136 



MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



taken in the horse, for eight years before, in 1462, Lord 

 Howard, another Norfolk trotter owner, paid an equiv- 

 alent of $28 for a gray nag to send to the French king. 

 To encourage improvement in the native horse royal 

 decrees were enacted, the first one dated as early as 1495, 

 during the reign of Henry VII. These laws were in- 

 tended to promote the breeding of horses fit for the 



army. Soon 

 other laws were 

 passed to pro- 

 mote horse 

 breeding, the 

 most notable be- 

 ing in 1540 dur- 

 ing the reign of 

 Henry VTII. 

 This act was 

 noteworthy, as it 

 provided that all 

 who were able 

 should maintain 



Fio. 79. — Hackney Stallion "Enfield Nipper" One Of morC 



horses. A few 

 years later followed the first English book on the horse. 

 The book was designated "The Foure Chiefest Offices 

 Belonging to Horsemanship," and was written by Ralph 

 Blunderville, and appeared in 1558- 



Development of the Hackney coach horse. — While much 

 improvement had been accomplished in the road horses of 

 Norfolk and Suffolk, the real development of the Hackney 

 coach horse did not begin until the eighteenth century. 

 During the early part of the century, mention is made of 

 the use of stallions imported from Arabia, Barbary and 

 Turkey and crossing them on the native mares of Nor- 

 folk. The Thoroughbred was also used in crossing 

 which, in connection with the Oriental crosses, increased 

 the speed and improved the quality, thus providing ex- 



