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13 
other exercising control of those south of 
that boundary; these two custodians being 
in their turn responsible to the Master of the 
Horse. 
There is ample evidence to prove that 
Edward III. took close personal interest 
in horse-breeding, and it is certain that the 
cavalry was better mounted in his wars than 
it had been at any previous period. The 
Great Horse, or War Horse, essential to the 
efficiency of heavily armoured cavalry, was 
by far the most valuable breed and received 
the greatest meed of attention; but the 
Wardrobe Accounts of this reign contain 
mention of many other breeds or classes of 
horse indispensable for campaigning or useful 
for sport and ordinary saddle work — palfreys, 
hackneys, hengests, and somers, coursers, 
trotters, hobbies, nags, and genets. 
The distinction between some of these 
classes was probably somewhat slight. The 
palfrey was the animal used for daily riding 
for pleasure or travel by persons of the upper 
ranks of life, and was essentially the lady’s 
mount, though knights habitually rode pal- 
freys or hackneys on the march, while cir- 
cumstances allowed them to put off for the 
time their armour. The weight of this, with 
the discomfort of wearing it in the cold of 
