371 
OBSERVATIONS UPON THE PRESENT STATE OF 
HORSES IN WHAT ARE CALLED THE BREEDING 
DISTRICTS. 
By Mr. Castley. 
Durham, March 30, 1830. 
“ Just as the maggot bites, I take my way.” 
Any one who, during the last twenty or fivc-and-twcnty years, 
has had frequent opportunities of visiting some of our great horse 
fairs in the north of England, must, I am sure, be struck with 
the sad falling off, there is every where to be remarked in the 
goodness or quality of one-half and three-parts bred horses, as 
exhibited at these marts for sale. And this is, perhaps, more par¬ 
ticularly observable within the last few years. 
At the great Northallerton February fair, a place where for¬ 
merly one might at any time have picked up a whole lane full ol 
the “ nicest horses alive,” this year there was scarcely a decent 
nag to be seen. And so it is here at Durham, where 1 am rather 
a looker-on than any thing else at the great annual show, now in 
full operation. 
I have been induced to commence these observations, not only 
in consequence of what I myself have seen, but after having 
had a good deal of conversation with practical persons on this 
interesting subject. 
The county of Durham has been celebrated for its breed ol 
Cleeveland bays, from which our carriage horses originate; anu 
there are several stallions of this description shown on the present 
occasion. There are also some fine colts of this kind brought 
forward ; which have met with ready sale for the London market. 
But the supply in this respect has been very scanty in com¬ 
parison with what it used to be; whilst there is nothing like 
a good nag to be seen. And yet there are plenty of horses, ol one 
sort or other, such as they are. 
I was also present at the great Newcastle fair, in October last; 
and having seen it once before (more than twenty years ago), the 
contrast, in my mind, was very striking. Every body, however, 
% said, the last Newcastle fair was the very worst they had ever 
seen, with regard to the goodness of the stock produced there. 
The county of Northumberland, so long famed for “gallant 
steeds,” seems to be on the decline in this respect. Good horses, 
like angels’ visits, are “few and far between.” 
1 have instanced these three leading fairs, as likely to afford a 
good test of what is going on in the three great breeding districts 
