8o XENOPHON ON HORSEMANSHIP. 



that the use of the jointed bit and of the spur 

 was understood ; but that curbs, saddles, and 

 stirrups were not yet invented. We get also 

 much information on the nature of the ani- 

 mal himself, and on the care that was taken 

 of him. I have found it more convenient to 

 say what seemed necessary on all these mat- 

 ters in the notes which follow this e£say. 

 But Xenophon's first chapter is devoted to 

 the physique of the animal ; and in it he sets 

 forth what, in his opinion, are the distinguish- 

 ing marks of a good horse. This is a subject 

 which may be better treated here than in the 

 notes. 



In the matter of judging the points of a 

 horse, the ancient requirements were not in 

 all respects like the modern. The advance 

 in anatomical knowledge accounts for some 

 differences; but it is also probable, as Schlie- 

 ben * observes, that we, like the men of old, 

 are prejudiced by habit in favour of the type 

 with which we are familiar. If qualities 

 which they thought beautiful seem ugly to 

 us, it should be remembered that our stand- 

 ard does not always conform even to that of 

 the last century. 



* In "Die Pferde des Altertums." 



