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six shillings and six-pence, or one hundred and sixty pounds of our 

 currency. These horses were meant to serve, partly to the contin- 

 uation of the war with Scotland, partly for a tournament, which the 

 King intended to give. To the latter festivities and for warfare in gen- 

 eral only stallions were used; the altering of horse colts was not 

 customary and the use of mares among so many horses would have led 

 to disturbances. Mares were considered inferior at that time, but when 

 the castration became more general the price of mares increased, be- 

 cause it was found, that even though they were inferior to stallions, 

 they possessed strength and comparatively more courage and more en- 

 durance, than geldings. Edward the third possessed several race 

 horses ; but the real meaning of this term is not clearly shown, either 

 they were light and fleet, as contrary to the war horse, or they were 

 literally used for racing. The average price of these race horses was 

 eight pounds, six shillings and eight-pence. The King -was a lover of 

 racing and hunting and began to recognize the advantage of crossing 

 the stately and heavier horses with those, which "were lighter and 

 possessed more speed. 



The heavy armor of the soldiers "was a drawback, -which after- 

 wards was removed. The rider with all his equipments frequently 

 weighed over fourteen stone (14 pounds per stone), and to carry this a 

 horse had to be of more than ordinary, size and strength. Only after 

 the musket was substituted for the war axe and the iron armor was dis- 

 pensed with as useless, the actual improvement in the breeding of 

 horses began in England. 



While Edward the third profited by the importation of foreign 

 blood for the horses of his country, he was unwilling, that his 

 neighbors should share the advantages of this proceeding. The export 

 of horses w as prohibited under a very heavy penalty. Only one ex- 

 ception is known to have been made, when a German horse dealer was 

 permitted to take out of the country, a few horses, brought there on 

 speculation, and then only on the condition, that he would take them to 

 Scotland. The Kingdoms of Great Britain, were so jealous of each 

 others prosperity, that up to the reign of Queen Elizabeth it was con- 

 sidered a capital crime, to export horses to Scotland. 



In this -way the English horse became slowly the equal of, and su- 

 perior to the horses of neighboring countries, its value was more gen- 

 erally and more highly acknowledged and prices became so high, tha. 

 the breeders and dealers received enormous sums for their stock, from 

 many of the young and inexperienced noblemen. In the year 1386 

 Richard the second saw fit to cause a reduction in prices. This 

 measure was interesting, not only because it showed the increased 

 value of the horses of that time, but also because it mentions the 

 districts which five hundred years ago, cultivated horse breeding. 

 The decree "was given and published in the counties of Lincoln 

 and Cambridge and in the eastern and nothern districts of York 

 county, and the price was reduced to the sum sanctioned by the 



