26 THE HOESE AND ITS DISEASES. 



was presented by Alexander I., King of Scotland, to the 

 church of St. Andrew's, together with valuable accoutre- 

 ments, and a considerable estate. History, however, is 

 silent as to the purpose to which this animal was 

 devoted, or as to what became of him. 



King John paid great attention to the improvement 

 of horses for agricultural purposes, and to him they 

 should be indebted for the origin of their draught horses. 

 He chiefly imported Flemish horses, and such was his 

 anxiety to possess the finest stock from those, that he 

 would accept horses as rent for crown lands, and as fines 

 for the renewal of leases. 



Edward III. purchased a considerable number of 

 Spanish horses, the off'spring of the Arabs, which had 

 been introduced into their country by the Moors. 



Prince Edward, son of Henry III., was not deficient 

 in that acumen, which has subsequently characterized 

 the adherents of racing. Being taken prisoner with his 

 father, at the battle of Lewes, by the Earl of Leicester, 

 during some of the time he was in captivity, he was 

 permitted to enjoy equestrian exercise, escorted by 

 soldiers. Till the reign of Henry YIL, we have few 

 other accounts of the progress of the English horse. 



The principal ancestors of the English race horses, 

 were the ''Byerly Turk," ridden by Captain Byeiiy, as 

 charger in Ireland in 1689; the ''Daiiey Arabian," in 

 1712; the ''Godolphin Arabian," in 1753; '' Elying 

 Childers;" '' Goldfinder," another great horse foal, in 

 1764; ''Eclipse," "King Herod," and several other 

 great horses. 



The English Dray Horse. 



This horse is the largest of his species, standing 17 

 hands high. He is unquestionably a gigantic brute, and 

 by no means a useful one. They form the princijoal 

 obstruction in the streets of London ; their slow move- 

 ments, and the ponderous vehicles to which they are 

 attached, compelling all carriages in their rear to move 



