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.
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