CHAPTER 11. 



THE ORIGIN OF THE MODERN BRITISH HORSE. 



William the Conqueror's Roan Cavalry— Cliaucer's Horses— The Earl of Northumberland's Stud, 1500— Henry VIII.'s 

 Law Regulating Horse-breeding not Carried Out— Blundeville, temp. Queen Elizabeth — Shakespeare's Horse of Adonis 

 — Gervase MarUIiam, a Traveller and Sportsman, temp. James I. — Condition of English Horses in his Time— Hunting 

 — High-school Riding— The Yeomanry rode often —Description of the true English Horse- The Courser of Naples— 

 The Turkish Horse— The Barbarie Horse— The Genet of Spain— The High Almaine— The Fleming— The Friesland— 

 The Irish Hobby— Michael Barrett's (1618) "Vineyard of Horsemanship "—Hunter of the Period— The Running-horse— 

 The Stag-hunting of the Nobility— The Hare-hunting of the Yeomanry— The Traine Scent— The Wild-goose Chase— 

 The Duke of Newcastle, 1658— Advice on Choice of Horses— His Pictures— Cart-horses with many Names -High-school 

 Riding in 1865— Importation of Oriental Horses between 1618 and 1688 — The Italian Notion of Horses same Date- 

 Illustration 01 Italian Beau-ideal — Paduan Horse— King William II I. 's Charger. 



All the horses in this country, on the Continent of Europe, and of the English-speaking nations 

 of America (except those employed in slow heavy draught), depend so much for their best 

 qualities on large and repeated crosses of blood, that it is essential that any writer on the subject, 

 however anxious to avoid unpractical disquisitions, should tell the story of the origin and 

 gradual progress to perfection of the English blood-horse, and his effect on the races of other 

 countries. 



England, Scotland, and Ireland, have, from the remotest historical times, had useful breeds 

 of horses, suited to the requirements of the age. 



The climate that suits horse-breeding so well now was equally favourable in the time of the 

 Roman Conquest. At the period of Caesar's invasion ponies were bred on the hills and mountains, 

 and larger horses on the richer lowlands ; but it was not until the middle of the last century that 

 the English blood-horses competed with Spanish and Oriental horses in the favour of Continental 

 equestrians, and it was only under the reign of William III. that the heaviest draught horses were 

 introduced from Holland with the engineers who drained the fens of Lincolnshire. 



The followers of William the Conqueror imported the large Norman horses, so suitable 

 to carry knights in complete armour. That celebrated work of art the Bayeux Tapestry 

 represents the boats of the invading army full of red and blue horses (roan horses). Every knight 

 had a small hack on which he rode without his armour, while his great war-horse was led by one 

 of his squires. For this purpose the Crusaders brought back to England some of those Eastern 

 steeds which were well known and esteemed in France and Germany, and are still esteemed in 

 Spain, as " genets." 



Chaucer gives us an idea of the various kinds of horses fainiliar to his countrymen in the 

 fourteenth century. His Canterbury pilgrims were all on horseback. Of the Monk, whose 

 ambling nag was " brown as any berry," he says — 



" Full many a dainty horse had he in stall ; " 

 of the Old Knight — " His horse was good, albeit he was not gay ;" 



of the Young Squire — "Well could he sit his horse, and fairly ride;" 



and of the Wife of Bath — "Upon an ambler easily she sat." 



