28 HISTORY OF THE 



either too unwieldy in itself, or carrying too great 

 weights to gallop. 



A curtal was a horse whose tail was cut or 

 shortened. 



A gamhaldynge horse was one of show 

 and parade ; from the Italian word gamba, 



(leg). 



An amhlynge horse was one of much the same 



description, but whose more quiet ambling pace 



adapted him especially to the use of ladies. 



In the reign of Edward VI., horse stealing 

 was made a capital offence. By the 1st Edward 

 VI, cap. 12, we find it enacted, *' that no 

 person convicted for felonious stealing of horses, 

 geldings or mares, shall have the privilege of 

 clergy." But this enactment being in the plural 

 number, caused a doubt whether a person con- 

 victed of stealing one horse, mare, or gelding, 

 was entitled to benefit of clergy, and two acts 

 were subsequently passed in the same reign, to 

 remedy this defect. 



Elizabeth. 1558. We have every reason to 

 believe that the country derived much benefit 

 to its breed of horses in this reign ; as it is more 

 than probable that great numbers of Barbs, 

 and Spanish horses descended from Barbs, were 

 taken on board the numerous vessels captured 



