CHAPTER IV 
VARDY, CHAPMAN, CLEVELAND, AND YORKSHIRE 
BAY 
HAVING said something about the merits of mares 
which come under the description of purely agricul- 
tural classes, let us look at one or two breeds that 
hold an intermediate place between the Vardy type 
of Northumberland, and the lighter type of Cleve- 
land, the North Riding of Yorkshire and Durham. 
But we must hark back for a moment and criticise the 
generalisations made in the last chapter. Whilst I 
maintain that purely agricultural mares are properly 
fitted only for the produce of heavy horses, and those 
intended for haulage, it can be fairly urged that high- 
couraged, active cart mares are to be found from 
which valuable half-breds can be reared. I do not 
altogether dispute this, though I do not think it 
the best, and am sure it is not the most profitable 
method. I seek to guide the farmer to breed pro- 
fitably with a minimum risk, and there is always a 
risk in breeding between extremes. Extremes may 
meet ; but too often in horse-breeding the result is 
a compound rather of the faults than the virtues of 
each—e.g. the Thoroughbred and cart horse too often 
