42 THE OKANGE COUNTY 



CHAPTER H. 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH HOUSES. 



THAT horses were introduced into Britain long before the 

 Christian era, we have abundant evidence, and that the inha- 

 bitants had acquired great expertness in their use is equally 

 certain. 



During the occupation of England by the Romans, the 

 British horse was crossed to a considerable extent by the 

 Roman horse, and yet, strange to say, no opinion is given by 

 any historian, Roman or British, as to the effect of this. Af- 

 ter the evacuation of England by the Romans, and its con- 

 quest by the Saxons, considerable attention was paid to the 

 English breed of horses ; and we know that after the death 

 of Alfred, and under the reign of Athelstan, several running 

 horses were imported from Germany : this being the first 

 historical intimation we have of running horses in England. 



"William the Conquerer took great pains to improve the 

 English breed, introducing many fine steeds from Normandy, 

 Flanders, and Spain. This monarch owed his success at 

 Hastings chiefly to his cavalry; his own horse was a Spanish 

 one. In this reign we have the first notice of horses being 

 employed in agriculture. They had been used for the saddle 

 for many centuries. 



The English had now become sensible of the value and 

 breed of their horses, and in the twelfth century a regular 

 race-course had been established in London; this being none 

 other than Smithfield, which was at once horse-market and 

 race-course. Fitzstephen, who lived at that period, gives the 

 following account of the contests between the palfreys of the 

 day: 



" When a race is to be run by horses, which in their kind 

 are strong and fleet, a shout is raised, and common horses 

 are ordered to withdraw from without the way. Two jockeys 

 then, or sometimes three, as the match may be made, prepare 

 themselves for the contest, such as are used to ride, and 

 know how to manage their horses with judgment, the grand 

 point being to prevent a competitor from getting before 

 them. The horses on their part are not without emulation. 

 They tremble and are impatient, and continually in motion. 

 At last, the signal once given, they hurry along with unremit- 



