H O R S E S P A S T A N D P R E S E N T S A D D LE A N D P ILLIO N . “ H O M A S S TOTH A R D , R . A . ) i n o f t h e Flit c h o f B a c o n , b y ( Fr o m Th e P r o c e s s o T H O R SES P A S T A N D P R E S E N T S I R G I L B E Y A R . WA LT E R , B T ILLUST RAT ED T o C . L T D . VIN ON , N E W B R I D GE S R E E LO N D O N E C . 9 , T T , , 1 900 T E T C O N N S . I n t rodu ction B efore t he C onqu e st William the C onqu eror William R ufu s H enry I . H I I enry . R h ic ard I . h n Jo H . E w I I d ard . E dwar d I I I . R c h r I I i a d . H enry V I I . H enry V I I I . E w r V n d u r d a d I . a Q een Ma y E liz ab eth Ja mes I . Char s I le . Th e C ommon wealth Ch arles I I . m 1 1 1 . Willia w . Q ueen A n n e Ge orge I . or I I Ge ge . Geor ge I I I . G eor ge I V . William I V . H er M ajest y Q u een V ict oria — Light H o rses "B reed S ocieties — H eavy H o rses "B reed So cieties I L L U S T R A T I O N S . C art - H orse of the XV t h C en t ur y On S addle an d Pillio n Gu E a r of ar w ck XV I th C en tur y, l W i , y Th e D arley A rabia n acob B ates The r ck R der J , T i i Grey D i omed un t er S r e o n ac H i , C g The H ack H un t er Th e N orfolk Phen o men on Tbi s br i ef bi story of tbe H or se i n E ngla n d t o tli e close of tae n i n eteen tn cen t u r y i s a com ilati on zo/i i cli it i s ma r ove p , y p u u l ll n sef as we as i ter esti ng. S o mu c/i bas been don e to i mp r ove ou r ’ br eeds o li or ses si n ce tlze ea r 1 800 a n a so f y , ma ny a n d i mpor t a n t bave been tb e cbanges i n ’ ou r metb oas o t r avel i n tae u se o b eav f , f y li ar ses i n a r i cu lt u r e i n bu n ti n r a ci n a n d g , g, g stee lecna si n t/ea t tbe latter or t i on o tb e p g, p f li d n l book n nt be a mp fi e i n defi i te y . "t i s n ot t/cougbt n ecessa ry to do mor e t/za n tou c/i br i efly upon tbc mor e i mpor tant even t s ’ ’ ’ mbi en nave occu r r ea a u r i ng H er M ajesty s r eign . ’ Tbe i n ter esti ng a n a i n st r u ct i ve wor lz by tn i oni n n ta n s tne t i tles a ll M r . H u e co i o , f tne boobs w r i tten i n a ll la ngu ages r ela t i ng ’ to tbe H or se snows tnat tae n u mber pu bli sbea ’ up t o tae y ea r 1 886 exceeas a n d si n ce ’ t/zat aa t e wor ks on tbe H or se embr a ci n , , g veter i n a r sci en ce br eedi n cava lr coa cb i n y , g, y , g, r a ci n b u n ti n a n d ki n dr ed su b ect s bave been g, g j , i ssu ed fr om tlze pu blisni ng nou ses of E u r ape a t tbe r t e t t/z D u r i n a of abou t wo per mon . g tbe ten y ea r s 1 886 - 95 upwa r ds of 232 su cb war bs wer e i ssu ed an d tb er e li as been n o er , p ceptible decr ea se du r i ng tbe last fou r y ea r s . Un der t/zese ci r cu msta n ces a n apology for addi ng t o tb e ma ss of li t er a t u r e on tbe H or se s eems a lmost n ecessa ry . E lsen ham H all E ssex , , N ovember 1 00 , 9 . "H O R S E S PA S T A N D T P R E S E N . FI R ST among animals which man has domesticated , or brought under control to do him service , stands the horse . The beauty of his form , his strength , speed and m retentive memory , alike com end him to admiration ; the place he holds , whether in relation to our military strength , our com mer cial and agricultural pursuits , or our . v pleasures , is unique Whether as ser ant Or companion of man the horse stands alone among animals . There can be no doubt but that the horse was broken to man ’s service at an early ’ period of the world s history . The art of taming him was first practised by the peoples of Asia and Africa , who earliest attained t o a degree of civilisation ; but whether he was first ridden or driven is a question which has often been debated with 2 no definite result . The earliest references to the use of horses occur in the Old Testa ment , where numerous passages make mention of chariots and horsemen in con n ect io n with all warlike operations . BEFO RE T H E C ON Q UE ST . From very remote times E ngland has possessed horses which her inhabitants u t rned to valuable account , as we find " occasion to note elsewhere and the farther she advanced on the path of civilisation the wider became the field for utility open to the horse . To the necessity for adapting h im to various purposes , to the carrying of - u armour clad soldiery , to dra ght , pack work , hawking, hunting , coaching , for use in mines & c . where ponies are required , , we owe the several distinct breeds which we now possess s u in ch perfection . I n early times horses were held the most valuable of all property in B ritain ; we see evidence of the importance attached to them in the figures on ancient coins . The Vener able Bede states that the E nglish first used a 0 1 saddle horses about the ye r 3 , when i s ast an d r ese i r Walter il e on e n t . S G b P P P By y , m t u s e n t on o te . ar C . B p bli h d by Vi , Li i d 4 o horses nly for the sake of greater mobility , and were what in modern phrase are styled m ounted infantry . Saxons and Danes brought horses of various breeds into E ngland , primarily to carry on their warfare against the British ; the most useful of these were horses of Eastern blood , which doubtless performed valuable service in improving the E nglish S breeds . The axon and Danish kings of necessity maintained large studs of horses for military purposes , but whether they took measures to improve them by systematic breeding history does not record . K ing Alfred (87 1 to 99 1 ) had a Master of E c u ef t he the H orse , named q , and existence of such an office indicates that the Royal stables were ordered on a scale o f consider able magnitude . King Ath elstan ( 9 25- 940) is entitled to special mention , for it was he who passed the first of a long series of laws by which the export of horses was forbidden . Athel ’ stan s la w assigns no reason for this step ; but the only possible motive for such a law must have been to check the trade which the high qualities of English - bred horses had brought into existence . At no period of our history have we possessed more horses than would supply our require ’ t he ments , and Athelstan s prohibition of export of horses beyond sea , unless they were sent as gifts , was undoubtedly due to a growing demand which threatened to pro d u ce scarci t y .