146 THE HORSE AND ITS RELATIVES 



both in war-chariots and for riding, the chariot-horse 

 being termed sds, and the riding-horse/<mw^. On 

 the Egyptian monuments horses appear for the first 

 time about 1600 B.C. harnessed to the chariot of 

 the sun ; and it was not till a much later date 

 that they were used for riding. Indeed in several 

 Eastern countries the horse was employed for 

 driving long previous to its use for riding. We 

 find, for instance, in Assyria that the bas-reliefs 

 portraying the conquests of Shalmanesir in Elam 

 always show the Assyrians fighting in chariots 

 while their enemies were mounted ; and it is stated 

 that Sennacherib was the first to put cavalry in 

 the field. These were mounted archers, each of 

 whom required to be attended by a running foot- 

 man, who had his hand on the bridle while the 

 mounted man discharged his arrows. Later on the 

 bowman learnt to manage his steed without assist- 

 ance ; but there is stated to be no instance in the 

 Assyrian sculptures of the use of the lance or sword 

 by the cavalry of the period. It may be added 

 that the heroes of the Iliad are always referred to 

 as fighting from chariots, no mention being made 

 of their mounting their horses before going into 

 action. 



As regards the origin of these Eastern horses 

 of the early historic period, Professor Ridgeway * is 

 of opinion that those first introduced into Egypt 



1 The Thoroughbred Horse^ p. 220. 



