Xenophon's 'The Art of Horsemanship'

A pupil of Socrates, Xenophon was a cavalry commander, philosopher and historian. He was born in Athens and after a notable, though controversial, army career, retired to Corinth. There he wrote several political and philosophical treatises, as well as The Art of Horsemanship and Duties of a Commander of Cavalry, which R. S. Toole-Stott describes as the ‘the first known treatises on equitation’ (Circus and the Allied Arts, Harpur and Sons (Derby) Ltd: 1960, p.118).

Renaissance Passions

In Renaissance Europe, the value placed on classical texts gave Xenophon’s advice on keeping and raising a horse great authority. It was Xenophon who first noted that a horse ridden with skill, ‘will bound along with proud gait and prancing legs, imitating exactly the airs that he puts on before other horses’ (The Art of Horsemanship, trans. M. H. Morgan, J. A. Allen Ltd.,1993, p. 60). This behaviour of display by stallions became the basis of classical dressage, born during the Renaissance and still practiced today.

Early Editions

The Art of Horsemanship was first published in Florence in the mid-16th century. The earliest known editions were in Latin and Greek, but over the following three hundred years, the book was translated widely, including into Polish, Italian, French and English.

M. H. Morgan’s edition, first published in Boston in 1893, became one of the most widely known English translations, being reissued many times and as recently as 2006.

Sound Advice

The Art of Horsemanship is a guide to choosing and handling a horse aimed at the novice buyer. It sets out good advice for recognising the strong confirmation and sound temperament in a young colt which promises he will become a fine horse.

Xenophon writes primarily for the aspiring cavalryman, wanting a stallion to impress both friend and enemy on the battle-field, as well as looking splendid in parades and celebrations.

His advice on handling shows great common-sense and insight:

'If you desire to handle a good war-horse so as to make his action the more magnificent and striking, you must refrain from pulling at his mouth with the bit as well as from spurring and whipping him. Most people think that this is the way to make him look fine; but they only produce an effect exactly contrary to what they desire.' (ibid., p. 55)

Avoiding Violence

This emphasis on calm and gentle handling, with the warning that any violence or rough treatment will only ‘scare them into disorder and danger’ (ibid., p. 55), is the most notable feature of his approach.

While Xenophon’s work was held in high esteem by many throughout the Renaissance and beyond, much of his good advice was ignored in favour of ‘breaking’ the horse. The belief that humans should show dominion over animals unfortunately remained standard practice for a very long time and is not uncommon even today.

Xenophon Today

With the rise of natural horsemanship and a more thinking approach, Xenophon’s ideas seem very modern. While today’s rider is unlikely to worry about the fit of his metal cuirass, even his advice on this can be applied usefully by show-jumpers or event riders in choosing a body protector.

Every rider, however, can benefit from remembering that, ‘what the horse does under compulsion […] is done without understanding; and there is no beauty in it either, anymore than if one should whip or spur a dancer.’ (ibid. p. 65, 62)

Natural display

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