176 VARIETIES OF THE HORSE 



stature, strong, longe, large syze and fruytefull, and besydes that wyll 

 endure great labour as is wel sene, for that the fleminges do use none 

 other draught, but with these mares in their wagons, in the whiche I have 

 sene twoo or three mares to go lightly away such a burden as is almost 

 incredible." In his description of the "German horse" Blundeville thus 

 expresses his opinions : " The Almaine is commonly a great horse, though 

 not finely yet very strongly made, they be very grosse and heavy, yet 

 by industry can be made lighter behind than before. The disposition 

 of this horse (his heavy moulde considered) is not evyll, for he is very 

 tractable, and will labour indifferently well by the wave, but his pace 

 for the moste part is a very harde trot." It is extremely probable that 

 in paying his tribute of praise to the capacity of the Flemish mares 

 Blundeville was labouring under the impression that the summit of equine 

 perfection had very nearly been attained by these heavy animals; and 

 there is no denying that, though their powers may appear almost con- 

 temptible in the eyes of modern Shire horse-breeders, their performances 

 were better than they at first appear to be, as the vehicles to which they 

 were attached must have been of ponderous weight, whilst the condition 

 of the so-called roads was indescribably "had during that period of the 

 world's existence. 



Later on, in the reign of James I, it is recorded that when horses 

 were required for military purposes beyond the seas, it was calculated 

 that eight animals would have to be provided for each baggage wagon 

 that carried a ton, and three for each ambulance conveyance that was 

 to be supplied for carrying the wounded and invalids to places of 

 safety. The estimated value of these horses was i'9; but they were 

 clearly regarded as being of inferior quality to the " strong or great " 

 horses which were also alluded to. It was recommended that 200 

 of the latter should be purchased at the price of £15 apiece, which 

 shows that the breeders of the bigger horses were making money out 

 of their studs. 



In the year 1667, the first Duke of Newcastle published a second 

 edition of his work, The Manner, and Feeding, Dressing, ami Training 

 of Horses for the Great Saddle, and Fitting t/tem for the Field in 

 time of War, which had appeared in 1658. His grace appears from 

 his writings to have been inclined to take rather a pessimistic view of 

 the position of the English horse of the period, for he states : " There 

 were many good races [of horses] in England, but they are all now 

 ruined, and the many new breeders of horses come up presently after 

 the wars are, I doubt, none of the best; for I believe their stallions were 

 not very pure, because the men that did govern in those days were not 



