144 HISTORY OF THE 'HORSE. 



Coming down to the times of authentic his- 

 tory, we find the Parthians to have been amongst 

 the most renowned for their skill in training and 

 using the horse. Their feats of horsemanship 

 in battle showed a complete mastery of the ani- 

 mal, which, in their battles with the Romans, 

 1 rendered them so efficient as mounted archers. 



Frequently, in ancient paintings, the mounted 

 steed is represented without a bridle, and the 

 Numidian cavalry are said to have guided and 

 restrained their horses without it; an. assertion 

 by no means improbable, as a Comanche Indian 

 of the present day will frequently jump on the 

 back of a wild and untrained horse, and guide 

 him by the simple expedient of covering with 

 his hand the eye of the animal on the side oppo- 

 site to that in which he wishes to direct it. 



In modern times the horse has been so closely 

 associated with man that he appears in every 

 phase of society, and it is only when his numer- 

 ous uses are considered that we realize how 

 greatly the human family is his debtor. The 

 knight of the days of chivalry would have been 



