The Horse in the Ancient World

"'The Horse in the Ancient World is aimed at a broad audience. Its unusual strength lies in Carolyn Willekes' attractive combination of academic expertise with considerable practical experience. This has produced a work of sound scholarship which is also accessible to the general reader. It should be an invaluable companion to classical specialists and equine enthusiasts alike; it is of good quality, and fills a gap in the current literature.' - Iain G Spence, former Associate Professor of Ancient History, Australian National University, author of The Cavalry of Classical Greece: A Social and Military History; 'Carolyn Willekes' book is a most welcome addition to a growing list of publications devoted to ancient equestrian and cavalry studies. It is a richly informative work, giving ample evidence of the author's long personal experience with horses and equestrian activity. That she journeyed to Mongolia in search of the famous Steppe Pony gives her study a real life grounding and certainly attests her personal pluck. Throughout her book, Willekes stresses the close relationship between humans and horses since the domestication of the latter in the fourth millennium BC. Her chapters on the evolution of the horse and horse riding, and her clear categorization of horse types, are clear, concise and persuasive. Willekes' book should appeal to an audience far broader than just horse enthusiasts: she covers the use of the horse in war; in art (for example, offering a provocative interpretation of the Parthenon frieze); and in sports. She also includes lengthy translated excerpts of ancient Greek and Roman writers on what we would call ""equine conformation"". All in all, this is an enjoyable, well researched and nicely balanced introduction to the subject.' - Glenn R Bugh, Associate Professor of Classical Studies and Byzantine History, Virginia Tech, author of The Horsemen of Athens and editor of The Cambridge Companion to the Hellenistic World"