I like Aristotélēs (Aristole) and his writings, and browsing around his History of Animals (written circa 330 BC) I extracted some parts related to horses.
Today, I will provide you with the bulk of his horse 'quotations' from the translation by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson and tomorrow the parts of chapter 22, 23, and 24 from Book VI of the same 'History of Animals.'
Aristotle was a keen observer, and in his search for truth and reality he strove to understand the world around him, and his notes on animals are first rate observations to be repeated, quoted or commented by various writers for the next 2000 years or so. I will quote him here, with a great pleasure :)
Well, let us begin, just note that these are Arystotle's observation (IV c BC) on the biology of horses and alike, so perhaps more interesting to those into the breeding or history of science etc. So if you are brave and willing, plunge in.
Book VI
The
statements made in regard to the pairing of the sexes apply partly to
the particular kinds of animal and partly to all in general. It is
common to all animals to be most excited by the desire of one sex for
the other and by the pleasure derived from copulation. The female is
most cross-tempered just after parturition, the male during the time
of pairing; for instance, stallions at this period bite one another,
throw their riders, and chase them.[...]
Of
female animals the mare is the most sexually wanton, and next in
order comes the cow. In fact, the mare is said to go a-horsing
[hippomania]; and the term derived from the habits of this one animal
serves as a term of abuse applicable to such females of the human
species as are unbridled in the way of sexual appetite. This is the
common phenomenon as observed in the sow when she is said to go
a-boaring. The mare is said also about this time to get
wind-impregnated if not impregnated by the stallion, and for this
reason in Crete they never remove the stallion from the mares; for
when the mare gets into this condition she runs away from all other
horses. The mares under these circumstances fly invariably either
northwards or southwards, and never towards either east or west. When
this complaint is on them they allow no one to approach, until either
they are exhausted with fatigue or have reached the sea. Under either
of these circumstances they discharge a certain substance
'hippomanes', the title given to a growth on a new-born foal; this
resembles the sow-virus, and is in great request amongst women who
deal in drugs and potions. About horsing time the mares huddle closer
together, are continually switching their tails, their neigh is
abnormal in sound, and from the sexual organ there flows a liquid
resembling genital sperm, but much thinner than the sperm of the
male. It is this substance that some call hippomanes, instead of the
growth found on the foal; they say it is extremely difficult to get
as it oozes out only in small drops at a time. Mares also, when in
heat, discharge urine frequently, and frisk with one another. Such
are the phenomena connected with the horse.
Mares
and kine* alike, when in heat, indicate the fact by the upraising of
their genital organs, and by continually voiding urine. Further, kine
mount the bulls, follow them about; and keep standing beside them.
The younger females both with horses and oxen are the first to get in
heat; and their sexual appetites are all the keener if the weather
warm and their bodily condition be healthy. Mares, when clipt of
their coat [? ] , have the
sexual feeling checked, and assume a downcast drooping appearance. *
The
stallion recognizes by the scent the mares that form his company
[herd, harem], even though they have been together only a few days
before breeding time: if they get mixed up with other mares, the
stallion bites and drives away the interlopers. He feeds apart,
accompanied by his own troop of mares. Each stallion has assigned to
him about thirty mares or even somewhat more; when a strange stallion
approaches, he huddles his mares into a close ring[circle], runs
round them, then advances to the encounter of the newcomer; if one of
the mares make a movement, he bites her and drives her back.
Of
all quadrupeds the mare is the most easily delivered of its young,
exhibits the least amount of discharge after parturition, and emits
the least amount of blood; that is to say, of all animals in
proportion to size. With kine and mares menstruation usually
manifests itself at intervals of two, four, and six months; but,
unless one be constantly attending to and thoroughly acquainted with
such animals, it is difficult to verify the circumstance, and the
result is that many people are under the belief that the process
never takes place with these animals at all.
With
mules menstruation never takes place, but the urine of the female is
thicker than the urine of the male.
Book VII
Of
all animals the woman and the mare are most inclined to receive the
commerce of the male during pregnancy; while all other animals when
they are pregnant avoid the male, save those in which the phenomenon
of superfoetation occurs, such as the hare. Unlike that animal, the
mare after once conceiving cannot be rendered pregnant again, but
brings forth one foal only, at least as a general rule;
Book VIII
Horses,
mules, and asses feed on corn and grass, but are fattened chiefly by
drink. Just in proportion as beasts of burden drink water, so will
they more or less enjoy their food, and a place will give good or bad
feeding according as the water is good or bad. Green corn, while
ripening, will give a smooth coat; but such corn is injurious if the
spikes are too stiff and sharp. The first crop of clover is
unwholesome, and so is clover over which ill-scented water runs; for
the clover is sure to get the taint of the water. Cattle like clear
water for drinking; but the horse in this respect resembles the
camel, for the camel likes turbid and thick water, and will never
drink from a stream until he has trampled it into a turbid condition.
Book IX
When
mares with their colts pasture together in the same field, if one dam
dies the others will take up the rearing of the colt. In point of
fact, the mare appears to be singularly prone by nature to maternal
fondness; in proof whereof a barren mare will steal the foal from its
dam, will tend it with all the solicitude of a mother, but, as it
will be unprovided with mother's milk, its solicitude will prove
fatal to its charge.
---------
*
archaic English plural for 'cow's'
*
in other translation I read there is a different interpretation of
this fragment - namely: ' if the manes of the mares are cut, their
desires become weaker, and they are rendered more gentle'
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