The Horse Trade of Tudor and Stuart England

Abstract

Horses played a vital role in the economy of pre-industrial England. They acted as draught animals, pulled ploughs, waggons and coaches, worked machines, and transported goods around the country. As saddle animals they enabled their riders to carry out a wide variety of tasks, and at all levels of society they were regarded as status symbols in a unique relationship with man shared by no other animal. During the Tudor and Stuart period, horses were needed in ever-growing numbers, and for a greater variety of tasks. As demand grew, improvements became necessary in the means of supply and distribution. The agents of change, the specialist dealers, were often condemned as rogues and cheats, whose actions raised prices and caused shortages. Dr Edwards argues that, far from being generally unscrupulous, the dealers were no better or worse than those amongst whom they lived and worked.

Isotopic biographies reveal horse rearing and trading networks in medieval London

“…The historical evidence for breeding and trading suggests that individual animals were drawn from a wide geographical area; by the early 16th century, there was a nationwide "flow" of animals from breeding areas all over Britain, especially from the north and west (2). This pattern of movement comprised a series of distinct stages, with foals and juvenile animals tending to pass through a succession of different places as they were reared and trained before entering their working lives.…”

“…Procuring high-quality horses for labor, war, travel, and tournaments was of paramount importance. Historical sources indicate that the King and other high-ranking elites expended great effort and resources to breed, train, and otherwise acquire the best horses in England and abroad (1)(2)(3), but to date, insight into horsetrading and mobility has only been possible in a limited way through documentary sources, which are patchy and inconsistent (1). To address this lacuna, the project "Warhorse: The Archaeology of a Military Revolution?"…”

Ritualistic Equestrianism: Status, Identity, and Symbolism in Tudor Coronation Ceremonies

“…112 Despite the differences of opinions, by the first decade of the seventeenth century, the English horse had grown so desirable that the Holy Roman Emperor requested some English trotting horses for himself having "heard were both swift and of excellent quality." 113 The practice of importing professional Italian horsemen into England to improve English horsemanship also continued into the reign of Elizabeth I. In 1565, Robert Dudley, Master of the Horse, brought to England an Italian horseman, Claudio Corte of Pavia, and made him his riding master.…”

Divergences in Long-Run Trends in the Prices of Energy and Energy Services

“…From the mid-seventeenth century, the price of power (i.e. the cost of using animals) started declining as better horse-breeding led to more efficient animals working the land and in industry (Edwards 1988).…”