. Types and breeds of farm animals. Livestock. THE SHIRE 149 The real origin of the Shire is fairly speculative. It is known that horses of this large draft type existed in England from very early times. We are told that a large draft type of horse existed in Flanders, in Holland, and in Germany in the valley of the Elbe, and that one hundred stallions were brought to England from these coun- tries as early as the twelfth century. These were used on the English horses of large type. Referring to the great paintings of cattle and sheep made by Paul Potter, who died in Am- sterdam, Holland, in 1
. Types and breeds of farm animals. Livestock. THE SHIRE 149 The real origin of the Shire is fairly speculative. It is known that horses of this large draft type existed in England from very early times. We are told that a large draft type of horse existed in Flanders, in Holland, and in Germany in the valley of the Elbe, and that one hundred stallions were brought to England from these coun- tries as early as the twelfth century. These were used on the English horses of large type. Referring to the great paintings of cattle and sheep made by Paul Potter, who died in Am- sterdam, Holland, in 1654, Sir Walter Gilbey says ^: "It is only reasonable to suppose that he exercised equal care in painting horses. The strain of North German and Flan- ders blood was at this period so strongly represented in our English Great Horses of the best stamp that we need not inquire whether this horse was of German, Flemish, or English origin, the character of all being practically the ; Thus no doubt the early Shire wasof veiymixed breeding. Robert Bakewell improved the Shire during the latter part of the eighteenth century, though it was then known as the Leicestershire Cart Horse. Bakewell was the earliest important improver of the English Shire horse. He went to Holland and imported mares, using them in systematic crossing with 1 Sir Walter Gilbey, Bart., The Great Horse, or the War Horse ; from the time of the Roman Invasion till ifi/fifesed(t5ffiA*Dto8eH®he Shire Horse. London, Fig. 56. "The Great ; Reproduced from a drawing of the painting by Albert Diirer. It is from this horse of the sixteenth century that the Shire is supposed to have derived its ancestry. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Plumb, Charles S. (Charles Sumner), 1860-1939. Boston, New York,
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