The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-07-07
History of the Cleveland Bav.

Tue carly u '5tOry Oh tue CteNelauu nay,
lik- the early history Of several other breeds,
IS mesger. Some think they are the result
Of progressive mixture vi the blood OF
horses Of higher breeding with the original
breeds Of England, which has, by long
course Of judicious selection, liked comoi-
nation OF qualities unparalleled in any
other breed. We have assertions by good
authority that the Cleveland Bay was the
basis VI the London coach horse when heav.
Ter horses we're used in these conveyances
julius cesar admired the British horses on
his first invasion Of the island, 90 years be
fore the Christian era, Is may be seen from
his account OF the chariot warfare Of the
ancient Britons, and he took some stations
to Rome. 1t Is highly probable, as Martin
Doyle says, that the Cleve and Is the descend.
ant OF the war horse. The knight, who dis
dsined the etfemiuscy Of the carriage,
encssed in the heavy armor Of his day,
required powerful. enduring and spirited
horse. The close resemblance Of the Cleve-
land Bay Of today to the strong, handsome
and noble cooking horse We see in the
paintings and sculptures Of the Roman
charger, fsvors the opinion that the Cleveland
Bays geneology goes back to an early date.
Be this - Il may, no one having carefully
looked into the matter can make question Is
to the purity Of the breed. The horse
breeders Of England have long ago classed
these horses ~ distinct from ell other coach
and road horses. having stype NJ character.
istcs peculiar TO themselves, which is trans
mitted with remarkable certainty and uni
formity Of their offspring.
The excellence Of the Cleveland Bay for
agricultural purposes were known to the
yeomsn farmers Of the north of England
more than century ago, especially in the
romantic dsles aud fertile vale of Cleveland
in the North Riding Of Yorkshire. The fact
that the best specimens Of this breed are
now to be found in the most isolated districts
Of York shire, where the farmers are noted
for their tenacity Of holding on to the old
system of farming and breeding of stock
pursued by their ancestors, tends to confute
the idea of the recent origin of the breed.
Stonehenge intimates that the Cleveland Bay
was used as pack horse" If this be so, t
must have been In the primitive period when
carriage roads in England were few and far
between, and favor, the belief that the breed
is original.
In 1928 the Cleveland Bay is spoken of in
the Farmers Wagozme as an original breed,
and also in Martin Doyle's Cyclopedia, pub.
lished in lS43, they are described as being All
original breed of the country. We hav-
livl z witnesses VINO can testify to their di-
rect lineage Tor sixty years of their own
personal knowledge. About 1880 a society
was formed which published a stud-book
called the Cleveland Ray Stud Book of Great
Britain and Ireland. This society was not
formed to establish a new breed Of horses
but to protect and perpetuate breed OF
horses which was unparalleled as coacher
and general purpose horse, nd was becom-
ing scarce on account of large explorations
to foreign countries.
The Cleveland Bay is a high SPIRITED horse,
With that kind Of action possessed by the
thoI oughbred; is of bright bay color, with
clean jet BLACK legs, and neat perfect feet
he stands from IL to II hands high, with
long, sloping shoulders, short back, pswer-
full loins and long quarters, long, graceful
neck, with rather plain, but clean, bony
head, and bright eye. The head is carried
high and proudly. and though decidedly a
rsngy and graceful locking horse, his form
denotes activity aud strength, combined in
manner not seen in any other breed, Be,
ing Of pure blood, the excel mt qualities
possessed by the Cleveland Bay are fixed
and established, and are transmitted with a
strength Of blood with unerring certainty,
even when crossed on breed quite dissimi
lar. In this particular lie must ever hold
his prominence As model aud original
coach horse. famed as he is all over the
world at the present day,
TIL staying qualities Of the Cleveland Bay
as hunter and saddle horse, in billy couu
try with heavy weights, is not surpassed
even by the thoroughbr d hunter. Being
q neat jumper. his powers Of endurance are
remarkable and surprising, and many are
the unvarnished stories which tell Of high
leaps over stone walls, hedges and bitches in
the fields and rough moorlands, with the
barriers and fox hounds, in his native dales
Of Yorkshire.
In conclusion, would say that the art Of
good breeding consists In the amalgamation
of desired qualities or characteristics by a
long course of systematic breeding, by which
a harmonious combination of these qualities
is fixed, and then reproduc d with decided
and pronounced uniformity. Never sacrifice
substance for show, and bear in mind that
constitution is the key mote OF merit.
Although horse breeding will never take
place among the exact sciences, yet it is as
much q science as meteorology or metaphys.
ics or any other that has to deal with
variable factors which must sometimes
necessarily lead to unforeseen results -
CCunry GsHtiemdA.