188 VARIETIES OF THE HORSE 



of the country and the poverty that prevailed no doubt contributed to 

 the curtailment of an)' sort of enterpri.se in breeding. At the same time, 

 there are ample grounds for the opinion that some attempts, and satisfac- 

 tory attempts too, had been made to improve the race of Scottish horses, 

 it being more than probable that both Cleveland Bay and Flemish crosses 

 were utilized for the purpose. Great credit is due to the " Society of 

 Improvers" of Edinburgh, who, so far back as the year 1759, offered a 

 prize of fifteen guineas for the best draught stallion, this being won by 

 the bay entire horse Red Robin, the property of William Whyte, a 

 tenant farmer of Polmont. 



Writing so far back as the year 1782, the Rev. David Ure, the minister 

 of Rutherglen, in his history of the parish in question, states that the horses 

 of Clydesdale had become famous long before that date. He adds of the 

 once famous Rutherglen Fair that " the market day is not now frequented, 

 but six fairs are held annually in the town and are famous for the best 

 horses in Europe". This little compliment to the value of the animals 

 changing hands at Rutherglen may probably have been an exaggeration, but 

 Mr. Ure's eulogies may be accepted as valuable, for they prove two facts 

 conclusively — first, that the Clydesdale horse was recognized as a distinct 

 variety and had been for some time; and secondly, that the breed sold well 

 in far-off 1782, else there would have been no support forthcoming for the 

 six annual fairs. 



The worthy minister also adds that — 



" A high degree of credit is due to the farmers for their unremitting 

 endeavours to improve this excellent breed. They pay strict attention to 

 every circumstance respecting the colour, the softness and hardness of the 

 hair, the length of the body, breast, and shoulders of their breeders, sire and 

 dam. No inducement whatever can lead them to encourage the breed of a 

 horse that is not possessed of the best qualities. . . . Every farm almost 

 throughout the extent of several parishes supports six or at least four mares, 

 the half of which are allowed annually to foal. The colts are mostly sold at 

 the Fairs of Lanark and Carnwath, and bring to the owners from five to 

 twenty pounds each. These are generally purchased by farmers from the 

 counties of Renfrew and Ayr, where they are trained for the draught until 

 about five years old. They are then sold at the Fairs of Rutherglen from 

 twenty-five to forty pounds each, from whence they are taken to the 

 Lothians, England, &c, where they excel in the plough, the cart, and the 

 waggon." 



The position of the Clydesdale may therefore be regarded as having been 

 clearly recognized so far back as 1782; but writing eighteen years later in 

 the British Farmer's Magazine, William Aiton, referred to above, takes 



