Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 10 : Record of press coverage, March 1982 - May 1984

". . ,. ·Ev6·1ution of the ·horse. ---By--- Turf Editor JIM ANDERSON ABOVE: Brisbane nlerlnary surgeon, Dr Bob Mason, inade a dls– co,ery of bis own at the Enlombed Warriors exhibition - he identi– fied tbe age and sex of the chariol horse. Arter a brief examination of lhe 2000-year-old life-sized te1T11• totta figure's mouth, he eslablished the horse was a replica of a five– year-oJd male. Tbis was possible only because of the painstaking care taken by the sculptor. "Obviously, lhe sculptor wasn't only an arlisl - he "·as a horse– man i,·lth a deep knowledge oheterinary science," Dr Mason said, "II confirmed lbat horsemen or this time placed great Importance oo tbe developmenl or the teeth 11s a reliable Indication of a horse's • ge.,. And the teeth wfre the only guide to the exhiblt's sex - either lhe artisls or the restorers had forgollen to display lhe genilals. BELOW: The humble horse bridle has defied change in more than 2000 years. The bridle on lhe ea.airy horse was In principle the same as the bridle of today - and glaringly more omale than most, Each of the aue-~tre reins is m:idc of bronze cbaio aad ,mall 5quare pieces of slone or jade. When the horses were unearthed, the bronze bits were still in place in their mouths. Omamenlal harness fillings were scattered around the excavation. THE tough Mongolian hone of China'• Qin Dynaaty lacked tha refined breeding and graceful alze of the sleek modem thoroughbred to win at Eagle Ferm or Doomben, but aldeahow freak• they were not. II took the discovery eight years ago of Entombed Warriors - and their terracotta horses - of Chi• na's first Emperor Qin Shihuang to confirm the evolution of the horse. The 2000-year•old relics present• lyon display at the Queensland Art Gallery reveal that the ba ic con– formation of the horse has defied change for about three million years. Scientists believe this was about the time the horse began to look like his modern-day counterpart. Sure, the China horses arc pon)"• size (about 14 hands) compared with today's thoroughbreds (about 16 hands), but there weren't any race meetings during the Qin re– gime (221-206 BC). Emperor Qin bred his horses from rugged Mongolian and north• west China stock for one purpose - to fight wars and p1 otect his cm• pire. His plan for a specific horse for a specific job has been followed for centuries since. And, according tQ Queensland Turf Club vcterinnry surgeon, Dr Bob Mason, there arc ponies around today which could be typed as doubles for the Qin Dynasty horses of 2000 years ago. Out at Hcndra for instance, there's a 21-year-old brown lead– pony called Casey who could be claimed to be a direct descendant. Casey is in illustrious company - he's a stablemate of AJC Derby winner Strawberry Road . Dr Mason was staggered by the life-like conformation detail of the cavalry horse anti the chariot horse displayed at the exhibition. His ex– pert description of the cavalry horse's points went like this: HEAD: Alert and attentive and indicates the animals were trained expertly in obedience. NECK AND SHOULDER: A shortish neck set on strong shoul– ders and linked to a short back, which indicates weight-carrying ability. HIND QUARTERS: Broad and powerful. There's plenty of power there for a horse of his size, • The Entombed Warriors exhibition ope~ed at the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisba~ne last week and continues until June 5, ,