BREEDS AND VARIETIES OF HORSES 21 



great point of importance, as it should be profuse, 

 not harsh to the touch, straight and not at all woolly 

 in texture. The head of a Shire horse is of a good 

 useful size^ a too pretty-looking headpiece not being 

 desired. The chest is wide, the middle-piece excep- 

 tionally powerful and extra deep behind the arms, 

 the shoulders straighter than those of a general 

 purpose horse, so as to adapt themselves to the 

 purposes of drawing heavy loads, the fore legs short. 



very big, with good sloping pasterns and big healthy 

 feet; whilst the hind legs should also be powerful, 

 and the hocks especially well developed and quite 

 clean, any tendency to turn the latter joints either 

 in or out being highly objectionable. A free, level 

 walk is a great characteristic of a first-rate Shire 

 horse. 



The Clydesdale, 



which is to be found in perfection in the south- 

 western districts of Scotland, possesses, according to 

 a writer in " Heavy Horses," a head of medium 



