more horses than would supply our require- 

 ments, and Athelstan's prohibition of the 

 export of horses beyond sea, unless they 

 were sent as gifts, was undoubtedly due to a 

 oTowino; demand which threatened to pro- 



O O JT 



cluce scarcity. This king saw no objection 

 to the importation of horses : he accepted 

 several as gifts from Continental Sovereigns, 

 and evidently attached much value to them, 

 for in his will he made certain bequests of 

 white horses and others which had been 

 given him by Saxon friends. 



WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR (1066-1087). 



William the Conqueror brought with him 

 many horses from Normandy when he in- 

 vaded England. Many of these were 

 Spanish horses, if we may apply to the 

 famous Bayeux tapestry the test of com- 

 parison. William himself, at Hastings, rode 

 a Spanish horse, which had been presented 

 to him by his friend, Alfonso of Spain, and 

 the riders on horseback on the tapestry show 

 that the Norman knights rode horses similar 

 in all respects to that of their leader. They 

 are small, probably not exceeding 14 hands, 

 and of course all stallions. Berenger* 



* The History and Art of Horsemanship." By 

 Richard Berenger, Gentleman of the Horse to George 

 III., published 1771. 



