Of the greatest Horse-masters and nourishers of Horses.
IT is reported of King Solomon, that he had forty thousand stables of Horses for Chariots, and twelve thousand for war. The Lybians when they went to war, did fight out of their Chariots, and therefore they were said to fight upon two Horses. The Centaures were the first that ever taught men to fight on Horse-back, and the Roman Turnia consisted of two and thirty Horse-men, the Cap∣tain whereof was called Br••••urio. The people of Nomades called Surgatii, brought eight thousand Horse-men at one time into the field, which neither used armour nor brass, nor iron, except only their daggers, and a rope of leather thongs, wherewithall they entred the battail, and joyning with their enemy, they made certain gins, or loops thereupon, which they cast upon the necks of Horses and men, and so with multitudes drew them unto them, in which draught they strangled them.
The Indians use the very self same Armour on Horse-back that they do on foot, but yet they lead empty Horses and Chariots to leap up and down upon, and to refresh their fighting Horses; and the number of their Horse-men were at one time fourscore thousand.
When Pharnuches the Arabian, was riding on Horse-back, there was a Dog ran betwixt his Horses legs, wherewithall the Horse being amazed, suddenly leaped upright, and cast off his Rider, who being bruised with the fall, fell into a Consumption: whereupon the Servants at the commandment of their Master, brought the said Horse into the place where he cast his Rider, and there cut off his legs about the knees. There was also a fashion for Horses to fight in battails without bridles: For Fulvius Flaccus, when the Romans overthrew the Celtiberians in Spain, caused them to pull off their bridles from their Horses, that so they might run with all violence, without restraint of Riders up∣on their enemies; whereupon followed victory: for many times it falleth out that the Horse hath more courage then his Rider, wherefore a good Horse-man must have skill to annoy his enemy, and defend himself; and likewise, to make his Horse to come off and on without fear or dread, accord∣ing to necessity.
There is a proverb in Greek, (Choris hippeis) that is, (Seorsim equites) the Horsemen are asunder, whereof Suidas giveth this reason: when Darius invaded the territory of the Athenians ranging and destroying at his pleasure, no man daring to abide his forces, at his departure, the Ionians climed up into trees, and signified unto the Athenians, that the Horse-men had broken rank and were asunder. Whereupon Miltiades set upon the scatered company, and obtained a noble victory.