392 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK in 



legs, being in a manner dragged with the toes along the ground, an 

 unpleasing effect is produced. 



In going away at a walk, a horse should plant his hind feet forward 

 as deliberately as his fore ones, at the same time raising and bending 

 the leg at the hock, which should be evenly carried forward. If the 

 hocks are turned out in moving them forward, the action is not good ; 

 and a Clydesdale breeder considers this an exceedingly bad fault in 

 either horse or mare, though it is one which is commonly overlooked 

 south of the Tweed. 



In trotting, the horse should bend the legs at the knees and hocks, 

 and from a hind view the inside of the fore hoofs should almost be 

 seen at every step. If the animal be inclined to move wide behind, 

 this fault will easily be discovered at the trotting pace. 



Undoubtedly the place where the Clydesdale horse is seen to best 

 advantage is at his work ; and there can be no finer sight to a lover of 

 draught-horses than a West of Scotland ploughing-match. At such 

 gatherings 80 or 40 pairs may be seen at one time, each yoked abreast 

 to the plough, moving slowly along, with that decisive, long, measured 

 step which is one of the finest characteristics of the Clydesdale. He 

 proceeds very cautiously withal, as though^he were well aware that the 

 success of the ploughman in a great measure depended upon himself. 



The animals are all guided by words from the mouth of the plough- 

 man, reins in many cases being dispensed with altogether. 



In the ordinary " coup "-cart he steps freely out ; and the business- 

 like fashion in which he will lay his whole weight into the collar and 

 drag heavy loads up-hill, stamps him as a splendid work-horse. In the 

 streets of Glasgow he is possibly seen in his best form ; there he is 

 to be met with at every corner singly dragging heavily-laden lorries, to 

 which in London a pair would usually be attached. Though active, 

 he is generally possessed of a good temper and is easily broken. 



His constitution is, as a rule, very healthy, and he stands wet possibly 

 better than any other particular breed of draught-horses. With this 

 statement we close our somewhat lengthy extracts from the retro- 

 spective volume of the Stud-Book. 



Symmetry, activity, strength, and endurance, are, says another 

 writer, the qualities most highly esteemed in a work-horse, and it is 

 now all but universally admitted that the Clydesdale breed possesses 

 every one of these valuable characteristics in as great a degree as any 

 other. Many years have elapsed since Clydesdales ceased to be con- 

 fined exclusively to their native valley, and at the present day many of 

 the finest specimens are bred in Galloway, Ayrshire, Perthshire, &c., as 

 well as in Clydesdale. While the pure-bred Clydesdale horse is justly 

 held in high estimation as a work-horse, suitable for either the farm 

 or the street, sires of this variety have deservedly been regarded with 

 rapidly-increasing favour for crossing with mares of other breeds and 

 countries. Indeed, they are unsurpassed in their wonderful adapt- 

 ability for the improvement, by crossing, of the common farm-horse of 

 almost eveiy nationality. Hence, in recent years, considerable numbers 

 of them have been taken to almost every part of England, and many 



