DRAFT HORSES 207 



and his croup is often too drooping. Straight pasterns 

 are another rather common defect in the Belgian — as 

 they are indeed in most heavy horses. 



The Belgian was not imported to this country until 

 comparatively recent times, in fact, to any extent only 

 during the past ten or fifteen years, but he has already 

 attained a great popularity, and the pure Belgians now 

 in this country will undoubtedly be of much value for 

 breeding purposes. 



The color of the Belgian is bay, chestnut, or roan, 

 with an occasional brown, gray, or black. 



The secretary of the American Belgian Association 

 Is J. J. Conner, Jr., Wabash, Indiana. 



THE SHIRE HORSE 



The Shire horse originated in England and is sup- 

 posed to date back to the war horse of the middle ages. 

 He has been known during the past thousand years or 

 so, first as the War Horse, then as the Great Horse, 

 later as the Old English Black Horse, and finally as 

 the Shire Horse. The Shire is heavier than any other 

 draft horse, except the Belgian, and Shire stallions that 

 weigh 2,000 pounds or over are not at all uncommon. 

 The Shire is also the tallest of the draft breeds, and is 

 less compact than the Belgian or the Percheron. The 

 average height of Shire stallions is probably nearly 

 seventeen hands. The Shire, as a rule, has rather 

 long legs, a rather long straight back, a long straight 

 neck, and a nose inclined to be of the Roman character. 

 He is a horse of good, heavy bone, but the long hair, 

 or feather, as it is called, on his legs is a great defect 



