36 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 
istic of the Shire since its inception. At a very early 
time the hair was very abundant, and the writer has seen 
some of the old-time Shires with even the lock of hair 
growing from the region of the knee in front, and other 
locks growing from near the point of the hock. Coarse- 
ness and unusual profusion of hair indicate too much 
grossness of organization, although a fine feather finishes 
a heavy-bodied horse at the ground in a way that is 
usually pleasing to the eye. The first Shires to come to 
America showed these characteristics to an extreme 
degree, and the prejudice of the American trade has not 
in any degree abated with time. The first importation 
to reach America was in 1836, and was made to London, 
Ontario, Canada. The first Shires to come to the United 
States were imported in 1853, and taken to Aurora, Illi- 
nois. The importations since then have been mostly 
into the states of Illinois and Iowa, and at no time have 
been numerous, except, perhaps, between 1880 and 1890. 
32. Description. — In general characters, this breed is 
very like the Clydesdale, being, perhaps, a little shorter in 
the legs, and slightly larger (Fig. 6). The common colors 
are bay, brown or black, with white markings on the face 
and on the legs below the knees and hocks. Other colors 
are found but are not common. In conformation, the 
Shire is generally low, broad and stout, being heavy in 
build and slow in movement. The shoulder is likely to 
be too straight, making the action in front short and 
stilted, although it is generally considered that, more 
power in the collar compensates for the deficiency in 
action. The body of the typical Shire is of large girth, 
deep and strongly coupled, with broad back. The quar- 
ters are heavily muscled in the best type. Owing to their 
weight, it is to be expected that some of them are subject 
