CHAPTER III 



THE THOROUGHBRED 



The history of the Thoroughbred is so closely associated with 

 the improvement of the modern horse that much consideration 

 should be given it. 



The horse in England prior to Queen Elizabeth's reign was 

 mainly of the draft type, coarse and strong. We know little of 

 his general merits. He was used in war for chariots and as a 

 saddle horse. The early Romans brought horses to England 

 in the fifth century, and so did the succeeding Normans and 

 others. Early in the thirteenth century King John imported one 

 hundred stallions from Flanders. Edward III, during the four- 

 teenth century, brought to England, it is stated, over fifty Spanish 

 horses at a cost of over eight hundred dollars each. Henry VIII 

 maintained a royal stud, had laws enacted regarding horse breed- 

 ing, and imported from Turkey, Spain, and Naples. Yet during 

 all these years the prevailing horses were burden bearers with 

 the exception of a few of greater speed, known as running horses. 

 The use of heavy armor in the army had justified breeding a horse 

 of this type. 



Systematic horse racing in England was first introduced by 

 James I. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth (15 5 8-1603) 

 the use of armor grew to be unpopular, though the use of horses 

 changed but little. James I, succeeding Elizabeth, was not war- 

 like in temperament, and the use of armor passed away during 

 his reign. Not only this, but James established the race course, 

 gave attention to horse breeding, and imported from the Orient. 

 He established a code of regulations from which the modern race 

 course has derived its foundation. James imported an Arabian 

 stallion from the Orient through an English merchant named 

 Markham, for which he paid five hundred pounds. This horse 

 was much ridiculed and had no special importance in improving 



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