“There was shouting and whooping; weighing and braying; there was galloping and trotting; fellows with high-lows and white stockings--and with many a string dangling from the knees of their tight-breeches--were running desperately; holding horses by the halter, and in some cases dragging them along. There were long-tailed steeds and dock-tailed steeds of every degree and breed. There were droves of wild ponies, and long rows of sober Cart Horses. There were donkeys and even mules; the last a rare thing to be seen in damp misty England; for the mule pines in mud and rain, and never thrives so well as when there is a hot sun above and a burning sand below. There were--oh, the gallant creatures! I hear their neigh upon the winds; there were--goodliest sight of all--certain enormous quadrupeds, only seen to perfection in our native isle; led about by dapper grooms; their manes ribbanded and their tails curiously clubbed and balled. Ha! ha! How distinctly do they say, Ha! ha!” When Borrow wrote this he had seen specimens of pretty nearly all the draught horses in Europe: including all the grandfathers of all the Percherons and Normandy carriage-horses. The old paintings and engravings, examples of which we have introduced as far as possible in chronological order, possess practical value to breeders as showing the stamp and character of the Shire Horse at various periods of the history of the breed. We have traced its progress down to a date when the Stud Books relieve us of the necessity of further pursuit, and can only hope that success has attended this endeavour to show that our modern Shire Horse is descended from the animal which has filled so important a part at all times in the history of our country. It is also certain that during this century the Shire Horse has played no mean part in building up size and massiveness in all the other Draught breeds in the Kingdom. That he has undergone great changes is certain; but the characteristics of the breed, size, strength, substance, courage and docility, have been perpetuated and developed by careful selection till we have now in our Shire horse the ideal beast of draught. BLYTHWOOD CONQUEROR, whose portrait faces page 64, stands as an excellent representative of the modern Shire stallion. This horse is by Hitchin Conqueror (4458) out of Blythwood Bountiful (11607), and was bred at Wood House Farm, Stansted, by Sir James Blyth. He was foaled in 1893, and is a bay, with white blaze and white feet. [Illustration: HONEST TOM 1105. 17½ Hands. Foaled 1865. By Thumper 2123, out of Beauty. Bred by Mr. W. Welcher, Watton, Norfolk.] HOW TO PRESERVE ITS CHARACTER.