365
Days in Horse Country – The Chariot
When you
think of the chariot, you probably envision ancient wild races, with Roman
drivers pushing their horses on as they try to beat several other teams.
Chariots were simple two or four wheeled open carts with nothing more than a floor wit a waist-high semicircular guard in front. They were used for racing in ancient Rome, but they also had other purposes. They served as simple means of transportation in many ancient culture. The chariot was used in the Middle East, the Near East, and Europe from 3,000 BC on.
Originally developed by the Mesopotamians, the first chariot was a fast, light cart pulled by two horses abreast. Later chariots were designed to be pulled by three and four horses as well.
Because chariots were so light, heavy draft horses were not needed to pull them. Light horses were used with chariots, which made them invaluable as fast vehicles in times of war.
Michael