indicate that it was customary nearly everywhere to mount on the 

 right side, which accounts for the hanging of the mane on that side 

 because the rider had to make tise of it in mounting, the stirrups being 

 unknown. In later periods, and as at the present day, one mounted his 

 horse from the left, but the mane continued to be on the right. Media 

 possessed horses of a similar type to those of Armenia and in large 

 numbers. The breed of horses of Cappadocia was the most celebrated 

 in the whole Orient; less perhaps on account of their speed, but because 

 of their imposing appearance and high action. Founded upon the in- 

 spection of many old sculptures, Sir Mandeville, the Knglish traveler 

 says: "These horses heads are heavier than those of the Parthian 

 horse, and are therefore better suited to draw chariots than to carry a 

 rider." 



It seems, that the artists of old were particularly fond of these 

 shapes as they took great pleasure in reproducing them in their most 

 conspicuous attitudes. Oppian says of them: "In the iryouth they are 

 tender and soft, but the strength comes to them with years; and con- 

 trary to other horses, they are better and more powerful as they ad- 

 vance in age." 



In Xerxes' army the Parthians fought on foot, but soon after tl*ey 

 became celebrated as equestrians, and gained the fame of being invinci- 

 ble. On horseback they were extraordinarily agile, and were dreaded 

 in their attacks as well as in their flight, for they were in the habit of 

 suddenly reversing on their horses' backs and overwhelming their pur- 

 suers with a storm of arrows. Yegetius describes the manner in which 

 they trained their horses anl made tli3:n sure-footed by galloping over 

 very uneven territory; these horses were lighter than those of Cappa- 

 docia and Media, and were of astonishing endurance, without needing 

 much food or rest. 



The Scythians, Medians and Parthians were followed later by the 

 Aryans in their various tribes, all of whom were equestrians, and some 

 of them maintained a force of from 200,000 to 330,000 horses. The speed 

 of their marches, the quickness of their attacks and retreats, the endur- 

 ance of man and horse, the appearance of horde after horde, without 

 showing any decrease in number, and their occasional settling upon con- 

 quered districts, deserve to be mentioned here "with at least a few words 

 When toward the end of the eighth century, the Saracens had over-run 

 a considerable portion of Kurope, they were 200,000 riders strong, and 

 much better disciplined than had been the Goths and others. Little is 

 said of the horse from Southern Asia and eastward of the Indus, except, 

 that chariots and riders from these distant lands helped to augment the 

 army of Xerxes. As mentioned before, Persia possessed but few horses 

 up to the reign of Cyrus, and these few of minor value; later their breed 

 became celebrated. Cyrus improved and encouraged horse breeding, 

 of which he had recognised the importance for his country, by allowing 

 privileges to the owners of a certain number of horses; these facts to- 

 gether with a tendency to make an imposing show by the display of 

 beautiful equipments, soon gave to the Persians the finest cavalry of 



