Hi Rob,

No doubt "shire" has come to mean an administrative district or office, but I doubt the horse got its name from being an efficient manager. This is not a bridge on and over which I will kill or die. I could easilly be wrong, especially since I can not recall where I first heard of this. Nonetheless, I believe that in antiquity, going back to the days of Arthur and before, shires were where the salt works were located. Think about it. Salt was a means of payment. You've heard of being worth your salt? Salary, salad and saline all share in this origin. So it makes sense that the meaning would evolve into an administrative office or district.

Or maybe not.