28 THE HOKSi'J. 



incursions upon this country, brought 

 with them horses which, by admixture, 

 doubtless stamped their impress upon 

 the native stock, and so primarily paved 

 the way to the permanent improvement 

 of the British horse; for when Caesar 

 Caesar's landed in England he wrote of the coun- 



opinion of 



trv as ' " Dives equum," &c., and well he 

 might, for in addition to a cavalry force 

 he was opposed by four thousand chariots 

 which, he narrates, were managed with 

 great dexterity, and inflicted consider- 

 able loss upon the invaders. 



When the English resumed the arts of 

 peace the possession of horses, from a 

 national point of view, was considered of 

 great importance, for we find that Athel- 

 stan prohibited their exportation. 



History reveals therefore the fact that 



