1922.] 



The Clydesdale. 



693 



A very famous sire which nourished about the vear 1840 was 

 Clyde, alias Glaneer 153, known popularly as "Fulton's rup- 

 tured horse." An old farmer who remembered him well told 

 the writer that he was a " mickle, strong horse." Seven 

 stallions got by him are recorded and all of them were similarly 

 impressive and prepotent sires. Their influence was wide- 

 spread. Other notable fountain heads were Eob Roy 714, Old 

 Clyde 574, Largs Jock 444., Old Farmer 576 and Pringie's 

 Young Clyde 949. These can all be connected with Lanark- 

 shire, but cannot be proved to have been connected with the 

 Lampits mare, or the Lochlyoch race. In areas widely apart 

 they left an indelible impression and were largely instrumental 

 in making the Clydesdale the Scottish breed of draught horses. 



Breeding Influences. — Two agencies exerted a powerful in- 

 fluence in developing the breed — the inauguration of competi- 

 tive exhibitions by the Highland and Agricultural Society in 

 the early twenties of last century; and the system of hiring 

 stallions by district societies, of the existence of which there 

 is evidence as early as 1832. By the former a standard of 

 merit was set up and by the latter the best horses were dis- 

 tributed through the countrv. These two influences continue 

 to be exerted to a surprising extent. At the beginning of 

 1919, 180 stallions had been hired for service in 1920, 76 had 

 been hired for 1921, 10 had been hired for 1922 and 3 had been 

 hired for 1923. With such a system of hiring generally in 

 operation, it is not difficult to understand how one type of horse 

 came to be developed through the whole Clydesdale area, 

 which mav be said in a general wav to embrace the four 

 northern counties of England and the whole of Scotland. 



Standard and Type. — A very marked change has taken place 

 in the type aimed at by breeders of Clydesdales. The general 

 principles, which have never been departed from, are that 

 wearing properties of feet and legs are of supreme importance 

 in the draught horse, and that quality, by which is meant the 

 capacity for wearing well, is of greater importance than mere 

 weight avoirdupois. Experience has shown that the horse 

 which wears longest may be and usually is the horse which 

 takes the longest time to come to maturity. While these two 

 general principles have never been departed from, a consider- 

 able modification of emphasis has taken place from time to 

 time. The Clydesdale of the first quarter of the nineteenth 

 century was a handsome well-built animal, with finely carried 

 head and neck, high at the withers, with sound open hoof- 



