86 THE HORSE. 



eight pence was, then, the minimum price of a two-year-old 

 mare. 



Tlie difficulty was, probably, not to find a mare of that age, 

 over^ but one under, that value. It was, as in price races, where 

 the winner can be claimed for purchase at a low price, a prohi- 

 bition on the valuable beast. 



Now, it is not easy to conceive where the ease of evading 

 such a statute should lie. Since if six shillings and eight pence 

 were the value, to the native breeder or dealer, of a very infe- 

 rior animal, he would not — one should say — be very like io find 

 one of greater value, and sell it to the foreign dealer, for less 

 than it was actually worth to himself. 



If Mr. Youatt merely means to say — what he does not say — 

 that it would be easy to make a nominal sale at six and eight 

 pence, while a much larger price should be secretly understood 

 and paid, he merely predicates what is the case of every statute 

 having reference to money values, bargains, bets, or borrow- 

 ings ; and consequently the remark is of no value, or meaning. 



In the reign of Henry YIII., many highly arbitrary statutes 

 were passed, and doubtless enforced — for few of his enactments 

 were not enforced, rigorously and unto terror — for the improve- 

 ment of the horse. 



It was decreed — and I cannot doubt, although Mr. Youatt 

 seems to do so, with great advantage to the breed, however it 

 might be to the owners — that no stallion should be suffered to 

 run at large, on any waste or common, where the animals pas- 

 tured, and were of course liable to breed proiniscuously, under 

 the height of fifteen hands, on pain of forfeiture ; and that all 

 foals, fillies or mares likely to breed undersized or ill-shaped 

 produce, should be killed and buried. 



He also compelled, by act, all the nobility, gentry, and 

 higher orders of the clergy, to keep a number of horses propor- 

 tionate to their rank ; and obliged, even, every country parson, 

 " whose wife should be entitled to wear a French hood, or vel- 

 vet bonnet," * to keep an entire trotting horse under penalty 

 of twenty pounds. 



* This was a sumptuary regulation. The wife of no person, below a certain 

 rank in society, possessed of a certain annual income, being permitted to wear such 

 a hood. 



