i8 THE HISTORYAND ART 



and fmall, go more commodiouHy, and move with 

 more eafe and grace. Their horfes v/ere very hardy, 

 and inured to incredible fatigue, as well as to travel 

 a long time without food or water*. 



This people, however fmce dillinguifhed for their 

 horfemanftiip, were probably ignorant of it at the time 

 of Xerxes' expedition, and according to Herodotus, 

 fought on foot in the caufe of that monarch. 



Armenia likewife could boaft a breed of horfes, 

 hardly inferior to the Perfian race. 



Vegetius fpeaks of the inhabitants of this country, 

 as being very careful in trimming and adjufting the 

 manes of their horfes. Some ufed to cut them clear 

 off, which pracSlice he condemns, as rendering the 

 horfe unfightly and deformed. Others clipped them, 

 fo as to make them refemble an arch or bow, which is 

 the fame as what is called an Hogs mane with us: 

 others again feparated it into notches, like the battle- 

 ments of a tower ; while fome cut it clofe, but only on 

 one fide, leaving the hair long and flowing on the other, 

 which was very graceful and becoming : the fide on 

 which the mane was turned and repofed was always to 

 the right. To this Virgil alludes, when he direds 

 the mane to be laid on the right flioulder : 



Denfa juba, et dextro jaclata recumbit in armo. 



* ^otfine aqua Paribus millia currat equus. 



Prop. lib. iv. eleg. 3. 

 How many miies can run the Parthian horfe, 

 Nor quench his thirft in the fatiguing courfe ? 



This 



