110 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 
an armored knight. Among other edicts enacted in the 
reign of Henry VIII, was one limiting the size of sires 
to be used to not less than fourteen hands. 
The horse as a feature in the sports of the times is first 
mentioned in the latter half of the twelfth century, when 
races of a primitive character and mounted sports were 
conducted at Smithfield, as a recreation for the people. 
The first race reported was run between Richard II and 
the Earl of Arundel in 1377. Henry VIII was the first 
king who raced horses for his own amusement. In 1580, 
the horses of Great Britain were classified by Thomas 
Blundeville as follows: “a breed of Great Horses meete for 
warre and to serve in the field,” ‘‘ambling horses of ameane 
stature for to journey and travel by the waie,”’ “a race 
of swift runners to run for wagers or to gallop the buck” 
and “a breed only for draftes or burden.” It is important 
to note that at this early time horses were extensively 
used for racing and hunting. They were undoubtedly the 
descendants of the Barbs and Turks, which are known to 
have been in Great Britain at an early date, the Arab not 
having been introduced until 1616. Racing increased in 
popularity under James I, who imported the first Arabian 
for the purpose of breeding horses of greater speed. After 
the example of James I, other and frequent importations 
of Arabians, Barbs, and Turks were made from the Orient 
and Spain. By the time of Charles I, the sentiment in 
favor of racing had become so strong that much concern 
was felt for the defense of the kingdom, as so little atten- 
tion was then being paid to the production of the Great 
or War horse. 
The real era of the Thoroughbred is usually dated from 
the time of Charles IT (1660-1685). He not only took an 
active interest in racing, but imported direct from the 
