no definite result. The earliest references 

 to the use of horses occur in the Old Testa- 

 ment, where numerous passages make 

 mention of chariots and horsemen in con- 

 nection with all warlike operations. 



BEFORE THE CONQUEST. 



From very remote times England has 

 possessed horses which her inhabitants 

 turned to valuable account, as we find 

 occasion to note elsewhere* ; and the farther 

 she advanced on the path of civilisation the 

 wider became the field for utility open to 

 the horse. To the necessity for adapting 

 him to various purposes, to the carrying of 

 armour-clad soldiery, to draught, pack work, 

 hawking, hunting, coaching, for use in mines 

 where ponies are required, &c., we owe the 

 several distinct breeds which we now possess 

 in such perfection. 



In early times horses were held the most 

 .valuable of all property in Britain ; we see 

 evidence of the importance attached to them 

 in the figures on ancient coins. The Vener- 

 able Bede states that the English first used 

 saddle horses about the year 631, when 



* Ponies Past and Present. By Sir Walter Gilbey, 

 Bart , published by Vinton & Co., Limited. 



