ii8 THE HORSE AND ITS RELATIVES 



At the time when Domesday Book was written 

 large droves of mares wandered at will through 

 the forests of the great land-owners of England, 

 and were only driven into enclosures occasionally 

 when some of their number were selected for work- 

 ing purposes, and doubtless also for breeding. 

 And it is probable that from these forest mares 

 (the EqucE silvestres or EqucB indomitce of Domesday 

 Book) were produced the first improved types of 

 British horses. From the unimproved forest breeds 

 are doubtless descended the modern forest and 

 moorland breeds of ponies ; which, it has been 

 suggested, have somewhat degenerated in size and 

 quality owing to the poor fodder of the comparatively 

 restricted areas on which they now survive. 



The first of these ponies for notice are those of 

 the New Forest, in Hampshire (pi. xi. fig. i), which it 

 has been suggested are descended from a stock found 

 before the time of Knut (1017-1035) in the district 

 formerly known as Ytene and afforested in the 

 year 1072 by William the Conqueror.^ They are 

 described by Low as ugly, large-headed, and short- 

 necked, but hardy, sure-footed, and capable of 

 bearing rough usage. In 1765, the breed was 

 much improved by " Marske," the sire of " Eclipse," 

 having been allowed to run with the herds for about 

 four years. In 1889 the Forest ponies were again 

 improved by thoroughbred blood ; and about the 



' Gilbey, op. cit., p. 32. 



