Farewell to the Horse

In this esoteric and rich tribute, award-winning historian Ulrich Raulff chronicles the dramatic story of this most spectacular creature, thoroughly examining how they've been muses and brothers in arms, neglected and sacrificed in war yet memorialized in paintings, sculpture, and novels-and ultimately marginalized on racetracks and in pony clubs.

Elegiac and absorbing, Farewell to the Horse paints a stunning panorama of a world shaped by hooves, and the imprint left on humankind.

"A beautiful and thoughtful exploration. . . . Farewell to the Horse is a grown-up, but also lyrical and creative, history book, and I very much enjoyed it."- James Rebanks, author of the New York Times bestseller The Shepherd's Life

List of Illustrations vii The Long Farewell 1 Part I The Centaurian Pact Energy Hell for Horses 23 A Pastoral Incident 47 Riding West 70 The Shock 92 The Jewish Horsewoman 116 Part II A Phantom of the Library Knowledge Blood and Speed 137 The Anatomy Lesson 157 Connoisseurs and Conmen 178 Researchers 199 Part III The Living Metaphor Pathos Napoleon 231 The Fourth Rider 248 The Whip 265 Turin: A Winter's Tale 292 Part IV The Forgotten Player Histories Teeth and Time 318 Conquest 333 Out of the Picture 351 Herodotus 364 Notes 376 Acknowledgements 439 Index 441