CHAPTER XVII 

 THE CLYDESDALE DRAFT HORSE 



Because of the influence of the English-speaking people 

 the Clydesdale draft horse is the most widely distributed 

 of the breeds of draft horses. Notwithstanding this, in 

 America, the breed has not met with the popularity of 

 the Percheron and possibly of the Belgian. 



The native home of the Clydesdale draft horse. — This 

 breed was developed in southern Scotland, particularly 

 in the county of Lanark, which has long been famous 

 for a breed of powerful draft horses. The character of 

 the soil and the habits of the people were important 

 factors in the development of size and strength among 

 the native horses. The breed takes its name from the 

 river Clyde which flows through southern Scotland. 



The origin of the Clydesdale draft horse. — There is no 

 authentic data regarding the early origin of this breed. 

 It is stated that there was more or less interchange of 

 draft horse blood between Scotland and England. After 

 the union of the crowns of England and Scotland in 1603 

 important trade relations sprang up between the two 

 countries, and Scotch cattle dealers driving herds into 

 England returned with English mares, which were bred 

 to stallions in Scotland. Like most other breeds of 

 horses, the Clydesdale is the result of the successful union 

 of selected individuals from various other breeds, none 

 of which possessed the good qualities in the same degree 

 of efficiency as are now common among well-bred Clydes- 

 dales. 



The credit for establishing the Clydesdale breed is now 

 generally given to John Paterson, a tenant farmer of 

 Lochlyoch, in Carmichael parish, in the county of Lanark. 

 Between 1715 and 1720 he imported from England a black 



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