Marshland _ Shales. i o i 



But as a general rule in this country, when a breeder decides not to put a mare to a thorough- 

 bred sire, he chooses a roadster trotter. 



TROTTING STALLIONS. 

 The English trotting stallions, as far as can be ascertained by inquiries in the counties where 

 they originally became famous, are of Dutch or Flemish origin. At any rate, they were first 

 heard of about a hundred years ago, in the fen districts of Lincolnshire. Their merit lies in 

 compactness, strength, and action ; their pace, which so much astonished the last generation, has 

 been completely thrown into the shade by the feats of the American trotters — a very different 

 class of animals. 



Although the origin of the roadster trotter is not very remote, it is as mysterious as every 

 historical fact connected with the English horse. 



John Laurence (1810) says: "It is a remarkable fact that no instance is recorded of a 

 thoroughbred horse being a capital trotter" — this, according to American experience, is a 

 mistake — " although some racers, for example Shark, Hammer by Herod, and, I believe 

 Mambrino, had a short quick trot. Infidel, by Turk, trotted fifteen miles in one hour, 

 carrying ten stone, on the road between Carlisle and Newcastle, about twenty-five years ago 

 (1785). Old Shields, sire of Scott, was got by Blank out of a strong common-bred mare. 

 The best trotters now to be found in Lincolnshire have proceeded from Old Shields (Shales .'). 

 They were distinguished in the first produce by the round buttock and wide bosom of the 

 cart-bred sire. The stock was improved by crossing with racing blood. Pretender, a son of 

 Cub, was out of a well-bred daughter of Lord Abingdon's Pretender, by Marske (sire of 

 Echpse). Pretender was said (I am not compelled to believe it) to have trotted a mile in two 

 minutes and a half" 



Marshland Shales, according to a memoir that accompanies his portrait, by Abraham 

 Cooper, in the old Sporting Magazine of 1825, "was foaled in 1802. He stood 14 hands 

 3 inches high. In 1824 his crest was still very large; when he was young and in high 

 condition it was immense. His hind-quarters were neat, and showed racing blood, but his 

 head resembled the old Suffolk Punch. He was fully master of twenty stone, and was 

 styled in Norfolk a ' thundering trotter.' Although he bent his knee well, he was not a 

 remarkably high goer. He once trotted seventeen miles within the hour on the hard road, 

 carrying I2st. 2lbs. What he would have done with a light weight on a soft trotting course 

 may be imagined. He covered in Lincolnshire, the Fens, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Sufiolk, 

 and Essex." Lavengro* has described Marshland Shales in his own peculiar style: — "It 

 came to pass that I stood upon this hill (Norwich Hill), observing a fair of horses. I had 

 no horses to ride, but I took pleasure in looking at them, and I had already attended more 

 than one of these fairs. The present was lively enough, indeed, horse fairs are seldom dull. 

 There was shouting and whooping, neighing and braying, there was galloping and trotting ; 

 fellows with highlows and white stockings, and with many a string dangling from the knees of 

 their tight breeches, were running desperately, holding horses by the halter, and in some cases 

 dragging them along ; there were long-tailed steeds and dock-tailed steeds of every degree and 

 breed ; there were droves of wild ponies, and long rows of sober cart-horses ; there were 

 donkeys, and even mules — the last rare things to be seen in damp misty England, for the mule 

 pines in mud and rain, and thrives best ivitli a hot sun above and a burning sand below. There 

 were— oh, the gallant creatures ! I hear their neigh upon the wind— there were (goodliest sight 



* George Borrow. 



