22 THE HORSE 



It is probable that the horse, when first domesti- 

 cated, was not used to any great extent as a burden- 

 bearer or for tilling the soil. His chief uses in ancient 

 times appear to have been for display and war. 

 Horse -racing early became popular. From the stand- 

 point of the uses to which horses were largely put, it 

 appears that long before the Christian era the "points" 

 of the war-horse had been carefully studied and were 

 well understood. I quote Xenophon's description of a 

 good horse of his time, 1 with instructions to the pur- 

 chaser. Note how carefully each point is set forth and 

 how accurate the reasoning when applied to the 

 brave, broad -breasted war-horse, 



He says, "We will write how one may be the least 

 deceived in the purchase of horses. It is evident, 

 then, that of the unbroken colt one must judge by 

 the bodily construction: since, if he have never been 

 backed, he will afford no very clear evidence of his 

 spirit. Of his body, then, we say that it is necessary 

 to first examine the feet; for, as in a house, it mat- 

 ters not how fine may be the superstructure, if there 

 be no sufficient foundations, so in a war-horse there 

 is no utility, no, not if he have all the other points 

 perfect, but be badly footed. But in examining the 

 feet it is befitting first to look to the horny portion 

 of the hoofs, for those horses which have the hoof 

 thick are far superior in their feet to those which 

 have it thin. Nor will it be well if one fail, next, 

 to observe whether the hoofs be upright, both before 

 and behind, or low and flat to the ground; for high 



1 Xenophon, born 434 B. C, 



