CHAPTER III 



Xenophon disliked the "American" seat — Cavalry organised by 

 the Athenians — Cost of horses twenty-three centuries ago — 

 Aristophanes ; Aristotle ; Athenians' fondness for horse racing — 

 Alexander the Great ; Bucephalus — Story of Bucephalus ; his 

 death — Famous painters of horses : Apelles, Pauson, Micon — 

 Mythical flesh-eating horses of Diomed — Hannibal's cavalry of 

 12,000 horse — Coins — Posidonius ; horses of the Parthians, 

 Iberians and Celtiberians 



T N spite of the derisive remarks often uttered 

 concerning Xenophon's advice to young riders, 

 and his advice on horsemanship in general and 

 the care of horses, there is much sound sense in 

 plenty of the hints he gave to the Greek riders of 

 three hundred years before Christ, while many of 

 the rules he laid down are as applicable to-day as 

 they probably were then. 



His advice on the vexed question of bits and 

 bitting, to take but a single example, is very 

 sound, while his strong objection to allowing 

 horses' legs to be washed frequently is shared by 

 plenty of horse owners at the present time. 



Then, the old Athenian apparently disapproved 

 of or disliked what we have come to call the 

 " American " seat on a horse, for he declares that 

 the legs of a man mounted should be almost 

 straight, the body upright and supple. 

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