6o THE HISTORY AND ART 



fwitch with which he rode, from his right hand to 

 his left, would advance, and make his falutation with 

 his right. To a certain degree, and upon particular 

 occafions, this ceremony is obferved among the mo- 

 derns. 



Whoever knows the method of treating horfes after 

 fcvere labour, will be fenfible that it is the fame with 

 that which was pra6lifed by the Romans. Apuleius * 

 informs us, that when he perceived that his horfe 

 grew tired upon his journey, he wiped off the fweat, 

 rubbed his head, took off the bridle, ftroaked and 

 pulled his ears, and gently led him along, with his 

 head hanging down, and at liberty, allowing him to 

 crop the grafs as he went, to footh and refrefli him, 

 hoping, at the fame time, by thefe indulgencies, to 

 engage him to llale. 



Straw was the material commonly ufed for litter ; 

 when that failed, leaves (chiefly thofe of the holm- 

 tree) fupplied its place, both for horfes, and other 

 cattle. 



The food generally given to horfes, both by the 

 Greeks and Romans, when they were turned into the 

 fields, was grafs, clover, trefoil, and other herbs of 

 the grafs-kind. In the liable they were fed with hay, 

 barley, oats, wheat, and llraw. Pliny f extols the 

 virtues of the Cytifus; and fays, that horfes love it fo 

 extremely as to prefer it to barley. 



This author, and Strabo, recommend likewife the 

 herb Medka (or the three- leaved grafs of Spain), as a 



* Aur. Afin. lib. i. -f- Lib. xiii. c. 24. 



moll 



