Horse Power by Juliet Clutton-Brock

This book by Ms. Clutton-Brock is a great look at the history of the horse and donkey.  Printed in 1992 by the Harvard University Press there are a great deal of color and b/w photos to illustrate the role of the horse until the end of the nineteenth century.  It is one of the few books out there that also include the donkey and mule in looking at early history.

One of the more interesting factors of this book is the look at beliefs and practices in horse/donkey care over the ages.  In Roman times they believes that mares could be impregnated by the wind.  The slitting of nostrils was also very common for many years.

Another point of interests is the author's attention to the work of J. Spruytte.   Mr. Spruytte reconstructed Tutankhamun's chariot to prove that the horses could be galloping and the driver would be able to shoot arrows without loosing his balance.  There is also exploration of the Assyrian method of shooting arrows from a galloping horse using a weighted "pom-pom."  This is important because during that time they were not using stirrups.

A look at the economics of horsepower in the Middle Ages is quite interesting and includes several quotes on Welsh Laws, written around 940 AD.  "Four horse shoes and their complement of nails are worth two pence."  This shows that horseshoes were now part of the equine culture at that time.  The laws also outline the value of other horses with the plow horse being the least valued.

While certainly not a complete look at the history of the horse and donkey it is an interesting one.  

The Horse, the Wheel and Language by David W. Anthony

The flap of the book describes it as "Linking prehistoric archaeological remains with the development of language, David Anthony identifies the prehistoric peoples of central Eurasia's steppe grasslands at the original speakers of Proto-Indo-European, and show how their innovative use of the ox wagon, horseback riding, and the warrior's chariot turned the Eurasian steppes into a thriving transcontinental corridor of communication, commerce, and cultural exchange." If you're a fan of academic writing then you'll probably enjoy The Horse, the Wheel and Language:  How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes shaped the Modern World.  It won the society for American Archaeology’s 2010  Book Award.

There is no doubt that the information contained with this work is valuable but it is a tough read for the average reader.

Some pieces of interest to horse people are:

The comparison of cheek pieces from various burial sites show when more rapid and precise carriage driving evolved.  

The study of organic bits vs iron bits via the wear patterns on horse's teeth. 

If you're interested in the subject of language movement but can't handle the entire book then I recommend skipping to Chapter 17.  This chapter nicely sums up the book.  The reference section is also very valuable as you can find additional resources that may be easier for the reader to digest. 

Presidents on Wheels by Herbert Ridgeway Collins

"Fire!"

One word neatly sums up the first several chapters of this look at the carriages and cars that various presidents have used.  At the time of the writing (1971) many of the early carriages had been damaged or destroyed by fire.  Despite this and the lack of pictures Mr. Collins does an excellent job of using Presidential correspondence and  newspaper reports to provide us with the early history.

The pung sleigh (a boxy body on simple runners) that George Washington used in 1776 is maintained by the Henry Ford Museum and the Powel coach that he rode in is kept at Mount Vernon. Both are rather plain, especially when compared to European coaches of the time.  Correspondence shows that Washington preferred 'a genteel plain Chariot with neat Harness' however he eventually was convinced that his status required a more prestigious look.  The hammercloth and saddle cloths for the postillions were eventually made of leopard skin, trimmed in red and gold lace.  Only a few bits and pieces of the carriages who carried America's first president still exist.

The author, Herbert Ridgeway Collins, was the Associate Curator at the Smithsonian Institution during the writing of this book in 1971.  As a result he knows where the bodies, or in this case, carriage bodies, are.  Mr. Collins tells you where you can view the existing carriages driven by Presidents and where the remaining bits and pieces are stored of those destroyed by time.  It is interesting that European carriages of royalty have been preserved so well throughout time but American culture really hasn't been interested in preserving the carriages of our leaders.

A few other interesting tidbits from the book:

In February of 1864 a fire destroyed the White House stables and they were rebuilt by 1869.  However it was President Taft that converted the stables into a garage.  He was the first President that was provide a vehicle, prior to that only carriage and horses were provided.

Dwight D. Eisenhower had the trunk of his car broken into and a spare tire stolen during a visit to DC after being President.

The History of the Carriage by Laszlo Tarr

The History of the Carriage by Laszlo Tarr, Arco Publishing 1969

Translated by Elizabeth Hoch, Originally printed in Hungary

This work by Laszlo Tarr is a very well researched, richly illustrated look at the early history of the carriage.  From the sledge to royal carriages they’re all covered.  One of the things that sets this book apart from others on the same subject is the dedication to include a wide variety of cultures.   Early American Indians and their single-animal slide-car receive just as much time as slide cars used by the Bashkirs.   Interesting antidotes about traffic regulations, finances, vehicle fortifications, and culture interpretations keep the text moving.

 Duke Olivarez, a Spanish aristocrat, reportedly talked so loudly while in his carriage that state secrets were overhead by his coachman, who repeated them.  This supposedly led to the use of a saddle-mule.   Conversely a Peter the Great political appointee was soundly rejected in part because he made his driver sit in his own carriage (in the driver’s box, instead of on a saddle-horse).  In 1792, a state-coach delivered to the Chinese Emperor on behalf of the British was refused because of the highly built driver’s box.  The idea of seating a man in front of (and above) the Emperor was not well received.

With over sixty prints and 314 illustrations the reader is taken on a virtual journey through the ages.  Whether looking at a child-king’s lamb pulled phaeton or a Hungarian ‘kosci’ the quality of the woodcuts and other illustrations is very high.  The vehicles used by peasants are explored with just as much detail as the luxury vehicles of the ruling classes.  In fact, many of the illustrations seem more powerful being in black and white than in the full color examples used in today’s books.

While copies of this book are difficult to find they are available in libraries and snippets of the text are available through Google Books.