Charles Hamilton Smith

Before the advent of machines, horses ruled supreme. They were the solace and servant of mankind in a life still devoid of railroads and automobiles. Thus in a world dominated by horses, the appearance of a book containing humanity's collective equine knowledge marked an important event, especially as this was no example of obsolete scholarship. Though published in 1841, the book more accurately reflected the recently departed 18th century, with its reliance on equines, rather than the technological fascination characterizing the emerging Victorian era. This is a masterpiece of Equus erudition. An English soldier turned scientist, Charles Hamilton Smith was concerned that the public was being misled by erroneous accounts or the absence of accurate information. He set about enabling equestrian essentials to emerge from obscurity, thereby authoring a book which became the principal authority on all aspects of horse related wisdom. Smith consulted, translated and transcribed every type of original texts, including works in Greek, Latin, Arabic and many Oriental sources. Nor was any topic off limits. An early genetic examination of curly haired horses in Columbia was presented. The author's most astonishing accomplishment was the careful documentation of more than a hundred ancient and extinct breeds, including the Katschenstzi of Tartary, a shining black horse with white mane and the Sardinian wild horse, an indigenous animal not imported by man. This new edition is an equestrian time capsule, complete with the lost expertise of another age. With a Preface by Britain's renowned modern equestrian historian, Dr. Elaine Walker, this timeless book also contains Smith's original colour prints of ancient, rare and extinct equids.

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