Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-01-23
agricultural,
THE HORSE AMONG THE ARABIANs.


The remarkable spirit, intelligence and
beauty of the Horse have in every age and
nation placed him, all things considered, at
The head Of the brute creation. Among the
chief characteristics in his physical economy
tre-the form and structure of his digestive
organs, which are herbivorous, although he is
at the same time capable of living ON animal
substances; in drinking, he draws mp the flu
d by means of his BREATH and his stomach
IS SO formed that he cannot vomit. When
we come to consider his moral and mental ma
ture, we find him ominenty gantlc in his saw
agc state, and easily domestcatod, even when
taken in adult age attaching himself to man
rs a faithful companion, in some sort as a
friend; partaldng equally in his labors, dan
gers and glory; conociying friendship for
animals of his own and even of other species:
nanilesting an acute perception of good and
bad treatment; fond Of praise proud to be
i,aily alfred all on FIRE at the signal of bat
tie endowed with wonderful intellectual fac
ulties. especially with a memory of great re-
tentiveness and the most entire reliability
The senses Of the horse are exquisite His
eyes are so formed that even in pasturing he
can see a great way in a horizontal direction,
and it is universally considered safer to trust
to his sight in the night than to his drivers
his hearing and scent are well known to be
very delicate, and every one has noticed the
excessive sonsiblity of his skin, as well as
the faculty he possesses of wrinkling or
twitching it so as TO drive away troublesome
insects. His voice is capable of distinctly
expressing no loss than five different passions
he neighs from joy, from desire, from anger,
from fear, from grief; and each emotion is
too plainly marked to be mistaken by the
most careless observer.
But our title and intentions should confno
us to few facts in regard to the Horse a
mong the Arabians, which we translate most
ly from a recent French Journal To begin
at the first we may quote the following verses
from the koran-a part of the chapter enh-
tied "The Chapter of Horses but how in
ferior to the well-known passage describing
the war horse, in job, (chap. xii, no one will
need to be reminded -
THAT man is ungrateful for the graces of the Lord
swear,
"ny the swift coursers, the roaring OF whose breath is
heard afar when they uin
by the FIRE which they make to arise when they strike
ny those that run lightly through jealousy and raise
the dust in the midst Of enemies"
According to Abd-el- Kader, a well bred
horse is one which has
|. Three things long: the car, the chest
. III r,' y"
~ 4 my 'rinss shor' tne bone OF the
' IL IN ,t, '.s' "nu '1o oacE'
and a. 'l''''s' '"'so 'ne i"oo' the orenSt'
lI r. ''iJ ~ oiJIPe'
AL a I,loa'u nav 'ne winners high' ana the
M ' ti "' , NOV .ou,'eu WIN hesh'
-. - i''Si 1u'uo on morse
a,;,nf Ii IN ioiih 70 certain other
",'i','' ioooiuinB 70 'hor IDEAS the mare
usn' n'No Sne courage ana the size OF
noJu - 'i'o ~nu poar tne grace, the oye
80 IN VI Wv BaIeioi tne gmety and
ii'eiiisenee OF inc antelope the chest and
se' spoeu VI inc oS'fich' the activity and tail
Vi INC serpent
Lach Ainu OF morse IS distinguished by
guallues ana oeiects peculiarly its own the
tartar morse is small and ugly, but steady,
suohg ana iha r, ill-educatod and Of
zen zen res'lye' me Arabian Is regarded as the
pest IN the word LOT the saddle he is quick,
steady, enduring OF fatigue, priyation and
heat his master, who makes him friend
ana companion IN the desert, preserves his
Peaigree most rehgiously-indeed it is said
that animals have been seen whose extraction
Is known Tor two thousand years. The Per-
san morse Is the most beautiful, but has not