110 PRICES OF HORSES IN OLDEN TIMES 



they must surely have done so ; and Richard Coeur- 

 de-Lion is recorded to have bought two splendid 

 stallions of Eastern origin at Cyprus and brought them 

 to England. 



In those days a war-horse was as well protected as 

 his rider, and at times completely clad in armour, 

 and horse-furniture generally, if cumbrous and heavy, 

 was what may be termed not a little ' smart,' as may 

 be gathered from the amount of gilding on the bridles 

 then styled ' brigliadores,' or ' bridles of gold.' 



In the year 1135 the price of horses is somewhat 

 interesting, for fifteen mares sold for £2 12s. They 

 were purchased by the king, who, to make something 

 out of the bargain, distributed them amongst his 

 tenantry, charging them four shillings apiece for them. 



Twenty years later ten fine horses were sold for 

 £20 apiece, and twelve years later still a pair which 

 were sent to Lombardy fetched ^38 13s. 8d., the 

 usual price being ^10 for a good sound horse; the 

 hire of one for a day was fixed at 2d. 



King John further improved the breed of agri- 

 cultural horses by importing a hundred selected 

 stallions from Flanders, and from these sprang our 

 magnificent breed of draught-horses, now so justly 

 famed. 



A hundred years afterwards, Edward II. purchased 

 thirty Lombardy war-horses and twelve heavy draught- 

 horses. At that period, Lombardy, Italy, and Spain 

 possessed the best cavalry horses, Flanders being 

 celebrated for its agricultural horses. 



Edward III. devoted the sum of 1,000 marks for 

 the purchase of fifty Spanish horses ; and so valuable 

 were they, that a formal application to the kings of 



