AGRICULTURAL AND HEAVY DRAUGHT-HOUSES. 15 



AGRICULTURAL AND HEAVY DRAUGHT-HORSES. 



Thes'e, after all, are the most important kinds of horses in 

 agricultural and trading countries, and their value from an 

 economical point of view cannot be disputed. Of late years 

 great attention has been paid to their improvement, and par- 

 ticularly to the breeds known as Clydesdale and Shire horses. 



The Clydesdale horse is, though comparatively large, more 

 active and handy than the Shire horse, and is, therefore, more 

 used where strength and speed are required in combination. 

 He shows more breeding than any other of the cart-horse 

 kind, and his type is more fixed and definite. The prevailing 

 colours are bay and brown ; black and grey are less common. 

 His height is about sixteen hands, or a few inches more, and 

 his breeding is manifested in the neat, handsome head, good 

 forehead, and symmetrical body, which is deep in the girth, 

 round, and short. The legs are short and muscular, with large 

 bones ; formerly the legs were rather long, but this defect has 

 been corrected by judicious breeding. The hair on the back 

 part of the legs, toward the fetlocks, is made a special feature 

 in this breed ; at one time it was curly, but now the fashion is 

 to have it long, straight, and silky. The face and legs are 

 often white, which rather detracts from their otherwise comely 

 appearance. 



A noted Clydesdale belonging to Colonel Lloyd, of Lockinge 

 Park, Berkshire, measured seventeen hands high, seven feet 

 six inches in girth, eighteen inches round the fore-arm, and 

 ten and a half inches below the knee. 



The value of good Clydesdale horses is remarkably high, 

 the prices given for them, even when yearlings, being greater 

 sometimes than for many thorough-bred race-horses of dis- 

 tinguished pedigree. It is not at all uncommon for stallions 

 to fetch 500, and even more ; indeed, we are informed that 



