46 RIDING 



a little shaken by the circumstance that he not only finds much 

 lacking in regard to the horse supply, but also suggests what 

 should be done towards acquiring the art of horsemanship ' so 

 that the Gentlemen of the Realme should so farre passe the 

 Frenchmen and all other Nations in the exercise, as they now 

 excell vs : whereby the Realme should bee of such force, as 

 our enemies woulde alwaies be afraid to attempt any enterprises 

 against vs.' The English cavalry of three or four hundred 

 years ago certainly does not seem to want any excuse, but 

 perhaps Blundevill was referring in a great measure to the arts 

 of the manege, which have never acquired that popularity in 

 England that they have gained abroad. 



In his enumeration of the horses that prospered well in 

 England (from which the horses of to-day are therefore de- 

 scended), omitting strange kinds and all but the most worthy, 

 the author numbers * the Turkie, the Barbarian, the Sardinian, 

 the Neapolitan, the Jennet of Spain, the Hungarian, the high 

 Almaine, the Frizeland horse, the Flanders horse, and the Irish 

 hobbie ; ' and of all these varieties descriptions are given. 

 The 'Turkic horse' in itself includes a number of other breeds 

 which it would be tedious to mention, and, on the whole, 

 Blundevill did not esteem them very highly except for their 

 courage. It is worth noting that in those days, when in many 

 ways horses were very cruelly treated, it is remarked of the 

 Turk that he * will go more by gentle means than by stripes or 

 great thrashings.' An odd legend existed to the effect that ' if 

 when you will run him, at the setting forth you saie but the 

 word " Braie " unto him, he will never leave running so long 

 as his breath will serve him.' The ' Barbarian ' of the fifteenth 

 century is of course the Barb of to-day, and there are several 

 sorts of Barbs, their general characteristics being speed, endur- 

 ance, and courage. It would not occur to the Englishman of 

 the present time to look for horses in Sardinia and Corsica, nor 

 indeed has Blundevill much to say on behalf of these breeds. 

 He found them to be very * unquiet in their pace ' that is to 

 say, intemperate, and prone to resent correction. Of the 



