HORSES OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS 131 



North of the Tweed the most famous breed of 

 heavy cart-horse is the Clydesdale, so called from 

 the district watered by the Clyde in its course 

 through the county of Lanark. The breed appears 

 to be of somewhat mixed origin, Scotch drovers 

 who took cattle to England in the early part of the 

 eighteenth century returning with horses which 

 were used for the improvement of the native stock. 

 What these horses were is, of course, unknown ; 

 but it is certain that about the year 1715 a farmer 

 introduced into Clydesdale a black Flemish stallion 

 from England which formed the foundation of the 

 modern breed. The mares descended from this 

 stallion were generally brown or black, with the 

 face white, some white on the legs, and a white 

 patch on the belly ; grey occurring abundantly in 

 the tail, and occasionally on the body. Clydesdales 

 are reared in Renfrew, Ayr, and Dumfries, although 

 to the largest extent in their native Lanarkshire. 



The average height of the Clydesdale is about 

 1 6^ hands for stallions and an inch or so less 

 for mares. Breeders lay stress on the form of the 

 feet, which should be large, round, and open, with 

 abundance of "bone," and a free action. White 

 feet, although common, are regarded as objection- 

 able. A "dished" face, small ears, and a "pony" 

 head are regarded as indicative of a strain of 

 Galloway or garron blood ; while, on the other 

 hand, a narrow face and Roman nose point as 



