CHAP. i. THE SHIRE HORSE. 385 



(1878) the Shire Horse Society was firmly established, its objects 

 being: (1.) To improve and promote the breeding of the Shire or old 

 English breed of Cart horses, and be the means of distributing sound 

 and healthy sires throughout the country. (2.) To promote the 

 general interest of the breeders and owners of Shire or old English 

 Cart horses. 



In his introductory essay in the first volume of the American Shire- 

 horse Stud Book, Mr. Alexander Galbraith, Janesville, the President of 

 the Association, says : 



" The high state of perfection to which the English Shire-horse 

 has attained is the natural result of many generations of careful, 

 patient, and painstaking study in the science of breeding, and the 

 present generation owe a lasting debt of gratitude to those early 

 breeders and improvers of this noble race of draught horses. In the 

 beginning of this century the principal, if not the only, colours of 

 Shire-horses were blacks, dark browns, and greys. Now there are in 

 addition, a great many chesnuts, sorrels, bays, and roans. The typical 

 Shire-horse of the present day (figs. 84 and 85) weighs about 1,800 Ib. 

 to 2,000 Ib., stands 16| hands high, on short, strong, heavily-muscled 

 legs, with an abundant supply of long hair on the back of the legs from 

 knees and hocks to pasterns. His knees are broad, hocks clean and 

 free from puffs or fleshiness, head medium size, wide between the 

 eyes and very masculine a slightly Roman nose is not considered 

 objectionable, being generally indicative of force, but ' dished ' or 

 hollow faces are not liked. The eye is prominent and clear, expressive 

 of vigour ; the throat latch cleanly cut, neck moderately long and well 

 arched on to the shoulders, which are deep and strong, and tolerably 

 oblique. The chest is wide and full, denoting a strong constitution ; 

 back short and straight, ribs round and deep, coupling short, hind 

 quarters long, level and well let down into the thighs, which are 

 especially strong and well-muscled. The hind-legs from hocks to 

 pasterns descend perpendicularly ; the cannon bones should be flat, 

 heavy, and clean, and the feet wide, tough, and prominent at heels. 

 Action bold and straight. General characteristics : Immense strength, 

 symmetrical proportions, bold free action, and a kind and tractable 

 disposition. The effects of climate, soil, and feeding are very noticeable 

 in Shire-horses, those raised in the fen-lands of Lincolnshire or 

 Cambridgeshire having usually a greater amount of bone and hair than 

 those from Yorkshire and Lancashire, although the latter counties 

 have, in many cases, the credit of supplying horses of finer texture 

 and greater endurance. The different types of Shire-horses observable 

 at nearly all the large shows have given rise to much discussion and 

 controversy of late, and, although every man is free to act according to 

 his own taste, the generally accepted modern opinion is in favour of 

 that type which combines quality and action with good, clean, heavy, 

 flat bone, and hair of a soft, silky character. The old-fashioned cart 

 horse, with fourteen inches of bone below the knee, short pasterns, 

 gummy legs, and coarse, curly hair all round, has now few admirers, 

 although a good many of this class can still be seen at the London 



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