372 



THE HORSES OF PREHISTORIC 



[CH. 



and therefore light, and fiery, and a sterer, and seldom of any- 

 great strength, and is wont to be of coulor a bright sorrel. 

 But when he doth participate in all the four elementes, equally 

 and in due proportion, then is he perfect and most commonly 

 shall be one of these couloures following. That is to say, a 

 browne baye, a dapple graye, a blacke full of silver heares, 

 a blacke lyke a moore, or a fayre rone, which kinds of horses 

 are most recommendable, most temperate, strongest, and of 

 gentellest nature. And next to these are such as be most like 

 in coulor to them : as the bright bay, the darke bay, that hath 

 neyther learing looke, mealy nose, nor white flanke. The 

 bright sorrel, the flye-bitte white, the white Hard like silver, 

 having his outermost partes blacke, as tips of his eares, his 

 mane, his tail, al fowre feet, and if he hath a lyst from his 

 mane to his tayle, he is so much the better. To these also 

 may be addid the aubye graye having al his fete striped. And 

 note this, that as all welcoulored horses are so much the better 

 for having some sygne of adustion, that is to say, some blacke 

 marke at the leaste in the}T nethermoste partes ; so of all euill 

 coulored horses those are best which have theyr outermost 

 partes blacke. But if he be a bright sorrel, a brown bay, 

 with reddy flankes, a perfect blacke, or anye other coulor 

 betokeninge coulor adust : then to mitigate his feames, he 

 hath to have some whyte marke. Wherefore syth good markes 

 be as necessary as good coulors, I will intreat of them parti- 

 cularlye in the next chapter folowing." 



Since Blundeville regards sorrel-coloured horses as the worst 

 type of great horse, the words of moderate commendation, in 

 which Reyce in spite of his patriotism speaks of the great 

 horses bred in Suffolk, would be very suitable to sorrel-coloured 

 great horses, if such were then bred in Suffolk. All these 

 various considerations taken together render it probable that 

 the Suffolk Punch, of the time of Arthur Young, was the lineal 

 descendant of the ' puissant colts ' which were bred on the 

 ' knowls ' of Suffolk, and which though of good quality were 

 not equal to the fine continental war-horses. 



It thus follows that whilst the shire horses are descended 

 fi'om the great English war-horse of a dark colour, the Suffolk 



