138 DRAFT HORSES. 



which stretched all through Europe from the mouth of the 

 Khine westward to the Euxine Sea. How or when this breed 

 originated we have no history ; but it appears to have been the 

 prevailing one through Normandy, Flanders, and Germany. 

 They were largely imported into England as early as the 11th 

 century and the large stallions were freely used to increase the 

 size of the then diminutive horses of that island. 



History says that royalty encouraged their importation 

 and use^ and that King John himself imported at one time one 

 hundred choice stallions from Flanders ; and Robert Bakewell, 

 the great pioneer of the world in the improvement of domes- 

 tic live stock, and who became the world's great teacher in the 

 principles of stock-breeding, went himself to Holland in about 

 1770, where he selected several mares with which to mate 

 the best stallions of England at that time ; and with them 

 formed the nucleus of this breed of draft horses which are now 

 so famous throughout the civilized world. 



As previously stated, the prevailing color of these large 

 horses was black, but the English draft horse of to-day as now 

 imported and bred in America, is variable in color : many of 

 them are still black while others wear coats of different colors ; 

 some are brown and many are bay. We may, I think, safely 

 say that they run mostly in these three colors — black, brown, 

 and bay, with sgme white markings on the majority of them. 



As a breed they are very stout and compactly built, " low 

 down," short coupled, and horses measuring from fifteen and 

 three-quarters to sixteen and one-half hands will usually weigh, 

 in good flesh, from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds. 



Their legs are somewhat hairy, — considerably so ; rather 

 flat than round, and they usually have pretty good feet, al- 

 though in some cases rather disposed to be a little too flat. 



Thsir dispositions are usually good and they make excellent 

 draft horses, especially so for slow and heavy work •, while 

 their crosses on the smaller stock of our country make excel- 

 lent teams for lighter hauling, and for agricultural purposes as 

 well. 



