2(5 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



that when they suffer from being ridden they become 

 useless.' He also, in the treatise on horsemanship, speaks 

 of the water used to wash the horses' legs as doing harm 

 to the hoofs by, I suppose, softening them, as the spirit of 

 his teaching was to keep them hard and dry. He makes 

 no mention whatever of any defence for the horses' feet ; 

 though he notices the fashion of defending the legs of 

 soldiers by emhattai or leggings (e/x/3ara<), and in pass- 

 ing them under the feet, he says, they might also serve as 

 shoes. These may have been used in cases of emergency 

 for horses, but nothing is said on this point. He specifies 

 horse-armour and its value : ' Since, then, if the horse is 

 disabled, the rider will be in extreme peril, it is necessary 

 to arm the horse also with defences for his head, his 

 breast, and his shoulders. But of all parts of the horse 

 we must take most care to protect his belly, for it is at 

 once a most vital and a most defenceless part ; but it is 

 possible to protect it by something connected with the 

 housings. It is necessary, too, that that w^hich covers the 

 horse's back should be put together in such a way that 

 the rider may have a firmer seat (than if he sat on the 

 horse's bare back), and that the back of the horse may 

 not be galled. As to other parts, also, both horse and 

 horseman should be armed with the same precaution (so 

 that the armour may not chafe).' ' 



In a treatise on hunting, ascribed to this author, in 

 speaking of the horse, it is remarked : ' Before the task is 

 accomplished, he falls, the hoofs worn off.' "" And in an- 

 other work 3 he incidentally relates that certain people of 



Hipparchicus, c. xii. = Sturz, Lex. Xenoph. Cynegeticon. 

 De Cyri Min. Expedit,, p. 228. 



3 



