440 



THE DRAY-HORSE. 



In our midland counties, from Lincolnshire to Staffordshire, 

 the HEAVY BLACK HORSE is bred. Those of Lincolnshire 

 are the largest, being seldom less than seventeen hands high 

 when two and a half years old. The largest are used as dray- 

 horses j the next in size are used as waggon-horses ; and a smaller 

 breed, but with more blood, carries the soldier to the field of 

 battle and the dead man to the church- yard. Many of the 

 largest are purchased from the breeder by the farmers of Surrey, 

 Berkshire, and other counties near the metropolis. There they 

 are gradually trained for town work. On soils where two 

 lighter horses would be . quite sufficient, four of these enormous 

 animals are used to draw the plough ; but then their bones are 

 not yet perfectly formed, nor their joints knit, and by giving 

 them merely this gentle and constant exercise, they become 

 prepared for that continued and equable pull at the collar 

 which is afterwards so necessary, when they are employed by 

 the brewer, to whom they are sold at four years old. These 



