18 



country, and on all exported a duty of six 

 shillings and eightpence was levied. 



Under the old " Statutes of Arms " 

 Henry VII. established a force known as 

 Yeomen of the Crown. There were fifty 

 of these ; each yeoman had a spare horse 

 and was attended by a mounted groom. In 

 times of peace they acted as Royal messen- 

 gers carrying letters and orders. In dis- 

 turbed times they formed the backbone of 

 the militia levies. 



HENRY VIII. (1509-1547). 



Henry VIII. went a good deal further 

 in his efforts to foster and promote the 

 breeding of good horses. In 1514 he 

 absolutely forbade the export of horses 

 abroad, and extended the prohibition to 

 Scotland. He obliged all prelates and 

 nobles of a certain degree, to be ascertained 

 by the richness of their wives' dress, to 

 maintain stallions of a given stature. He 

 made the theft of horse, mare, or gelding 

 a capital offence, and deprived persons con- 

 victed under this law (37 Henry VIII., c. 8) 

 of the benefit of clergy. And by two Acts, 

 the gist of which will be found on page 5 

 et seq. of Ponies Past and Present, he made 



