HISTORY. 491 



men were generally slaves, or trained performers. A num- 

 ber of horses started together, and the riders were divided 

 into parties, distinguished by the colours they bore. The 

 spectators interested themselves in the success of these par- 

 ties, rather than in that of the individual horses, as on the 

 modern Turf; and the contests were altogether of a ruder 

 character than we now associate with the ideas of this kind 

 of exercise. 



, The Horses of modern Italy present a great diversity of 

 character. On the irruptions of the barbarians, those of 

 the northern wilderness were introduced in great numbers, 

 and have left their traces, even to the colour of the skin, 

 to the present day. During the times of chivalry, and the 

 heavy-armed cavalry of the middle ages, it may be believ- 

 ed that the more powerful kinds of horses would be sought 

 for ; and there are many of these still in Italy. The horses 

 of Naples are yet in high estimation for their strength and 

 noble action. Many of them were formerly introduced into 

 England, and contributed to form the mixed races of that 

 country. But the horses of Naples, as of other parts of 

 Italy, have lost their value, as compared with foreign races, 

 and few are now carried out of the country. 



Spain is a country in which the Horse has been more 

 mixed with African blood than in other parts of Europe. In 

 the early part of the eighth century, the Moors and Arabs of 

 Northern Africa invaded the country, and maintained a long 

 dominion over it. During ages of heroic struggles, they 

 were by degrees subdued ; and, after the lapse of nearly 800 

 years, the remains of them, when deprived of weapons, and 

 engaged in the pursuits of peaceful industry, were expelled 

 by edicts of unheard of bigotry and cruelty. During this 

 long period, the horses of Africa were introduced in great 

 numbers, and affected, in an important manner, the charac- 

 ters of the native races. This mixture of blood was the 

 greatest in Andalusia, Granada, and other kingdoms of the 

 south ; and here it is that the Spanish Jennet was formed, 



