32 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



Museum, among bronze fragments of a statue and sacrificial 

 implements, is a very perfect hind foot and pastern of a 

 horse, from Magna Grascia. This is unshod, and from 

 the shape and general appearance of the hoof, there can 

 be no doubt that the original of this model had never 

 been submitted to this badge of servile subjection, as old 

 Gwillin has been pleased to designate the modern horse- 

 shoe. And among all the relics to be found in this and 

 other museums, nothing can be discerned that the most 

 lively imagination would transform into a horse-shoe, as 

 employed by the ancient Greeks. Weapons there are 

 without number, articles belonging to religious and do- 

 mestic requirements, armour and spurs for riders, armour 

 and bits for horses, and in the British Museum are also 

 two excellent specimens of muzzles for horses. Xenophon 

 informs us that, in his day, the groom put on the muzzle 

 (xrifjios) when the horse was led from his stable to be 

 groomed or exercised ; indeed on every occasion when 

 he had no bridle on his head or bit in his mouth, to 

 prevent his doing any mischief to other horses or to men. 

 While it prevented the horse from biting it did not inter- 

 fere with his breathing.' 



A civilized nation which prized the horse so highly, 

 and so largely employed it in war and in the public 

 diversions, could not but display its wisdom in providing 

 everything for its comfort and well-bemg ; but it appears 

 that the Greeks did not understand extending its utility 

 by preventing undue wear of the hoofs and consequent 

 lameness. All the paintings on vases and elsewhere re- 

 present the horse with nude feet. 



' Xenophon, Hipp., chap. v. 3. Polhix, i. 202. 



