 fore be a fast and even one, plenty of liberty being associated with the 

 movements of the shoulders, whilst the hocks should be used in such a 

 fashion as to bring the hind-feet well under the belly of the horse. Nor 

 should the trot, although of a lesser importance, be overlooked, for an 

 animal that can discharge his load and then get back again quickly to 

 pick up another one is naturally of far greater value than the horse 

 which lacks freedom and force of action. Of recent years, a very decided 

 improvement has been noticeable in the trotting gait of the Shire horse, 

 and his value, commercially speaking, has increased in proportion to the 

 greater nimbleness he displays at this faster pace. 



It is impossible to write of the Shire horse without reference to the 

 Shire Horse Society, which in recent years has done so much to improve 

 him. The noblemen and gentlemen who formed this body have succeeded, 

 it may be conscientiously suggested, beyond their most sanguine expecta- 

 tions in effecting an improvement in the breed to whose interests they 



