THE HORSE IN SCOTLAND 81 



tails, and a touch of Satanic elusiveness, are simply vague 

 memories harking back to the last survivors of the yellow- 

 dun native and Norse horses of the wilds ? Certainly in 

 some cases the traditions are localized in areas, such as 

 the Forest of Birse, or Loch Lundie in Sutherlandshire, 

 where wild ponies are known to have roamed at will in cen- 

 turies not long gone. 



Fig. 18. Highland Garron probably moulded by Norse influence. "Braulin,'' 

 Champion, Highland Show, 1908. ^ nat. size. 



BREEDING AND INTERBREEDING 



While a natural admixture of blood was taking place 

 between the horses of the Norse invaders and those of the 

 invaded land, primitive attempts were also being made to 

 improve the races at hand, by a rough and ready method 

 of selective breeding. This early system offers one easy ex- 

 planation of the origin of " wild " herds. The oldest reference 

 to Scottish horse-breeding of which I am aware, is contained 

 in the Charter of Kelso whereby, before 1 200 A.D., Gilbert 

 de Imfraville granted the monks of Kelso a tenth of the 

 foals bred in his forest, and studs. The horses were bred by 



R. 6 



