St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-17
ANCIENT HORSEMEN.
Interesting Points on Origin and
Attributes.
Western Sportsman.

Western Sportsman.
By a great many people Arabia is
supposed to be the home of the horse.
From ancient Roman, Grecian and jew
ish history we readily learn that the
horse was unknown in Arabia long
after lie was a common factor in the
life of Southern Europe. The horse
was scarcely known to the Hebrews
prior to the days of Solomon, that wor-
thy and illuStriOuS sovereign having
been brought into closer contact with
the horse by his marriage to a daughter
of Pharaoh, the reigning king of Egypt,
whose gorgeous wedding outfit was sup
plemented by a large number of ele-
giant horses, adopted alike to the service
of war and the chase. The appearance
of those beautiful animals, as they
sped swiftly along the streets of
Jerusalem, excited the envy of few
jealous princes, but added to SolomOn's
popularity with the masses. After his
marriage with the Egyptian princess.
Solomon began buying horses from his
father-in-law, and SO rapidly did he
multiply them, by purchase and breed
ing, that those kept for his own use re-
ouired, as il is written, -four thousand
stables and forty thousand stalls"
Hence, when honored by a visit from
the beautiful Queen of Sheba, bringing
with her ''camelS bearing spices and
very much gold and precious stones" it
was doubtless in the contemplation of
his magnificent stud of horses and
chariots, kept for the amusement of his
wives, as we'll as for display of power
and magniicence, that her majesty eX-
claimed, in the fullmeSs of her admira-
ton, How be it believednot the words
until 1 came, and mine eyes had seen it,
and behold the half was not told me-"
Col L. A. Dodge: We find the best
of cavalry in ancient times. The
Greeks ran against serious problem in
the Persian light horse when they first
trOd the soil of Asia Minor. They
were nothing like so good hOrSemen as
the Asatics until AleXander'S comDan-
ion showed them what drill could do,
and the Roman was still less apt.
Philip of MacedOn first utilized the eX-
cellent material of the Thessalian
plains, and organized cavalry, which,
from its maneuvers and fighting, must
have consisted of admirable hOrsemen.
The ancients rode without saddles or
stirrups, on a blanket or pad, or bare
back, and in spite of this fact, or per
haps by reason of it. rode eX-
tremeIy well. 1t is wonderful what
feats of military Craftsmanship
the bareback rider could perform
in the age of what we might call GYM
nastic equestrianism. Nothing but the
knowledge of our Old-time Indian ena-
bleS us to credit the historical accounts
of his agility and skill. When centuries
later, saddles came into use, there grew
up two schools of riding that of the
mailed warrior. whose iron armor well
ehimed in with his tongues on the
wall"-seat in his packed saddle, and
that of the oriental, whose nose and
knees all but touched. Why the East
ern rider elings to his extremely short
feathers it is hard to say, unless it be to
place him the higher above his horse, and
therefore makes him the more imposing
when he stands up in his stirrups to
brandish Scimitar or matchbox. Yet
he is a wonderful rider, this same orr
entail. as indeed is every man who from
youth up is the companion of the horses.