1 Fes., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 115 
the time of Alex. I. (1107), who possessed a stud of Arabs; and when we 
consider the influence two or three Arabs have had in the improvement of the 
English racehorse, since 1710, when the English racer was unable to compete 
with the Arab for speed, we can realise what influence the Arab stud of 
Alex. I. must have had on the horse stock of Scotland where, two centuries 
before the Scottish war of independence, he had been introduced—that he 
became such a factor in the successful issue of that war, is more readily under- 
stood, in view of the results obtained by the few Arabs on the thoroughbred 
horse of England since 1710. 
“Youatt,” who frequently falls into grievous error when writing on the 
horse, states that gunpowder caused the first steps to be taken in the improve- 
ment of the British horse. Edward ILL. was not of “ Youatt’s” opinion, as, 
when importing fifty barbs from the south of Spain to improve the horse 
stock of his kingdom, he distinctly sets forth that this was done to protect 
the kingdom from the invasion of the Scottish horse. 
Since the improvement of the horse in Scotland by the introduction of 
Arabs by Alex I., history goes to prove that at no time since has the Scottish 
horse lost the Arab characteristics and superiority then introduced, Though 
he has been raised froma horse of 18 to 14 hands, as he was supplied to 
Edward I. for his wars, to a horse of 16 to 17 hands in our day, he still 
remains what Sir John Sinclair described the Clydesdale in the end of last 
century as “a huge Arab.” He is more huge now than then, and yet remains 
Arab-typed. The middle of the present century, owing to the great and sudden 
demand for a heavy type of draught horse to meet railway requirements, coupled 
with the ill-judged action of the Highland Agricultural Society vetoing grey 
colours—disqualifying asit did some of the best Arab types of Clydesdales 
from honours—was a most crucial time for the Arab-typed Clydesdale, and but 
for the institution of the Clydesdale stud-book in the early seventies there is 
no doubt the Arab characteristics of the Scotch horse would have been a thing 
of the past. 
In the fifties Grey Comet (see C.S.B.) was carrying off all honours in 
the show rings, and it was an open secret that he was bred from a Shire mare 
by a Clydesdale horse. On top he had all the quality and style imparted by 
his Clydesdale sire, whilst his Shire dam had given him most extraordinary 
good gaskins, that pulled off the honours from his pure Clydesdale competitors. 
The deficiency of gaskins in the Clydesdale when compared with the Shire is 
well known, and evidently arises from the fact that for centuries the Clydesdale 
has been gradually but steadily increased in size and weight. 
Australian experience, in increasing weight of horses for draught purposes 
by crossing the stock of saddle mares with draught horses, gives the same result 
as that obtained in Scotland—light gaskins; but in Australia the cross has 
been of a much more sudden, violent, and extreme nature than anything ever 
practised in Scotland when raising the Clydesdale ; in Australia thoroughbred. 
mares and pure Shire horses of most draughty or straight type being frequently 
mated, having a most grotesque effect on the gaskins of the progeny. 
Grey Comet’s success in the show rings, and the continued demand for 
heavy horses in the sixties, caused several Scotch breeders to introduce Shire 
blood. This was not done indiscriminately. The fairs of England were 
searched for mares, and only those conforming to Clydesdale type were 
selected. Colts bred from them on the same lines as Grey Comet were the 
means of greatly increasing the size of the horse stock throughout Scotland. 
A fact pregnant with instruction to Australian breeders in this connection. 
is that the Shire horses were not used. 
The tradition that the Clydesdale originated through the introduction of 
Flemish blood is an evident absurdity; there are no Flemish characteristics 
about the Clydesdale. That the weight of the Clydesdale has been drawn in 
times past, as in our own day, from the Shire horse, no one can doubt who is 
I 
