CHAPTER V

A retrospective summary—The beginning of the end—Superstition of the horseshoe—The Bedouins and their horses—Some classic thoroughbreds of modern times—Horses hypnotised—The Derby and the Oaks—Horse racing in Mongolia—Conclusion 281

INDEX 295

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The Knight, Death, and the Devil _Frontispiece_ From an engraving by Albert Dürer.

Combat between Amazons and Attic heroes. Fourth century, B.C. 19 From a Greek vase in the British Museum.

Greek coins showing horses in the early centuries before Christ 27

The Emperor Trajan, showing Roman style of riding 33 From Richard Berenger's “The History and Art of Horsemanship.”

The Emperor Theodosius, showing saddle 33 From Richard Berenger's “The History and Art of Horsemanship.”

A Parthian horseman, showing Parthian style of riding bareback 33 From Richard Berenger's “The History and Art of Horsemanship.”

Sarmatian horse and warrior, meant to represent horse and rider in armour made of plates of bone or of horse-hoof 33 From Richard Berenger's “The History and Art of Horsemanship.”

A portion of the Parthenon Frieze, executed by Phidias about the year 440 B.C. 39

Roman soldier about to adjust “stocking” used in place of shoes 44 From Richard Berenger's “The History and Art of Horsemanship.”

Roman soldier about to mount on off side 44 From Richard Berenger's “The History and Art of Horsemanship.”

A Mauritanian horseman, showing how the Mauritanians and Humidians rode without saddle or bridle 44 From Richard Berenger's “The History and Art of Horsemanship.”

Alexander the Great on horseback, about 338 B.C. The figure is believed to represent Bucephalus 55 From a bronze in the British Museum.

Persians fighting with elephants against the Romans, about the time of Pyrrhus, 280 B.C. This picture has been wrongly attributed to Raphael 62 From an engraving.

Caligula on horseback. About 37 A.D. 79 From a figure in the British Museum.

Bayeux tapestry supposed to represent the Battle of Hastings, 1066 110

Statue of Colleoni by Verrocchio in Venice 203 From a photo by R. Anderson, Rome.

Van Dyck's famous picture of Charles I. on horseback in the National Gallery, London 225 From a photo by Franz Hanfstængl.

Oliver Cromwell on horseback 233 After the painting by Van Dyck.

Horses of the Cavaliers, seventeenth century. From a painting in the possession of his Majesty King Edward VII. 243 From a photograph by Franz Hanfstængl.

The Duke of Schonberg on a typical charger of the early seventeenth century 257 After the painting by Sir G. Kneller.

Flying Childers, bred by Mr Leonard Childers in 1715, is said to have been “the fastest horse that has ever lived” 269 From a photograph by A. Rischgitz.

Mr O'Kelly's Eclipse, the most famous thoroughbred stallion ever foaled, 1764 273 After the painting by G. Stubbs.

Napoleon at Wagram 279 From the famous painting by Vernet at Versailles. From a photo by Neurdein frères.

Wellington's famous horse, Copenhagen 280 From an engraving (Photo by A. Rischgitz).

Flying Dutchman, foaled 1846 285 From a life-size painting by Herring. By kind permission of the Earl of Rosebery. From a photograph by W. E. Gray.

SOME WORKS CONSULTED

Of the many volumes the writer has consulted whilst engaged in compiling this book, the following are among the more important. The list is arranged alphabetically, according to the authors' names. To the authors or editors, as the case may be, and to the publishers of these works, the writer here begs to acknowledge his very deep indebtedness for the assistance he has derived from consulting the volumes named.

ARRIAN (F.)—“The Anabasis of Alexander.”

AUREGGIO (E.)—“Les Chevaux du Nord de l'Afrique.”

AZARA (F. DE)—“The Natural History of the Quadrupeds of Paraguay and the River La Plata.”

BERENGER (R.)—“The History and Art of Horsemanship.”

BLOUNT (T.)—“Antient Tenures.”

BLUNT (W. S.) “Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates.”

BOUSSON (M. A. E.)—“Etude de la Représentation du Cheval.”

CHARRAS (J. B. A.) “Histoire de la Campagne de 1815.”

CHOMEL (C.)—“Histoire du Cheval dans l'antiquité et son rôle dans la civilization.”

CHURCH (A. J.)—“Roman Life in the Days of Cicero.”

COOK (T. A.)—“The History of the Turf,” and “Eclipse and O'Kelly.”

DARWIN (C. R.)—“Variation of Animals and Plants.”

ERMAN (A.)—“Life in Ancient Egypt.”

EWART (J. C.)—“The Multiple Origin of Horses and Ponies”; “A Critical Period in the Development of the Horse”; and “The Penicuik Experiments on Breeding between Horses and Zebras.”

FITZWYGRAM (Sir F. W. J.)—“Horses and Stables.”

FLOWER (Sir W. H.)—“The Horse.”

GAST (E.)—“Le Cheval Normand et ses Origines.”

GILBEY (Sir W.)—“Horses Past and Present,” and “The Great Horse, or War Horse.”

GREENWELL (W.)—“British Barrows.”

HADDON (A. C.)—“The Study of Man.”

HALL (H.)—“The Horses of the British Empire.”

HAYES (M. H.)—“Points on the Horse.”

HOLM (A.)—“The History of Greece.”

HORE (J. P.)—“History of Newmarket.”

HUME (D.)—“Imperial History of England.”

HUME (D.)—“The History of the House of Douglas.”

JONSON (B.)—“The Alchemist.”

JOWETT (B.)—“Thucydides.”

LODGE (E.)—“Illustrations of British History.”

MAYNE (C.)—“Odes of Pindar.”

MITCHELL (T.)—“The Comedies of Aristophanes.”

MONTFAUCON (B. DE)—“Antiquities.”

MORGAN (H.)—“The Art of Horsemanship.”

MURRAY (D).—“Life of Joan of Arc.”

NEWCASTLE (DUKE OF)—“Observations on Horses.”

PETRIE (F.)—“History of Egypt.”

PIETREMENT (C. A.)—“Les Chevaux dans les Temps Historiques et pré-Historiques.”

PLUTARCH—“Life of Alexander the Great.”

PRESCOTT (W. H.)—“The Conquest of Mexico.”

REYCE (R).—“Breviary of Suffolk.”

RIDGEWAY (W.)—“The Origin and Influence of the Domestic Horse,” and “The Early Age of Greece.”

RUSKIN (J.)—“The Queen of the Air.”

SCHLIEBEN (A.)—“The Horse in Antiquity.”

SIDNEY (S.)—“The Book of the Horse.”

SOTHERBY (W.)—“Georgics of Virgil.”

SOUTHEY (R.)—“Iliad of Homer.”

STREET (F.)—“The History of the Shire Horse.”

STRUTT (J.)—“Sports and Pastimes of the People of England.”

TASSO (T.)—“Jerusalem Delivered.”

TAUNTON (T.)—“Famous Horses.”

TRIMMER (Mrs M.)—“Natural History.”

TWEEDIE (Mrs ALEC.)—“Hyde Park: Its History and Romance.”

TWEEDIE (W.)—“The Arabian Horse.”

UPTON (Capt. R. D.)—“Newmarket and Arabia.”

VAUX (Baron C. M. de)—“A Cheval. Etude des Races Françaises et Etrangères.”

WHITE (C.)—“History of the Turf.”

WITT (C.)—“The Trojan War.”

YULE (Sir H.)—“Marco Polo.”

Standard classics consulted have for the most part been omitted from this list. The writer wishes in addition to thank his friend, Dr William Barry, the distinguished classical scholar, for the trouble he has taken in helping to revise some of the earlier of the proof sheets; Professor William Ridgeway, of Cambridge, the famous historian and archæologist, for letters containing advice that has proved of use; Mr Theodore Andrea Cook, the most trustworthy authority we have upon the history of the Turf and the modern thoroughbred, for letters of introduction, etc.; and the Directors of the British Museum and the Directors of the National Gallery for allowing photographs to be taken for reproduction. For the sake of convenience the centuries B.C. are alluded to in the same way that centuries A.D. are alluded to, that is, one century in advance. Thus 550 B.C. is spoken of as the fourth century B.C.; 250 A.D. as the third century A.D., and so on.

THE HORSE IN HISTORY