SPURS, ANCIENT AND MODERN 165 



the rotation of the wheel, and the same motion 

 prevented it injuring horses. The points of rowels 

 were sometimes three inches long." Surely he 

 meant the neck ? The fifteenth century was re- 

 sponsible for rowels made like a serrated wheel ; 

 these are more ornamental than useful. They 

 mark an era of transition between those worn 

 previously, when horses and riders were encased 



CHARLES II. SPUR 



in armour, and those used subsequently, when 

 armour gradually became less heavy and finally 

 fell into disuse. One of these processional spurs 

 weighed one pound and three-quarters avoirdupois. 

 Here are some important changes after the 

 battle of Hastings. Iron " pryck " spurs were 

 lozenge-shaped, or like spears' heads, usually 

 with short necks, but a few were long. Until 

 Henry III., the tendency of the average rider 

 was to wear these " pryck " spurs, with longer 



