6 



MODERN HORSE MANAGEMENT 



[chap. 



Towards the end of the fourth century the 

 Romans commenced to use saddles. This was 

 about the time that the Roman soldiers returned 

 to their own country from Britain (a.d. 410). 

 Record is made that the Roman horses suffered 

 from sore backs due to these chair-shaped 

 saddles. In a.d. 400 200 Cappadocian horses 

 were sent by the Roman Emperor as the most 

 acceptable present he could offer a powerful 

 Prince of Arabia, showing that horses were 

 not common in Arabia; and as late as a.d. 700 

 thousands of camels and sheep were mentioned 

 amongst bits of plunder, but no mention was 

 made of horses. When Mahomet attacked 

 Koreish, near Mecca, he had but two horses. 

 Previous to this ancient history mentions that 

 presents of horses were sent from Egypt to 

 Arabia. It is clear, therefore, that the horses 

 of Arabia, and probably of the south-eastern 

 parts of Europe, were derived from Egypt, but 

 whether they were bred in Egypt or brought 

 there from the south-western regions of Asia, 

 or from the interior or northern coasts of Africa, 

 cannot be clearly determined. 



17. It is interesting to note that ancient 

 sculptures, such as those on the ruins of Perse- 

 polis, show that the horse was driven in chariots 

 and used probably for pack work before he was 

 ridden. This is strange, as one would think 

 that the tendency would be to sit astride a horse 

 before going to the task of making a wheeled 

 vehicle. 



Reliefs in museums show that when the horse 

 was first ridden no saddle was used, and that 

 the horsemen rode with a seat very similar to 

 the modern hunting-seatr— that is, with the knee 

 bent. {See P. 58.) 



Berenger tells us that the first record of 

 proper horse shoeing dates about a.d. 460, at 

 the time of Childeric. Within a century of this 

 horse-shoeing had become quite common. About 

 then the Swedes had become fine horsemen and 

 possessed beautiful horses. About this time the 

 Arabs are supposed to have commenced horse 

 breeding in a systematic way. About a.d. 610 

 Mahomet encouraged horse breeding. At this 

 time stirrups became common. About a.d. 630 

 the English are said to have commenced using 

 saddles. In the eighth century saddle horses 

 became common. Horse racing was popular in 

 France for running horses (galloping) in the 

 ninth century a.d. 



18. It is interesting to note that even in those 

 days the frauds met amongst horse breeders and 

 hiremen were only too common, and many 

 instances are recorded of brutality practised on 

 horses. The methods of recording such brutali- 

 ties prove clearly how little attention was paid 

 to the sufferings of the dumb animal. [See 

 Chapter XIV.) 



We now reach the period of the Norman 

 Conquest (1066). At this time the general 



development of the horse in many countries was 

 encouraged, and into England a number of fine 

 stallions were imported from Spain. Previous 

 to this we find that the English breed received 

 another cross about the time of Alfred the Great 

 (a.d. 871-901), when German running horses 

 were imported. 



A great improvement in our cross breeds 

 followed the Conquest of William I. He brought 

 with him Norman cavalry horses of the best type. 

 Fine Spanish horses were also introduced. 



Subsequently Crusaders brought many useful 

 horses from the Eastern countries. In later 

 history we find that King John (1199-1216) 

 imported a hundred stallions of fine breed from 

 Flanders. These were agricultural horses. 



Edward II. (1307-1327) imported war horses 

 from Lombardy. Horse-breeding was again 

 given encouragement when Henry III. (1216- 

 1272) came to the throne, and this King was 

 very fond of horses ; he took much interest in 

 proper breeding. 



19. Edward IH. (1327-1377) encouraged horse 

 breeding. At this period quite an interest was 

 being taken in the turf and also in the chase 

 (hunt). Edward III. purchased a great number 

 of foreign horses, which he brought to England. 

 History, nevertheless, tells us that during his 

 reign, at the battle of Crecy (1346), there was a 

 great shortage of horses for the British troops. 



Richard II. (1377-1399) was a horseman and 

 encouraged horse-breeding. One of his horses 

 in particular he is said to have loved like a son ; 

 this was Roan Barbary, to which Shakespeare 

 refers in Richard II. Horse-racing is supposed 

 to have commenced properly during this reign. 



Edward III. imported many fine Spanish 

 horses. He was devoted to turf sports, and prob- 

 ably kept racehorses of his own. Richard II. 

 is recorded as having done much to improve the 

 breed of the English horse. 



Henry VII. (1485-1509) and Henry VIII. 

 (1509-1547) also, so history tells us, did much 

 to improve the breeding of the English horse. 

 Cardinal Wolsey, in the reigns of Henry VII. 

 and Henry VIII., who was a fine horseman and 

 horsemaster, did much to encourage horse- 

 breeding and horsemanship. When Henry VIII. 

 commenced his long reign another great impulse 

 was given to horse-breeding in England. Henry 

 was a keen sportsman, and spent his money 

 freely upon the bettering of the horses of the 

 country. He owned many famous Barbs and 

 other racehorses, and was also a lover of the 

 chase. 



20. Queen Elizabeth was a lover of the turf 

 and was very fond of horses ; she was a good 

 horsewoman and rode considerably. During her 

 reign a great advance was made in turf-racing, 

 and consequently in breeding thoroughbred 

 stock ; many new races were run. 



James I. (1603-1625), who is supposed to have 



