336 



THE HOKSES OF PREHISTORIC 



[CH. 



Moreover, it has been shown that horses of increased size 

 and black or dark-coloured were bred in Mediterranean lands 

 long before the Christian era by crossing the Libyan horses 

 with those of Upper Asia and Europe. 



As time went on the desire for horses of great size steadily 

 grew, for the hauberk towards the close of the 12th century 

 gave way to armour of interwoven chain, whilst the latter in its 

 turn from 1300 onwards was gradually superseded by plates of 

 metal, until by the beginning of the loth century the knight 



Fig. 93. The German Horse. 



was sheathed from head to foot in a complete panoply of plate 

 armour. As has been well pointed out, this ever-increasing 

 weight of armour demanded horses of increased size and 

 strength, and to this cause is undoubtedly due the development 

 of the large breeds of Flanders, France, Friesland, and Germany, 

 which by the 16th century were capable of carrying a rider who 

 with his own armour and that of his steed weighed about 32 

 stones. 



Blundeville thus describes the German horse, termed by 

 him the 'High Almaine': "The Almaine is commonlie a great 



