664 



FARMERS' REGISTER— HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH HORSE. 



by racing against one another. "When a race is 

 to be run by this sort of horses, and perhaps by 

 others, which also in their kind are strong and 

 fleet, a shout is immediately raised, and the com- 

 mon horses are ordered to withdraw out of the 

 wa}'. Three jockeys, or sometimes only two, as 

 the match is made, prepare themselves for the 

 contest. The horses on their part are not without 

 emulation; they tremble and are impatient, and are 

 continually in motion. At last, the signal once 

 given, Ihey start, devour the course and hurry 

 along with unremitting swiftness. The jockeys 

 inspired with the thougiit of applause, and the 

 hope of victory, clap s])urs to their willing horses, 

 brandish their Avhips, and cheer them witli their 

 cries." This description reminds us of the more 

 lengthened races of the present da)-, and proves 

 the blood of the English horse, even before the 

 Eastern breed ^vas tried. 



Close on this followed Ihe Crusades. The cham- 

 pions ol" the Cross certainly had it in their power 

 to enrich their native country with some of the 

 choicest specimens of Eastern horses, but they 

 were completely under the influence of su])ersti- 

 tion and fanaticism, and conmion sense and use- 

 fulness were forgotten. 



An old merrical romance, however, records the 

 excellence of two horses belonging to Richard 

 Cffi.ir de Lion, \vhich he purchased at Cyprus, and 

 were therefore, probably, of Eastern origin. 



Yn this worlde tliey hadde no pere,* 

 Dromedary nor (lestrere,t 

 Stcde, Rabyte,! ne Cammele, 

 Goeth none so swifte, without fayle: 

 For a thousand pownd of golde, 

 Ne should the one be solde. 



The war-steed was defended by mail or plate, 

 much on the plan of the harness of the knight 

 himself. His head was ornamented with a crest. 

 The head, chest, and flanks, were wholly or pa:- 

 tially protected; and sometimes, he was clad incom- 

 plete steel, with the arms of his master engraved or 

 embossed on his bardings. The bridle of the 

 horse vvas always as splendid as the circumstances 

 of the knight allowed, and thus a horse was often 

 called Brigliadore, from briglia d'oro, a bridle of 

 gold. Bells were a very favorite addition to the 

 equipment of the horse. The old Troupadour, 

 Arnold of Marson, says, that "nothing is so pro- 

 per to inspire confidence in a knight, and terror in 

 an enemy." 



The price of horses at this period was singular- 

 ly uncertain. In 1185, fifleen breeding mares sold 

 for two pounds twelve shilling and sixpence. 

 They were purchased by the monarch, and dis- 

 tributed among his tenants, and in order to ffet 

 something by the bargain, he charged them the 

 great sum of four shillings each. Twenty years 

 afterwards, ten capital horses brought no less than 

 twenty pounds each; and, twelve years later, a 

 pair of horses were imported from Lombardy, for 

 which the extravagant price of thirty-eight pounds 

 thirteen shillings and iburpence was given. The 

 usual price of good handsome horses was ten 

 pounds, and the hire of a car or cart, with two 

 horses, was ten pence a-day. 



To King John, hatefid as he was in all other 

 respects, we are yet nmch indebted for the atten- 



"Peer, equal. 



fWar liorse. 



:]; Arabian. 



I tion which he paid to agriculture generally, and 

 particularly to improving the breed of horses. He 

 imported one hundred cliosen stallions of the Flan- 

 ders kind, and thus maiidy contributed to prepare 

 our noble species of draught-horses, as um'ivalled 

 as the horses of the turf. 



John accumulated a very numerous and valua- 

 ble stud. He was eager to possess himself of 

 every horse of more than usual power; and, at all 

 times, gladly received, fiom the tenants of the 

 crown, horses of a superior quality, instead of mo- 

 ney, for the renewal of grants, or the payment of 

 forfeitures belonging to the crown. It was his 

 pride to render his cavalry, and the horses lor the 

 tournament and lor pleasure, as perfect as possible. 

 It could not be expected that so haughty a tyrant 

 would concern himself much with the inferior 

 kinds; yet while the superior was becoming rapid- 

 ly more valuable, the others would, in an indirect 

 manner, partake of the improvement. 



One hundred years afterwards, Edward 11. pur- 

 chased thirty Lombardy war-horses, and twelve 

 heavy draught-horses. Lombardy, Italy, and 

 Spain were the countries whence the greater part 

 of Europe was then supplied with the most valua- 

 ble cavalry or parade horses. Horses for agi'icul- 

 tural purposes were chiefly procured from Flan- 

 ders. 



Edward III. devoted one thousand marks to 

 the purchase of fitly Sj)ani.sh horses; and of such 

 importance did he conceive this addition to the 

 English, or rather mingled blood, then existing, 

 that formal application was made to the kings of 

 France and Spain to grant safe conduct to the 

 troop. When they had sali?.ly amved at the roy- 

 al stud, it was computed that they had cost the 

 monarch no less than thirteen pounds six shillings 

 and eightpence per horse, equal in value to one 

 hundred and sixty pounds ol our present money. 



This nionarch had many running-horses. The 

 precise meaning of the term is not, however, 

 clear. It might be light and speedy horses in op- 

 position to the war horse, or those that were lit- 

 erally used lor the purpose of racing. The ave- 

 rage price of these running-horses was twenty 

 marks, or three pounds six shillings- and eightpence. 

 Edward was devoted to the sports of the turf or 

 the field, or he began to see the propriety of cross- 

 ing our stately and heavy breed with those of a 

 lighter structure and greater speed. 



There was, however, one impediment to this, 

 which was not for a very long period removed. 

 The soldier was cased in heavy armor. The 

 knight, with all his accoutrement, often ro<le more 

 than twenty-five stone. No little bulk and strength 

 were required in the animal destined to carry this 

 back breaking weight. When the umsket was 

 substituted for the cross-bow and battle- axe,and this 

 iron defence, cumbrous to the wearer and destruc- 

 tive to the horse, was useless, and laid aside, the 

 improvement of the British horse in reality com- 

 menced. 



While Edward was thus eager to avail himself 

 of foreigli blood, with the two frequent selfishness 

 of the sportsman, he would let no neighbor share 

 in the advantage. The exj)ortation of horses was 

 forbidden under very heav}^ penalties. One case 

 in which he relaxed from his severity is m.entioned, 

 when he permitted a German merchant to re-ex- 

 port some Flanders horses which he had brought 

 on speculation; but he vvas strictly forbidden to 



