15 



identical with, the barbs introduced into 

 Spain by the Moors. The animal described 

 as a "nag" was probably the saddle-horse 

 used by servants and camp followers. 



RICHARD II. (1377-1399). 



Richard II. was fond of horses and did 

 not neglect the interests of breeding ; though 

 he on one occasion displayed his regard in 

 a fashion which to modern minds is at 

 least high-handed. There was a scarcity 

 of horses in the early years of his reign, 

 and prices rose in conformity with the law 

 of supply and demand. Richard, consider- 

 ing only the needs of his knights, issued 

 a proclamation (1386) forbidding breeders 

 to ask the high prices they were demanding. 

 This proclamation was published in Lin- 

 colnshire, Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire. 



Passing mention may be made of an Act 

 which was placed on the Statute Book in 

 1396. In those days all travelling was 

 performed on horseback, and the equivalent 

 of the coach or jobmaster of much later 

 times was the hackneyman, who let out 

 horses to travellers at rates of hire fixed 

 by law. The hackneymen were in the very 

 nature of their business liable to be imposed 



