SHIRE HORSES. 2/ 



horse, and is now employed only as a draught-horse. In colour it 

 is generally black, often with a white star on the forehead and 

 white fetlocks; the tail and mane are profuse, and the legs very 

 hairy. Although originally English, the Shire Horse was in early 

 days crossed with Neapolitan and Flanders Horses (which have 

 Barb blood in their veins) if not with the Barb itself, and it has 

 been suggested that the colour of the breed is largely due to Barb 

 ancestry. Evidence of such a crossing appears to be afforded by 

 the presence of a distinct depression in front of the eye-socket in 

 the skull of this breed (fig. 17) ; such a depression being, as already 

 mentioned, characteristic of Barbs, Arabs, and Thoroughbreds. 

 In the limb-bones the rudimentary lateral digits are very strongly 

 developed (see page 10). 



Among specimens of this breed exhibited in the North Hall is 

 the skull (N.H. 8. fig. 17) of " Blaisdon Conqueror." This famous 

 horse, whose sire was " Hitchin Conqueror '^ and dam ^' Welcome," 

 was foaled in 1894, and died in October, 1904. He stood 17 hands, 

 2 inches in height, and was placed in the first class and won many 

 cups and other prizes at the Shire Horse Show at Islington in 

 1899, 1902, and 1904. His number was 15989 in the Shire 

 Horse Stud-book. The skull and limb-bones were presented by 

 the breeder and owner, Mr. P. Stubs, m 1905. The limbs of the 

 left side are exhibited, as mentioned above, alongside those of the 

 Thoroughbred '' Stockwell." 



In the same year as the last the Museum also received the skull 

 of another Shire Stallion, " Prince William" (N.H. 22), who was 

 foaled in 1883, and died in 1905. His Stud-book number was 

 3956, and his breeder Mr. W. H. Potter. The skull was presented 

 by Lady Wantage in 1905. Both in this and the last specimen 

 the vestige of the preorbital depression is very clearly displayed. 

 The cannon-bones of '' Prince Wdliam " (fig. 7) are exhibited 

 in one of the table-cases, to show the great development of the 

 splint-bones characteristic of this breed. For remarks concerning 

 these and other specimens of the feet of Shire Horses see page 10. 



The large case in the central arch on the northern side of the 

 hall contains the mounted head (N.H. 5) and skull (N.H. 23) of 

 the famous Shire Mare '' Starlight," presented ni 1906 by 

 Mrs. Crisp, the widow of the owner, Mr. F. Crisp, of Long 



