238 



CHAPTER XXII. 



HORSE SHOWS. 



That horse shows have exercised a beneficial in- 

 fluence on the improvement of horses of all classes, 

 particularly during the last quarter of a century, few 

 people will venture to contradict. If the two ex- 

 tremes are considered — for example. Shires and 

 Shetland ponies — the improvement is marvellous 

 indeed. The round bones, short pasterns, and hairy 

 legs possessed by the former a quarter of a century 

 ago have gradually been evolved to flat, hard bones 

 and finer hair, their ankles have been lengthened, 

 and their feet have been expanded in the right 

 direction. In large towns magnificent specimens of 

 this splendid breed of horses are constantly to be 

 seen at work on the streets, and it is to this branch 

 of agriculture that breeders should in future direct 

 their attention, because it is probably the most 

 lucrative branch of all. At present England enjoys 

 a monopoly in the breeding of heavy horses which 

 foreign countries hitherto have failed appreciably to 

 disturb. Shetland ponies have also been vastly im- 

 proved along the right lines. Correct conformation 

 has been achieved with the retention of all the natural 



