EARLY HISTORY OF HORSEMANSHIP 215 



Egyptian, the Assyrian, or the Persian. A cloth, often fringed 

 and otherwise decorated, was fastened by a girth to give the 

 rider a seat. The size of this cloth varies ; in some cases it 

 covers the body of the horse, and sometimes it is large, enough 

 only to serve its actual purpose. But no particular fashion ap- 

 pears to belong to any particular era. Skins of wild beasts were 

 sometimes used for saddles, and the Asiatics appear to have 

 sometimes protected their horses by a kind of leathern armour. 



The Egyptians cut the mane of the horse, but the peoples 

 of Asia permitted the mane to grow at length, though both it 

 and the tail were often confined in bands. 



The stirrup was not known to any of those whom we 

 designate as the ancients, nor was the spur used by those of 

 whom we have been speaking. The wand and the thonged 

 whip were used to stimulate their steeds. 



The Jews employed the horse but little until the time of 

 Solomon, when that king, having married the daughter of one 

 of the Pharaohs, received from Egypt a great number of horses. 



THE GREEKS THE SPUR 



The horse was probably introduced into Greece by the war- 

 like tribes upon its northern border, for we first hear of the 

 Thessalians excelling in horsemanship, and they were for a 

 long time the best horsemen among the Greeks. 



The Colophians l formed a body of cavalry that proved 

 invincible ; their assistance was eagerly sought in war, and they 

 carried victory to the arms of their allies. 



After the Messenian wars the Spartans 2 recognised the im- 

 portance of a mounted force, and had their youth instructed in 

 the art of horsemanship by competent teachers (Eniocharatai). 



The Athenians were slow to adopt cavalry. Previously to 

 the Persian invasion of Greece 3 the number of horse soldiers 

 belonging to the Athenians was but ninety-six ; but this body 



1 Potter. 2 Ibid. 5 Smith, das. Diet. 



