48 



OUEEN ANNE S REIGN. 



In the reign of Queen Anne (1702- 17 13), 

 the roads throughout England were still of 

 the worst description, and the ponderous 

 carriages of the nobility demanded great 

 strength and weight in the animals which 

 drew them ; and thus we now find the Shire 

 Horse in demand as a carriage horse. The 

 Queen's state coach was drawn by long- 

 tailed Shire mares ; and the stage coaches 

 which since 1670 had opened regular com- 

 munication between London and the most 

 important towns in the kingdom were we 

 need not doubt, drawn by horses of a heavy, 

 massive type ; for until the end of the 

 century, when McAdam introduced the 

 system of road making known by his name, 

 no team of lighter horses would have been 

 equal to the work. The value and im- 

 portance of the Shire horse therefore in no 

 wise decreased when the abolition of armour 

 enabled our ancestors to employ a lighter 

 stamp of cavalry trooper. 



The London Evening Post, of September 

 24th to 27th, 1737, contains notice of a 

 race which shows that endeavours were made 

 to encouracre the breeding- of active cart 

 horses. It runs as follows ; — 



