THE MODERN CLYDESDALE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1583, 29 October 1912, Page 8

THE MODERN CLYDESDALE.

HIS CHARACTERISTICS. During the cour-ie of his speech at tho annual meeting of the Clydesdale Horsu Society, Mr. J. A. Johnstoue remarked on tlie improvement which had taken placo in tho breed during the past forty years, and quoted the opinion of a recognised authority, Mr. A. Taylor, M.R.C.V.S., of tlio . Canterbury Agricultural College. Mr.,.Taylor had remarked recently that the working lifo of the Clydesdale horse of tp-day was 50 per cent, longer than that of his forbears of not so uiuny years ago, tho reason being, as he said, that with tho clean, hard bone of the present day, grease and kindred diseases had been eliminated, while with better sprung pasterns ami a> good open foot, ringbone and sidebono were greatly diminished. Mr. Taylor alto _ made it clear that the immensely superior action and superb courage of the present horse enabled him to do the maximum amount of work with the minimum of effort. Another great authority in Scotland ga.vo this definition of the ideal draught horsa: —A draught horse must bo capable of drawing, and tho best type for that purpose is the Clydesdale, sound in feet and limb, with deep, well-ribbed barrel, powerfully developed forearms and thighs, long quarters and short back, intelligent head and good straight action, more S leasing in its perfection when walking ban when giving a showy display at the trot.

I think, said 3lr. Whnstone, that if our farmers follow in tho lines of our progressive ancestors in Scotland in the breeding of Clydesdale hor«3, there is a great future'for tho industry in this, the Scotland of the Southern Hemisphere. Apropos of the above, the following remarks from an English paper brarintr on tho Clydesdale are of interest:—Greywas a common Clydesdale colour till 1827, when the Highland Society began to offer premiums for horses tit their shows, but ruled that only "black bays or brown bays" were eligible for competition. Grey colts were castrated, and tho number of grey horses in the country greatly tcducod. Tho embargo, on grey did not laft ■long, and since the middle of the nineteenth century "grey stallions have taken soma of tho best prizes of the society," but now grey and chestnut aro both out of favour, and a grey stallion is rarely kept. This ■is rather a misfortuno for the breed, as the favourite colour of a draught horse in America, because of Us prevalance in th« Percheron breed, is grey, and grey might have found a ready market in America. Bay and brown are the commonest; colours; black and grey (which becomes white with age) corn-jg next, and more rarely chestnut and roan, with very frequently a silver hair through the darkest coat, a white blaze, and one or more white feet. The height averages for mares about 16 hands, and for stallions 16.2. few exceeding 17 hands.

The breed is famous among draught horses for unsurpassed activity, strength, and cleanness of bone, freedom and general perfection of knee and hock action at the walk and in tho trot; length, strength, and slope of pastern to 45d<>e.; gaiety of carriage; fineness of skin; eilkiness," straightnoss, nnd lpngth of Hie hairy frinero down the back sinews before and'behind; general beauty of symmetry, with a tendency in some members of the breed to shortness in, 1 the back rib?, and consequent .lightness in the barrel; good sloping shoulders and short muscular loins and back, which last frequently looks hollow because of t;ho height of the powerful well-fleshed withers and noble chest. In action the hocks move closely together, especially in the mare, and the hind toes turn slightly outwards, but not sufficient to throw out tho stifle joint. Widened at the hocks', more common with st.illions than mares, implies weakness of tho loins, and tends to grow worso with age or after a period of service; the joints of the limbs should be largo and clear, and tho large, round feet substantial, smooth, shortened nt the toes and well nrched below, without any (race of thinness or flatness.

The quality of the chocso must bo maintained, if not improved, if tho Factory is to make- good progress. This is where tho "Victor" Vat proves its great value. By its us© better cheese is produced, and bi'ger dividends paid out to shareholders. The hundred odd "Victors" that have been ordered, show how wide-awake some managers nro to tho superiority of Iheso vats. Full details from Albert J. I'nrton, Cartorton.—Advt.