88  The  Devon  Pack  Horse  as  an  Army  Horse. 
mostly  belong  to  old  farmers,  and  when  these  die,  their  stock 
is  sold  up,  and  the  old  mare  sold  to  some  one  who  never 
inquires  into  her  history  or  pedigree. 
Stallions. 
There  is  only  one  pure  Devon  Pack  stallion  now  living  ; 
he  is  in  Australia,  fourteen  years  old.  He  must  be  the  sire 
of  two,  and  a half  brother  to  all  the  other  pure-bred  mares 
above  mentioned. 
An  Eastern  County  Breed  of  Pack  Horse. 
There  is  in  the  east  of  England  at  this  moment  a stud 
of  Pack  horses  similar  and  closely  related  to  these  of  South 
Devon.  This  stud  has  been  in  a certain  family  since  1775, 
they  trace  back  through  Performer  and  Fireaway , Marshland 
Shales,  to  the  original  Shales  by  Blaze  by  Flying  Childers , by 
the  Darley  Arabian  to  the  Arab  blood.  This  stud  has  a some- 
what similar  history  to  that  of  the  late  Giles  stud.  It  was 
started  about  the  same  date,  1775,  from  the  then  Norfolk  Pack 
roadsters,  “ Shales  family,”  but  with  the  advent  of  railways  did 
not  follow  the  fashion  for  breeding  roadsters  for  harness  only, 
but,  as  “Devon  Horses,”  were  bred  for  ride  and  drive,  or  as 
a general  utility  type.  Being  closely  related  and  very 
similar  in  shape  to  our  Devon  horses,  they  would,  I am  con- 
vinced, prove  a most  fortunate  nick  in  breeding  back  to  the 
same  family  and  type.  There  are  at  present  four  stallions  or 
more  and  a dozen  mares.  The  present  owner  of  this  stud  uses 
these  horses  (mares  and  geldings)  as  hunters — the  nearest  meet 
is  fifteen  miles  off  ; they  never  come  home  tired — also  for 
harness  work  of  all  kinds. 
Pack  Horse  the  Foundation  Stock  for  Heavy-weight 
Hunters,  Cavalry  and  Artillery  Horses,  and 
Mounted  Infantry  Cobs. 
Ireland  for  the  last  fifty  years  has  been  able  to  produce  better 
horses  than  England,  because  she  possessed  in  greater  numbers 
the  general  utility  light  cart  or  Irish  Pack  horse.  This 
old  Irish  breed  has  not  been  kept  up  by  the  use  of  Pack 
stallions,  and  consequently  the  strain  has  now  almost  been 
bred  out  by  other  breeds.  Thoi’oughbred  sires  have  no  doubt 
improved  the  riding  qualities,  but  so  reduced  the  weight  and 
stamina  of  the  mares  that  heavy-weight  hunters  are  now 
difficult  to  find  ; also  all  the  best  mares  are  bought  up  by 
foreigners,  and  now  Anglo-Norman  stallions  are  being  intro- 
duced into  Ireland,  which  from  all  I hear  appear  to  be  an 
inferior  modern  manufactured  Pack  horse  with  a short  pedigree. 
