THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUITATION 



501 



of an Amazon seen on a Greek vase dating from the century 

 (4th B.C.) in which Xenophon lived. Bronze spurs have indeed 

 been found at Dodona, but they probably belong to a com- 

 paratively late period. 



The Romans used spurs from at least B.C. 200, and probably 

 much earlier, for there are constant references to them in litera- 

 ture from Plautus (B.C. 200) downwards, and many specimens are 

 extant (Fig. 141, no. 1). They are all prick-spurs, a form which 

 continued in use everywhere in Europe down to at least the 

 thirteenth century. Thus the Norman prick-spur from Castle 

 Jordan, Co. Westmeath (Fig. 141, no. 2), must be later than 



FIG. 142. 1. Medieval Kowel-spur. 2. Fifteenth Century Bowel-spur. 



the Norman conquest of Ireland (1172), as the native Irish 

 rode in their bare feet. 



I here figure various forms of the prick-spur, three of which 

 are from the fine collection of Mr W. B. Redfern, one (no. 2) 

 from the Murray Collection in the Cambridge Archaeological 

 Museum, whilst no. 4 is a fragment (iron) found in Tuddenham 

 River, Suffolk, now in my own possession. It was gradually felt 

 that the prick-spur was too severe, and Fig. 141, no. 5, shows 

 the first step taken towards a less severe type, as the prick is 

 now prevented by a sort of rosette from furrowing too deeply 

 the horse's flank. 



It was no great step from this form to the rowel-spur, 

 which has continued in use ever since (Fig. 142) \ The great 

 1 Both these specimens are in Mr W. B. Eedfern's fine collection. 



