HORSES OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS 133 



was about 425 lbs., so that it is manifest a horse 

 of great size and power was necessary. By Queen 

 Elizabeth's time (1558- 1603) the exclusive re- 

 striction of the great horse to military purposes was 

 broken down, and these animals were in general 

 use for farm and draught work. At this period 

 it would seem that the colour of the great horse 

 might range from black and bay to white. Accord- 

 ing to Sir Walter Hungerford, who lived during 

 the reign of Queen Mary, the British breed was 

 at that time improved by the introduction of High 

 Almaine (German), Flemish or Friesland, and, 

 more rarely, Neapolitan, stallions. In the reign 

 of James I. the great horse was still in use as 

 a war-horse, as is proved by Vandyke's picture of 

 the Duke of Arenburg, in the Earl of Leicester's 

 collection at Holkam Hall ; and in spite of the 

 introduction of lighter horses in succeeding reigns 

 and during the Commonwealth, this usage continued 

 till 1658, when a book was written by the Duke 

 of Newcastle on the training and grooming of great 

 horses for war purposes. By the latter half of 

 the seventeenth century armour fell, however, into 

 disuse, and the great horse, no longer required 

 for war, or indeed for the saddle at all, took its 

 place as an animal of draught, and e\entually 

 acquired the name of shire horse. It may be 

 from the strain of North German and Flemish blood 

 in the English great horse of best quality, that 



