78 THE HORSE. 



preserve the monopoly of the breed, for in 930 A. D., a law 

 prohibited the exportation of horses. 



" In Athelstan's reign many Spanish horses were imported, 

 which shows the desire of the Eiigh'sh, even at that early period, 

 to improve the breed. It is no wonder that their descendants 

 should have produced the finest horses in the world. 



" Sliortly before the Norman conquest a horse was valued at 

 thirty shillings, a mare or colt at twenty shillings, an ox at thirty 

 pence, a cow at twenty-four jDcnce — these prices in case of their 

 being destroyed or negligently lost — and a man at a pound." 

 Money, it should be noted, then being equivalent to at least fif- 

 teen times its present value. 



" William the Conqueror took g]-eat pains to improve the 

 English breed, introducing many fine animals from Normandy, 

 Flanders and Spain. This monarcli owed his success at Hast- 

 ings chiefly to his cavalry ; his own horse was a Spanish one. 

 In this reign we have tlie first notice of horses being employed 

 in agriculture. They had been used for the saddle for many 

 centuries, Bede informing us that the Euglish began to use 

 horses as early as * C31 A. D., and that peoi^le of rank distin 

 guished themselves by appearing frequently on horseback. 



" During the Conqueror's reign, the then Earl of Shrewsbury, 

 Roger de Belesme, brought a number of Spanish horses to his 

 estate of Powisland. The breed issuing from these is highly 

 eulogzied by Giraldus Cambrensis and Dayton. 



" In the reign of Henry I. we have an account of the first 

 Arab horse imported into the country. It was presented by 

 Alexander I., king of Scotland, to the church of St. Aiidrew's, 

 with many valuable accoutrements, and a considerable estate. 

 IIiBtory, however, is silent as to the purposes to which this ani- 

 mal was devoted, or as to what ultimately became of liim." 



It has been well pointed out, in this connection, that the an- 

 cient historians, being exclusively monks and churchmen, natu- 

 rally paid little attention to the breeding of horses, which were 

 held to belong to war rather than agriculture, and were forbid- 

 den to their order ; and farther it may be observed that, until, 



* It is not easy to comprehend what this is intended to convey ; since it is quite 

 clear that they used cavalry long before the Christian era, and saddle-horses during 

 the whole of the Koman occupation. 



