20 THE HORSE 



The above two varieties may be taken as repre- 

 senting the two great pure breeds of English harness 

 horses, but it must be remembered that their size and 

 formation adapt them more for heavy barouche and 

 landau than for mail phaetons or dog-cart work. Of 

 course half-bred animals of either breed are far more 

 commonly met with than pure Cleveland Bays or 

 Yorkshire Coach Horses, and it may be added that a 

 most useful serviceable animal is a first cross between 

 the two breeds, as is that between a Hackney sire 

 and a Cleveland Bay mare. 



Draught Horses. 



The three great recognized varieties of draught 

 horse are the Shire, the Clydesdale, and the Suffolk, 

 all of which have their supporters, and all of which 

 are grand horses in their respective spheres. 



The Shire Horse 



is undoubtedly a most ancient variety^ and is re- 

 garded by many authorities as being a direct descen- 

 dant of the old English war horse so graphically 

 described by Sir Walter Gilbey in his work upon 

 that now extinct variety, as the Shire horse has 

 evolutionized his ancestor out of all recognition. 

 The Shire stallion of the present day, according to 

 " Heavy Horses," * a standard handbook upon draught 

 animals, should be at least 17 hands at shoulder, 

 from II to 11^ inches below the knee, and from 12 

 to 14 inches below the hock. The measurements 

 of the mare will not be so great, but she must, of 

 course, possess plenty of substance likewise. The 

 amount and quality of the hair upon the legs is a 



* Live Stock Handbooks, " Heavy Horses : Breeds and 

 Management," published by Vinton & Co., Ltd., London. 

 Price 3i-. 6d. 



