68 SHIRE HORSES AT ISLINGTON 



One of the main objects of the Shire Horse Society 

 is to c breed away from side-bone,' and it is to their 

 success in this that the popularity of the breed is largely 

 due. Hence the importance of pedigree, and incident- 

 ally the delay in awarding prizes in the show ; for 

 every animal has to pass a rigorous ' medical examina- 

 tion ' before its merits are considered. A second, and 

 not less important, form of soundness in these animals 

 is temper. { Temperament ' is perhaps the truer word. 

 In combining this mental characteristic with modifi- 

 cations in size and strength, the breeders have met 

 with little resistance from Nature. If the ' nerves ' of 

 the ordinary thoroughbred or hackney were possessed 

 by the giant shire horse, it would be as unsafe to 

 use for traffic as a Highland bull, and almost as 

 dangerous as a stampeding elephant. If its nerves did 

 not occasionally cause it to bolt with a two-ton van 

 behind it, the everyday fidgeting, stamping and 

 trotting which ordinary equine temperament demands 

 in the lighter horses would strain the legs and ruin the 

 hoofs which have to bear the burden of its bulk. As 

 things are, the temper of the great horse has grown 

 milder and easier as its size has increased. This is 

 largely due to nature, for the shire horse is descended, 

 without Arab or thoroughbred crosses, from the heavy 

 war-horse of the days of armour. But the avoidance of 

 repeating any cross from which temper has resulted must 



