EARLY HORSESHOES 41 



Certain modern writers of books upon subjects 

 more or less historical speak of horse doctors. 

 Some twenty -three centuries ago, however, 

 even the acknowledged experts upon horses and 

 horse breeding would seem to have possessed 

 only crude anatomical knowledge of the animal, 

 some of the advice they tendered in cases of 

 illness amongst horses being grotesque. 



Equally it is evident that professional horse 

 breakers and trainers, also professional riding 

 masters, were known in Greece in Xenophon's 

 day, and possibly before his time. 



There is something rather delightful about 

 Xenophon's ingenuousness when he tells us quite 

 seriously that " a horse that has no longer the 

 marks in his teeth, neither rejoices the buyer 

 with hope, nor is easy to be exchanged " ! He 

 speaks too with emphasis when assuring us that 

 when carefully examining a horse with a view to 

 purchase we ought to pay most attention to the 

 hoofs advice to some extent discounted by 

 remarks he makes a few lines further on. 



"To sum up all in a few words," he says else- 

 where, " whatever horse has good feet, is mild- 

 tempered, sufficiently swift, and able to endure 

 fatigue, and is in the highest degree obedient, 

 will probably give least trouble to his rider and 

 contribute most to his safety in military occupa- 

 tions. But horses that from sluggishness require 

 a great deal of driving, or, from excess of mettle, 



