200 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



from Germany, yet these should not be understood as meaning racing 

 horses as the term is now used. They are supposed to have been light, 

 speedy horses, adapted to the chase or for the roads, as opposed to the 

 heavy war horse, capable of carrying a man at arms with his armor. 



It does not appear that until the time of Charles I. horses were kept 

 exclusively for racing. Yet even before Athelstan's time English horses 

 had come to be jprized on the continent, and in Athelstan's reign many 

 Spanish horses were imported, showing clearly that so long ago as this 

 the English were fully alive to the importance of the continued improve- 

 ment of their horse stock. 



William the Conqueror is recorded to have used gi-eat pains in improv- 

 ing the horse stock of the country, after the conquest of Great Britain 

 by the Normans, through the introduction of fine horses from Normandy, 

 Flanders and Spain , and according to Beal it would seem that as early as 

 631 people of rank distinguished themselves by often appearing on horse- 

 back, and from which it would be natural to infer that thus early horses 

 were kept for pleasure riding, since saddle horses are known to have been 

 used during the Roman occupation of Britain, and cavalry horses long 

 before the Christian Era. 



The first Arab horse would seem to have been imported in the reign of 

 Henry I., an Arab horse having, with his accoutrements, been presented 

 by Alexander I. of Scotland, to the church of St. Andrew. 



In the twelfth century a race course was established in London, at 

 what was since called Smithficld, and which was also a horse market. 



King John paid great attention to the importation of horses ; one hun. 

 dred chosen Flemish stallions having been imported at a single time. 

 Later it is recorded of Edward II. that he purchased thirty war horses 

 and twelve heavy draft horses. 



Edward III., upon the occasion of buying fifty Spanish horses, made 

 application to France and Spain for safe conduct for them, and so impor- 

 tant was the horse stock of England considered that the exportation of 

 stallions was forbidden, and this prohibition was continued up to and 

 during the reign of Henry VII. 



In the reign of Henry VIII. it was decreed that no stallion should be 

 allowed to run at large on any waste or common where animals pastured, 

 if under the height of fifteen hands, and that all foals, fillies or marcs 

 likely to breed undersized or inferior animals, should be killed and bu- 

 ried. 



All the nobility, gentry and higher orders of the clergy, were compell- 

 ed by an act to keep a number of horses proportioned to their rank, and 

 even a country parson, whose wife was entitled to wear a French hood or 

 velvet bonnet (no person below a certain rank being allowed to wear such 



