Various Horses introduced. 5 



seem to have bred from Spanish stallions. But the 

 best horses in Spain were those which had been derived 

 from the cross with the horses of Arabian blood of the 

 Saracens, who had for so long a time held sway in Spain. 

 This was doubtless a more important cross, and would 

 change the character of the breed to some considerable 

 extent, although it must not be thought that the Spanish 

 horse introduced by the Normans much resembled the 

 Arabian, but he had derived certain good qualities. 

 The next opportunity of an introduction of Eastern 

 blood would be in the long period of the Crusades ; 

 but this opportunity was not made much of, although 

 the mail-clad champions found out the superiority of 

 the Arabian horse. 



The first recorded instance of an Arabian horse in 

 this country was in the reign of Henry I., when Alexan- 

 der I. of Scotland introduced an Arab horse ; and it has 

 been stated (but with no certain records) that an improved 

 breed was derived from this horse. 



But King John imported horses of a different stamp, 

 namely, stallions from Flanders, which, good as they may 

 have been for draught, must have done incalculable harm 

 to the progress of the English riding-horse. Then came 

 thirty war-horses from Lombardy, and twelve heavy 

 draught-horses imported by Edward II. ; and Edward 

 III. purchased fifty Spanish horses. With these con- 

 flicting elements the prosperity of the horse in this 

 country rose and fell. 



It would appear, however, that even in the reign of 

 Henry VIII. the state of the English horse was by 



