450 THE HORSE CLEVELAND BAYS 



the breed. Descent is claimed for it from the war-horse of 

 the ancient Britons, and Caesar's account of their use of 

 chariots in war is quoted as referring to it, although at 

 that time the size must have been much smaller than at 

 present Horses, it is now thought, were employed in the 

 war-chariot, the world over, long before they were large 

 enough to carry a rider into battle. The Greeks, Romans, 

 and Egyptians all had war-chariots, and likewise the Aryans 

 from Central Asia when they invaded India 1400 years B.C. 



The mode of chariot warfare of the ancient Britons was 

 as follows : " First they ride about in all directions and hurl 

 their darts, and by very terror of their horses and clashing of 

 the wheels they frequently throw the ranks into disorder ; and 

 when they have penetrated between the divisions of the 

 cavalry, they leap down from the chariots and fight on foot. 

 The charioteers, in the meanwhile, edge out of the battle by 

 degrees, and so dispose of the chariots that if they are pressed 

 by large numbers of the enemy they have a ready means of 

 retreat to their own men. Thus they possess the rapidity of 

 cavalry and the stability of infantry in battle, and by daily 

 use and practice they become so proficient that in steep and 

 precipitous places they are accustomed to maintain their 

 horses at full speed and in a moment to check and turn them, 

 and to run along the pole and to stand upon the yoke, and 

 from thence to dart back into the chariots as quickly as 

 possible." C/tSAR. 



" The war-chariot comes on like the flame of death, the 

 rapid chariot of Cuthullin, the noble son of Semo. It curves 

 behind like a wave near the shore, like the sun-streaked mist 

 of the heath. Its beam is of polished yew, its seat of the 

 smoothest bone, its sides are replenished with spears, the 

 bottom is the footstool of heroes." OssiAN. 



Those who are interested in the Shire horse are equally 

 certain that the passage from Caesar refers to that breed. 

 The probability is that both claims are equally well founded, 

 and that the differences which now exist, admitting that 

 they are great, have been produced since Caesar's time by 

 "crossing" in different directions and with different objects 

 in views. 



Lloyd's description of the Cleveland horse, quoted from 

 the Cleveland Stud Book, says: "From 16 hands I in. 



