1922.] 



The Shire TTorse. 



Feather is an essential part of the equipment of a Shire, but 

 is too much attention paid to the profusion of hair that appears 

 necessary to win to-day? 



Is there rather a tendency to " early maturity " in the 

 breed, and are not some of our colts and fillies better animals up 

 to three years old than they are in later years? If so, which is 

 doing the most for the breed, the wonderful foal or yearling, or 

 the horse that does not come to his kingdom until he is four or 

 five years old? 



It is everyw^here admitted that the Shire has enormously 

 improved in legs, feet and soundness, but is sufficient attention 

 being paid to those equally important needs, depth through the 

 heart, back and constitution? 



Lastlv. is sufficient attention being paid to that most important 

 point. staUion and mare " character," that quality which ic is 

 almost impossible to define but which every great breeder of any 

 class of stock is most strongly influenced by? 



It would be presumptuous on the part of any one person to 

 give decided answers to all these questions, but it is clear 

 that no harm and some good mav be done by Shire Horse 

 Breeders debating the points raised. In the writer's opinion, 

 if it is borne in mind that the whole, sole and only object of 

 the Shire Horse Breeder is the production of magnificent geldings 

 like those seen at -the Royal and at London and Provincial 

 Horse Parades there will be no necessity to ask such questions. 



There is every prospect of Shire horse breeding being a pleasant 

 and profitable ptirt of a farmer's business in the future as it 

 was in the past. There are signs of an increasing demand for 

 heaA'v horses. Motor lomes are expensive, both in first cost and 

 in maintenance, and there is no question that with the reduced 

 price of forai^e the horse is the cheaper motive power for short 

 journeys with heavy loads. We do not want and shall not see 

 the extravagant prices for horses that prevailed fit was the high 

 price for horses and forage after the War that induced many 

 merchants and team owners to try the motor lorrv^ but we 

 expect to see a ready trade at reasonnbly remunerative prices 

 in the near future for the finished article, the gelding, and this 

 is bound to react favourablv on the Shire horse breeder. 



