Equus: The Horse in the Roman World [Hardcover]

Ann Hyland (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 285 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (November 28, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300047703
• ISBN-13: 978-0300047707
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,847,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best reference on Roman horses yet., February 3, 1999

By 

Holly Ingraham "ailurophile" (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Equus: The Horse in the Roman World (Hardcover)

Wonderfully well-researched, in everything from the organization of cavalry to the methods of training colts, from veterinary treatments to protein content of ancient grains, from the conduct of a chariot race to mule-breeding. Hyland is generally level-headed and takes research questions out to the training ring: she can show you the effect of the Roman bit excavated at Newstead on her "equine research associate" in photos. The downside: Chapter One, on breeds. Hyland is blatantly Arabophilic, so that she makes unwarranted links between the Erembian (Arabic) horse and the small Libyan, which is quite likely next of kin to the small horses ("native ponies" to some) of West Africa. Also, her assessment of the Hunnish horse based on ancient description is entirely illogical and sounds like a pre-settled prejudice, that those nasty Huns MUST ride nasty, low-bred, ugly horses. She calls a horse said to train well stupid, and reads the adjective gaunt in the belly as being undernourished, while I know the exact same phrase is used of her perfect Libyan horses. I ran this same description blind (no mention of source or name, just "this is an ancient breed") past a life-long horse person from a horse-breeding family and got a result of something like a ram-nosed Lippizanner, a very good horse indeed. If you ignore this one fall from grace, it's an excellent book for those interested in the culture, which was so focused on equines as machinery as well as status symbols. It's probably worth the second-hand price.