Welsh Journals

House (staying at the pub), on Wednesdays to Penybont, Thursdays to Newbridge, Fridays to Beulah and Saturdays back to Builth (Leslie Davies, personal communication). Similar routes, in terms of length, were also followed by the Devynock and by the Breconshire Shire Horse Societies' stallions, and by the already mentioned Glasbury stallion. According to Alderman Penry Pritchard, formerly of Boughrood Court, the Glasbury Shire Horse Society continued to travel a stallion until the early 1970s, and this appears to have been the last stallion to have been led for service around the lanes of Brycheiniog. Today the travelling stallions are but fading memories. Nevertheless they used to form an integral part of the agricultural system of Brycheiniog, and indeed of Britain, and their passing, although inevitable, has removed yet another colourful element from our countryside. COLIN A. LEWIS Rhodes University, Grahamstown Acknowledgements The author thanks all the stallion leaders and Honorary Secretaries of Heavy Horse Hiring Societies who, over the years, have spared him their time and revealed their knowledge of the travelling stallion system. He thanks Mrs D. Large for cartographic assistance. References CHIVERS, K., 1976. The Shire Horse, p. 748, London. DAVIES, W., 1980. Welsh ponies and cobs, pp. 440-2, London. H.S.B. II., Hunter Stud Book, vol. II, p. 104, London. H.S.B. VII., Hunter Stud Book, vol. VII, p. 176, London. H.S.B.X., Hunter Stud Book, vol. X, London. J.B.A., 1910-11, Jr. Board Ag., vol, XVII, p. 937, London. LEWIS, C.A., 1984. 'Premium and travelling stallions in Britain'. Jr. Roy. Agr. Soc. England, vol. 145, pp. 57-68. STAIEN, J.R. no date. A life of spice, p.94, Ilfracombe.