90 



SECTION XIV 



ATTEMPTS TO INCREASE AND IMPROVE THE BREED OF IIORStS, UNDEU 1 II T 



HOUSE OF TUDOll IMPOLITIC, ALTHOUGH WELL INTENDED LAM'S 



HORSE BREAD — DAWN OF VETERINARY IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCTION 



OF KIDINCi-MASTERS AND FARRIERS FROM THE CONTINENT, 15V HENRV 

 VIII, AND ELIZABETH HORSE STEALERS CONDEMNED TO DEATH, WITH- 

 OUT BENEFIT OF CLERGY — FITZUERBERT, THE HORSE DOCTOR, THE EAR- 

 LIEST ENGLISH VETERI NARY WR ITE R STATE OF THE NATIONAL SXOCK 



OF HORSES UNDER ELIZABETH HORSE-COURSING IN IHE FIELD. 



FROM the great solicitude manifested by Henry VII. and 

 VIII. for an increase and improvement of the English breed of Horses, 

 which was attempted in those reigns, by various modes; and from the 

 subsequent complaints, which we find in Blundeville and other writers, 

 in the time of Queen Elizabeth, it may be presumed that under the 

 cruel, ruinous and absurd contentions between the rival houses of 

 York and Lancaster, the Horse had been neglected and suffered to 

 degenerate. 



In the eleventh year of Henry VII, a bill was brought into Parlia- 

 ment, totally to prohibit the exportation of Horses, and a subsequent 

 act, in the same reign, was made to prevent the selling, exchanging, or 

 sending Horses or mares, into Scotland, which traffic it seems, pre- 

 vailed at that period, to a considerable degree; proving again the high 

 estimation in which the English breed was held by foreigners, and also 

 how such a fortunate circumstance, had it been we.l understood and 

 acted upon, might have both farther improved the breed, and in- 

 creased, instead of diminishing the numbers, to an endless amount. 

 But Henry and his parliament were, beyond all question sincere, and 

 even ardent in the business, and did their best, such as it was. 



The former of those acts recited, that, not only a smaller number of 

 good Horses than in times past, were left within the realm, for defence 



thereof, 



