No. 5. The Old English Black Horse. 145 



THE OLD ENGLISH BLACK HORSE. 



(Sire, Old Black Legs, from a mare of the Dishley blood. 



From Low's Illustrations. 



The individual here pourtrayed, represents a descendant of one of Bakevvell's most valued horses, the progen- 

 itor of some of the finest of the old dray-horses of London. Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire are 

 distinguished for the breed of this kind (if horses, which are still in great demand, not only in the midland 

 counties, but overall the south of England, for the labours of the field and for road wagons and heavy car- 

 riages of all descriptions. Here they are to be seen, moving at a slow pace, attached to enormous vehicles by 

 which merchandise is conveyed inland, and in great numbers in all large cities and sea-port towns, for the 

 transport of heavy goods from the wharves, for the carriage of coal, building materials, and for a thousand 

 other purposes; while in London, where the very largest and finest are in constant demand, for the brewers* 

 drays and the enormous wagons of coal merchants, the stranger sees, with amazement and admiration, vast 

 numbers of carriages in endless motion, drawn by teams of the largest horses in the world, although it must 

 be admitted that there is great waste of power in the unnecessary bulk of these huge animals ; for although it 

 is contended by many, that extreme weight and bulk of body are necessary to resist the jolting and sudden 

 obstacles encountered on the rough pavements of the city, which they never leave, yet, in truth, it is a habit 

 and species of pride, which leads the owners of them to prefer the largest and most showy horses, to those of 

 more moderate size and more useful action ; for e.\pprience has shown, that it is muscular force, and not the 

 vis inertim of great weight of body, which best enables a horse to overcome continued obstacles. And the mere 

 gratification of taste in the employment of these immense and splendid animals, would scarce require a pass- 

 ing censure, were it not that this gratification exercises a hurtful influence in the breeding counties, causing 

 attention to be directed to size rather than to usefulness; for in the counties of Lincoln and Cambridge, from 

 whence the Loudon drays are supplied with them, the breeder measures his success by the stature of the 

 individuals he is able to rear, and at the age of 2J years, the colts are often more than 17 hands in height, when 

 they are bought, at prices corresponding to their size, by graziers near the capital, and used in the light work 

 of the farm until four years old, being then disposed of at enormous prices, to the crack teamsters of London, 

 old horses often being taken in exchange as part payment, which find their way into the hands of other great 

 horse-masters in the provincial cities; and thus, the giant race of London dray-horses is continually renewed, 

 before age and infirmity reduce them in figure and appearance. 



This noble breed may be described as in colour a sooty black, with frequently a white face, or lozenge-shaped 

 mark on the forehead ; very generally one or more of the feet and part of the legs white ; the body massive, com- 

 pact and round; the limbs stout; the chest enormously broad and the neck and back short; the mane thick and 

 sometimes frizzled, and the legs below the knee and hock, hairy down to the heel; the whole aspect conveying 

 the idea of immense physical power, but without corresponding action. For a pull at a heavy weight, he is 

 admirably adapted, but his step is short, and all his actions slow. 



The custom, so very general in London, of feeding horses while standing during loading or unloading, by 

 means of hair bags suspended by a strap of leather passing over the head to keep it in place, is worthy adoption 

 elsewhere. The hit of the bridle is made to unhook at one fide, and is thus removed from the mouth very con- 

 veniently, while the food, chopped hay, sometimes mixed with oats or other grain, is preserved from waste, and 

 is eaten quickly, aflSirding more nutriment in a small space than can be administered in hay or other long feed 

 thrown on the ground : this mode of feeding might be adopted by farmers, while their horses or oxen are resting 

 from labour in the fields, with msch convenience and to great advantage. 



