The horse : with a treatise on draught / by William Youatt.

  • William Youatt
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The horse : with a treatise on draught / by William Youatt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    that they were always in request as mercenaries, and deemed to be invin- cible. In all long and tedious wars the assistance of the Colophonian troops was courted, and the party that obtained supplies from them were so certain of success, that KoXo^wva nOivcu, and, afterwards among the Romans, “ Colophonem imponere,” were used proverbially for putting a conclusion to any affair. Strabo, lib. xiv. We must now travel to Armenia, on the west of Media, before we meet with anything to arrest our steps. A beautiful breed of horses was culti- vated in this district. The chariot of Xerxes was drawn by Armenian horses, being the stateliest and the noblest which his extensive empire could produce. Some writers, describing the horse at a later period, mention the great care that was taken of the dressing and adorning of the mane. Yegetius gives a long account of this. It was cut into the form of an arch or bow; or it was parted in the middle, that the hair might fall down on either side; or, more generally, it was left long and flowing on the right side—a custom which has been retained to the present day. Many old sculptures prove that the horsemen of almost every country mounted on the right side of the animal. There are a few exceptions to this. The mane hanging on that side would assist the rider in getting on the horse. There were not any stirrups in those days. The modern horseman always mounts on the left side, yet the mane is turned to the right. Media produced numerous horses of the same character as those from Armenia. Cappadocia stood highest of all the eastern countries for its breed of horses ; not perhaps so speedy as those from some other districts, but dis- tinguished for their stately appearance and lofty action. Old Blundeville, from the inspection of many of the ancient sculptures, says that these were more heavy-headed than the heroes of the Parthians. Perhaps they were so ; but no one can dispute the stateliness of their figure, and their proud and high and equal step. Although often ridden, they were better cal- culated for the chariot. This kind of horse seems to have pleased the ancients; and their painters and statuaries are fond of exhibiting them in their most striking attitudes. The horses in the cut at the commence- ment of this chapter are illustrative of the remark. Oppian says of them, what is true at the present day of many horses of this character, “ when young, they are delicate and weak ; but strength comes with years, and, contrary to other horses, they are better and more powerful when advanced in age. The Parthians fought on foot in the army of Xerxes. Either they had not begun to be celebrated as horsemen, or there were reasons which no author states for their being dismounted at that time. No very long period, however, passed before they became some of the most expert riders that the world could produce, and were reckoned, and justly so, almost in- vincible. They are described as being exceedingly active and dexterous in the management of their horses. They were as formidable in flight as in attack, and would often turn on the back of the animal, and pour on their pursuers a cloud of arrows that at once changed the fortune of the day. Yegetius gives a singular account of the manner of their breaking in their horses, and rendering them sure-footed when galloping over the most irregular, and dangerous grounds; for they were lighter and hardier horses than those of the Cappadocians or Medes, and better for their peculiar pace and manner of fighting. A spot of dry and level ground was selected, on which various troughs or boxes, filled with chalk or clay, were placed at irregular distances, and with much irregularity of surface
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