BRITISH HORSE.] MODEEN VETERINAET PEACTICE. rBumsH nonsE. 



In the reigns of Elizabeth and James, a 

 considerable number of writers appeared on 

 tlie subject of the liorse, and of farriery. 

 ]51underville, the earliest now known, and one 

 of the ablest, describes the generality of horses 

 in the reign of Elizabeth, as either weak or 

 sturdy jades, adapted only to draw ; with, how- 

 ever, some very creditable exceptions indeed. 

 As an example, he states the fact of one of 

 them having travelled for a wager eighty miles 

 within the day. The great breeders of the 

 country had been accustomed to import, for 

 the stud, "The Turk, the Barbarian, the 

 Sardinian, the Neapolitan, tiie Jennet of Spain, 

 the Hungarian, the high Almaine (German), 

 the Eriezland, the Elanders, and the Irish 

 Hobby." Nevertheless, in those days, horses 

 could not have been very numerous in Eng- 

 land, since Queen Elizabetli experienced the 

 utmost difficulty in mounting two or three 

 thousand cavalry. 



Throughout these early periods, as in modern 

 times, riding on horseback, and trying the 

 speed of horses, was peculiarly an English 

 diversion. The country sports of hunting and 

 hawking are of very ancient date; and our 

 old chronicles furnish us with accounts of the 

 constant diversions in Smithfield, then an ex- 

 tensive plain, where, as already observed, 

 London citizens met, matched, and raced their 

 horses ; the superior social orders joining and 

 taking part with the citizens. 



The unfortunate Charles I. instituted races 

 in Hyde-park ; and, after him, Cromwell kept 

 his stud ; but racing did not, throughout the 

 wars and the Protectorate, flourish as it had 

 done in the days of James I. ^With the 

 restoration of the merry monarch, racing, which 

 liad just lived a fitful season during the reign 

 of the first Charles, was began again with spirit. 

 At this period, with the exception of a few 

 Arab stallions and mares, of a most uncertain 

 lineage, introduced during the last reign, the 

 description of horses to be met with in Great 

 Britain, consisted of the Aboriginal race, the 

 ponderous Norman war-horse, and the un- 

 vicldy Elanders mare, used by the nobility 

 10 drag their state-coaches, and to carry 

 the pillions, upon which English dames were 

 wont to jog behind their burly masters. It 

 would be easy to trace all the variations of 

 the horse, known in this country by the very 



significant names of " half-bred," from these 

 three sources. Of course we look for them 

 no further back than the first introduction of 

 Arab and Persian blood ; and we find them the 

 produce of the stallions of those countries 

 crossed with the English, Norman, and Eian- 

 ders mares. Thus, from the first, descended 

 the old English lumter, showing all the cross- 

 made, hardy franiowork of his dam— the 

 blood-like 'head, and flat sinewy legs of his 

 sire. The roadster, from the same sire, was 

 the produce of the second-class of our native 

 mares. As distinct classes, probably no speci- 

 mens of either are now to be found, their 

 descendants constituting the endless ramifica- 

 tions of all the tag-rag nondescripts, by which 

 the drudgery of town and country work is 

 performed. 



In the reign of Queen Anne the Arabian 

 was brought again into fashion. A Mr. Darlev 

 was the means of this; and it is to the off'spring 

 of the animal — further noticed in our next 

 chapter — which goes by this gentleman's name, 

 that we are principally indebted for the breed 

 of horses which we now possess, and which is 

 unrivalled for strength, speed, and beauty. 



The peculiar English system of breeding, 

 essentially and usefully different from any 

 other country in Europe, had an early com- 

 mencement; but it was confiued to the supe- 

 rior, chiefly to the sporting classes. This system 

 has been gradually and progressively improved 

 to the present time. Within the period of its 

 existence we have produced specimens in every 

 variety of the animal, bordering on attainable 

 perfection. Such, however, it must be acknow- 

 ledged, have been, even in our most vaunted 

 periods, sufficiently scarce ; and our numbers of 

 scientific and judicious breeders have at no 

 period formed the majority. The average, 

 however, of English horses, has possessed a 

 fair proportion of the English principle. Hence 

 their being always in demand for foreign studs. 

 " The coursers of the East," says Mr. Touatt, 

 " might have been easily procured ; a new 

 supply of Arabian blood might have been 

 obtained from the native country of the Barbj 

 but French and Italians, Germans, Eussians, 

 and Flemings, have flocked to the British 

 Isles. The pure blood of the present Barb 

 and Arabian has been postponed, and all have 

 deeply drawn from that of the thorough- 



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