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, affrighted by the clamour of the battle, or by wounds, the horses became ungovernable, and, turning on the ranks of their friends, threw them into complete disorder. They were on this account laid aside, even by the barbarians themselves. In process of time, war-chariots of every kind fell into disuse, and the higher classes of warriors were content to fight on horseback, where their personal strength and courage might be as well displayed, and discipline could be better preserved. Still, almost to the period of the Christian era, and long after that in many countries, the use of the horse was confined to war, to the chase, and to public pageants. The first employment of the Egyptian colonists, when they landed in Thessaly, was to rid the forests of the wild cattle, and other dangerous animals, with which they were then peopled. In the central and southern parts of Greece, the country was more open, and the wilder animals were scarcely known ; but in Assyria and Persia, and every country in which the legitimate prey of the hunter was found, the horse was employed in its pursuit. In process of time, in order to decide the comparative value of different horses, or to gratify the vanity of their owners, and also to give more effect to certain religious rites and public spectacles, horse-races were in- troduced. The most celebrated of these exhibitions was that at Olympia, in Peloponnesus, held every fourth year, in honour of Jupiter. The young men flocked thither from every district of Greece, to contend in every manly exercise — hurling the javelin, leaping, running, wrestling and boxing. The candidates were persons of unblemished reputation — the contest fairly and honourably conducted, and the conqueror, crowned with a laurel, or with gold, was received in his native town with accla- mations of joy. A breach was made in the wall of the town for one who had so distinguished himself to pass. He was, for life, entitled to prece- dency at every public exhibition ; he was exempted from all taxes and inferior civil offices ; his name was enrolled in the archives of his country, and statues were erected to his memory. This was the source of the noble spirit of emulation and the ardent love of country by which the Greek was distinguished. Nearly a century, however, passed before the attraction of the exhibi- tion was increased by the labours of the horse. The first colonists could bring with them only a few of these noble animals. In several of the wars in which they were engaged, their deficiency in cavalry was lamentably apparent. It was not until the 23rd Olympiad that the horse mingled in the contest. During the first two Olympiads after this, horsemen alone appeared. Of these races the accounts are exceedingly imperfect. Each horse was ridden by his owner, who was obliged to undergo preparatory trials for the space of thirty days. The horses were divided into full and under- aged; but no explanation is given by any writer of the precise meaning of these terms, nor is anything said of the weight of the riders. We only know the space to be run over, which somewhat exceeded four miles. There was one race called Colne, in which mares alone were permitted to run. Towards the end of the course the riders were compelled to leap from their backs, and, keeping the bridle in their hands, to run alongside of them to the winning-post. In the 25th Olympiad, chariot-races were introduced. The chariots were arranged abreast of each other at the starting-post; the places — for it will appear that these gave some important advantages — having been previously decided by lot. An altar was erected on one side, upon which stood a brazen eagle, dedicated to Jupiter, and a dolphin, sacred to
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