T VOL. I. Hæft, Oeg, Hingst HE breed of horfes in Great Britain is as mixed as that SWIFTNESS. while ours, by a judicious mixture of the feveral fpecies, by the happy difference of our foils, and by our fuperior skill in management, may triumph over the rest of Europe, in having brought each quality of this noble animal to the highest perfection. * In the annals of Newmarket, may be found inftances of horses that have literally out-ftripped the wind, as the celebrated M. Condamine has lately fhewn in his remarks on those of Great Britain. Childers+ is an amazing instance of rapidity, his speed having been more than once exerted equal to 82 feet in a fecond, or near a mile in a minute: The fame horse has alfo run the round course at Newmarket, (which is about 400 yards lefs than 4 miles) in fix minutes and forty feconds; in which cafe his fleetness is to that of the swiftest Barb, as four to three; the former, according to Doctor Maty's computation, covering at every bound a space of ground equal in length to twenty-three feet royal, the latter only that of eighteen feet and a half royal. Horses of this kind, derive their origin from Arabia; the feat of the pureft, and moft generous breed. The species used in hunting, is a happy combination of the former with others fuperior in ftrength, but inferior in point of speed and lineage: an union of both is neceffary; for the fatigues of the chace must be fupported by the fpirit of the one, as well as by the vigor of the other. In his tour to Italy, 190. + M. Condamine illuftrates his remarks with the horse, Starling; but the report of his speed being doubtful, we chufe to inftance the speed of Childers, as indifputable and univerfally known. For a particular account of the Arabian horfes, the reader is referred to No. I. in the Appendix to this volume. No No country can bring a parallel to the ftrength and fize of our horses destined for the draught; or to the activity and strength united of thofe that form our cavalry. In our capital there are inftances of fingle horfes that are able to draw on a plain, for a small space, the weight of three tuns; but could with ease, and for a continuance draw half that weight*. The pack-horses of Yorkshire, employed in conveying the manufactures of that county to the most remote parts of the kingdom, ufually carry a burden of 420 pounds; and that indifferently over the highest hills of the north, as well as the most level roads; but the most remarkable proof of the ftrength of our British horses, is to be drawn from that of our mill-horfes: fome of thefe will carry at one load thirteen measures, which at a moderate computation of 70 pounds each, will amount to 910; a weight fuperior to that which the leffer fort of camels will bear: this will appear lefs furprising, as these horses are by degrees accustomed to the weight; and the distance they travel no greater than to and from the adjacent hamlets. Our cavalry in the late campaigns, (when they had opportunity) fhewed over thofe of our allies, as well as of the French, a great fuperiority both of strength and activity: the enemy was broken through by the impetuous charge of our fquadrons; while the German horfes, from their great weight, and inactive make, were unable to fecond our efforts; though thofe troops were actuated by the nobleft ardor. *Holling fhed makes it a matter of boaft, that in his time, five horses could draw with eafe for a long journey 3000lb. weight. STRENGTH. BRITISH CAVALRY ANTIENT. The prefent cavalry of this ifland only fupports its antient glory; it was eminent in the earliest times: our fcythed* chariots, and the activity and good discipline of our horfes, even ftruck terror into Cafar's legions and the Britains, as foon as they became civilized enough to coin, took care to reprefent on their money the animal for which they were fo celebrated. It is now impoffible to trace out this fpecies; for those which exist among the indigene of Great Britain, fuch as the little horses of Wales and Cornwal, the hobbies of Ireland, and the fhelties of Scotland, though admirably well adapted to the uses of those countries, could never have been equal to the work of war; but probably we had even then a larger and stronger breed in the more fertile and luxuriant parts of the island. Those we employ for that purpose, or for the draught, are an offfpring of the German or Flemish breed, meliorated by our foil, and a judicious culture. The English were ever attentive to an exact culture of these animals; and in very early times fet a high value on their breed. The esteem that our horfes were held in by foreigners fo long ago as the reign of Athelstan, may be collected from a law of that monarch prohibiting their exportation, except they were defigned as presents. These must have been the native kind, or the prohibition would have been needlefs, for our commerce was at that time too limited to receive improvement from any but the German kind, to which country their own breed could be of no value. But when our intercourse with the other parts of Europe was enlarged, we foon layed hold of the advantages this gave of improving * Covinos vocant, quorum falcatis axibus utuntur. Pomp. Mela, lib. iii. c. 6. Cafar. Com. lib. iv. Strabo. lib. iv. our our breed. Roger de Belefme, Earl of Shrewsbury*, is the first that is on record: he introduced the Spanish ftallions into his estate in Powifland, from which that part of Wales was for many ages celebrated for a swift and generous race of horses. Giraldus Cambrenfis, who lived in the reign of Henry II. takes notice of it †; and Michael Drayton, cotemporary with Shakespear, fings their excellence in the fixth part of his Polyolbion. This kind was probably destined to mount our gallant nobility, or courteous knights for feats of Chivalrý, in the generous contests of the tilt-yard. From these sprung, to speak the language of the times, the Flower of Courfers, whose elegant form added charms to the rider; and whose activity and managed dexterity gained him the palm in that field of gallantry and romantic honor. Notwithstanding my former fuppofition, races were known in England in very early times. Fitz-Stephen, who wrote in the days of Henry II. mentions the great delight that the citizens of London took in the diverfion. But by his words, it appears not to have been defigned for the purposes of gaming, but merely to have sprung from a generous emulation of fhewing a superior skill in horfemanship. Races appear to have been in vogue in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and to have been carried to fuch excess as to injure the fortunes of the nobility. The famous George Earl of Cumberland is recorded to have wasted more of his eftate than any of his ancef * Created by William the Conqueror. + In hæc tertia Wallia portione quæ Powifia dicitur funt equitia peroptima, et equi emiffaria laudatiffima, de Hifpanienfium equorum generofitate, quos olim .Comes Slope buria Robertus de Belefme in fines iftos adduci curaverat, originaliter propagati. Itin. Camb. 222. tors; RACES |