34 



horses for the purpose so great, that other 

 classes of horse were neglected, to the alarm 

 of the more far-seeing among the King's 

 subjects. So seriously was the tendency 

 to breed only light horses regarded, that 

 Sir Edward Harwood presented a memorial 

 to Charles, in which it was pointed out 

 that there was a great deficiency in the 

 kingdom of horses of a useful type, and 

 praying that steps should be taken to en- 

 courage the breeding of horses for service, 

 and racing discouraged. Charles would 

 seem to have been conscious that excessive 

 attention to breeding light horses was a 

 national question ; at all events, that 

 animals of a more generally useful stamp 

 were scarce ; for in 1641 he granted licenses 

 for the importation of horses, enjoining the 

 licensees to import coach horses, mares, 

 and geldings not under 14 hands,' and 

 between the ages of three and seven years. 

 In November, 1627, Charles issued his 

 Proclamation forbidding the use of snaffles, 

 except for hunting and hawking ("in times 

 of Disport "), and requiring all riders to 

 use bits. His motive was, no doubt, a 

 desire to encourage the manage, which was 

 then considered the highest form of horse- 

 manship. The King and the Queen had 



