82 



SECTION XIII. 



THE HORSES OF BRITAIN, IRELAND AND BRITISH AMERICA ANTIQUA- 

 RIAN CONJECTURES M'AR CHARIOTS THE ATTACHMENT OF KING 



ATHELSTAN TO THE HORSE— NORMAN IMPORTATION AT THE CONQUEST : 



AND BY EDWARD 11, FROM THE CONTINENT THE DEXTARIUS, GREAT, 



OR MANAGED HORSE, IN HIGH FASHION THROUGHOUT THE REIGN OF 

 THE PLANTAGENETS— SMOOTHFIELDjOR SMITHFIELD GREAT MARKET AND 

 EXERCISE GROUND FOR HORSES OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS VARIOUS DE- 

 SCRIPTIONS AND DENOMINATIONS HEAVY AND LIGHT CAVALRY TRAM- 

 MELS FOR PACING — SLANG LATIN. 



THE British Horses, in their former and present state, upon their 

 native soil, and in the colonies, Avill finish our general survey, in which 

 it is hoped no known race, or variety of any degree of consequence, 

 has been omitted. 



English Horses are of much higher antiquity than English history; 

 since, when Julius Caesar invaded this island, he found himself opposed 

 bv a numerous cavalry, so to denominate the war chariots of the Britons, 

 which were drawn by active and well-trained Horses. As the shortest 

 cut below, unattended beside with risk, an advantage which every 

 dealer in conjecture cannot boast, I shall predicate, that the Horse is 

 ijidigenous in the British isles. To those who dislike such a proposi- 

 tion, I bequeath the trouble of overturning it, warning them at their 

 outset, to find a country better adapted to the production and support 

 of the animal in question. 



In the same spirit of conjecture, 1 shall supi)0se, that as our island 

 consists of mountain, ordinary level, and marsh or sea coast, it origi- 

 nally possessed Horses, as we know the case has since been, adapted to 

 each situation; namely ponies, middling-sized Horses and those of 

 greater weight. In course, they were all of the round-formed, h\u(i\ 

 rough-haired, northern species. There can exist no doubt, however, 



of 



