THE HORSE IN SCOTLAND 79 



the careful selection of the best of his stock, and the inter- 

 mixture of new blood derived from races possessing qualities 

 more desirable for the immediate purpose in view; and that 

 the general result of man's influence has been an increase in 

 size, and in specialization for particular forms of labour. It 

 would simplify the intricacies of the history of the mainland 

 horses if the reader were to keep in mind that the founda- 

 tion upon which subsequent developments were built was 

 that race of small, active, strong and hardy horses which 

 the Romans found yoked to the chariots of the Caledonians 

 at the battle of Mons Graupius, in the sixth year of Agricola's 

 conquests in North Britain the 85th year of the Christian 

 era. 



We have already seen that the researches at the Roman 

 station at Newstead, conducted by Mr James Curie, led to 

 the discovery that the Roman legionaries brought with them 

 horses larger and heavier in build than the native Scottish 

 race. There is little likelihood, however, that this importa- 

 tion of what was probably the "bad and ugly " native German 

 breed known to Caesar, would exert a deep influence upon 

 Scottish horses, for the Roman occupation was limited in 

 space and in time. 



NORSE INFLUENCE 



It was a different matter with the invasions of the 

 Scandinavian peoples in the ninth and succeeding centuries, 

 for they formed permanent colonies and amalgamated with 

 the native races in a way which the Romans never did. One 

 result of this close contact is apparent in the influence the 

 Norse peoples exercised upon the Scottish breed of ponies 

 through their own characteristic horses. The Norse horses 

 (Equus caballus typicus] were greater in stature than the 

 Scottish native race, they were heavier in build, were of a 

 yellow-dun colour and were noted for their intelligence and 

 tractability. Their heads were short and broad with promi- 

 nent eyes, their neck and shoulders heavy, their quarters 

 rounded, their tails low-set, their limbs short, sturdy and large- 

 jointed, and their hoofs broad. "In neck and shoulders, 

 trunk and limbs," says Professor Ewart, "the Norse variety 

 may be said to be intermediate between a true pony and a 

 small cart-horse of the Suffolk type." To the influence of 



