The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-10-17
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ARABIAN HOtS Res.

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: ARABIAN HOR-Es.
d In March and Hadramaut a, in ether parts
: Arabia aud in Asia Minor horses are never 81,
Died, but remain in the open air. day and nigh
tethered to stakes. The circle trodden by the,
IS 6edded with layer Of clean sand, rerewe
2 from time to time. In winter little of DIR
dung is substituted, as being warmer than sanc
The Arabs seldom, if ever, put clothing O
: their horses; which, nevertheless, exposed a
they constantly are toto the heat by day and III
emily dews by night, are quite exempt from dis
teinpers, retaining their yigOr and elasticity to
great age.
Instead of lettering the horses they are some
times hobbled with chains. They water then
out once a day, between eleven o'clock and noon
foddersg them all the year round upon barrie,
and raw meat. with green herbage for a change
and hay-which latter is kept twisted up in th,
form OF rope, and untwisted according a:
wanted.
During the season of bercin, or clover, those
who have fields Of it turn their horses out tc
grass there for II Onth or two, lettering them
10 stakes, and changing their ground when ,hey
have consumed the herbage on it. An armed
sd,ss or groom, Is stationed in tent hard by, to
water the horses, and keep off maraaders As
long as the clover lasts the animals will not touch
either barley or meat. With US it is not consid
cred sale to leave a horse in a clover.feld long
enough for him to glut himself-but the Arab
horses suffer little from Indulgence in this food,
and that only for the first day or two of using
| it.
These horses are never ShOrn or trimmed in
any way. Scissors are unknown to them As
have already mentioned, they are shod only in
1 6Ist NH. tha =,
The shoes used are plates of an elliptic form.
with hole OF ABOUT an inch in diameter in the
center. The Arab grooms curry and rub down
their horses as We do ours.
The Marebeys and Hadramites use the name.
| luke saddle, while the Arabs of the western side
OF the peninsula prefer the kind in fashion at
Cairo Both these saddles are set on without
cruppers.
For ages has the Arab steed been theme for
the eulogies of the Oriental poets, and Justly so,
His lean and taper head, flashing eyes, wide
rostrils, s.oping withers, short, round barrel,
long Group, well set tail, and clean, sinewy legs
combine to give him the palm for beauty above
all Others Of the race, while his docility, courage
abstemiOusness, and Heetness, place him on foot.
ing OF advantage when compared with the most
highly esteemed horses of Europe.
asked the shek, whose guests We were, to
enumerate the qualities that go to the making
of good horse, which he did as folllows:-
HE should be broad in the forehead, chest,
Group, and limbs. His chest shon.d be deep also !;
his forearm, belly, and launches long; his
lions, pasterns, ears and tail short. He ought
to stir up the mud before drinking of the water |;
and where prevented from doing this with his
feet, by the nature of the ground, should know
how to kneel down and disturb it with his mug
zle. He should be able to carry a full grown
man, with his weapons and change of apparel,
and provisions for himself and rider. He must
not start at the rustling of standard in the
wind, nor object to drag dead body, if neces-
sary and finally, he must be able to travel
days journey without food or drink"
The Arabs reckon five different races of the
horse Of noble blood, descended, according to
their traditions, from Tanayfe, 1Manekye, Koheil,
Sak!anye, and Djulfe, Eve favorite mares of the
Prophet
At the birth of foal Of noble race, it is usual
10 convene witnesses, who commit to writing
description of the new scion OF the stock, ad.
ding, in the case of horse foal, the name and
pedigree of the sre-in that Of filly, those OF
the dam.
This genealogical tree, duly signed and sealed,
is enclosed in little bag of leather and attached
to the neck of the ANIMAL which thencefOrward
takes rank with the famous coursers for the pos
session of which blood has been split more than
once by the tribes. Such was the origin of the
celebrated ,car of Dahis, for example, war
which, for forty years, ragged ceaselessly between
the Absides and the Benz DhObyan, in the time
OF Kosai, an ancestor of Mahomet.
Many a time has the warrior in the desert
been saved by the feetness of his horse. Burck-
hardt tells us how, in 1915, troop of Durzes,
well mounted dashed upon band of BedOuns
in the Hauran, and drove them back upon their
douar There hemmed in on all sides by supe.
rior force, they were all cut off, except one, who,
gathering his mare together, rushed her through
the ranks of the foe, hotly purssd by the best
mounted among them. Over rock, plain, and
hill they raced at lightning speed, nor did the
pursuit slacken, for the Druzes had sworn to
put to put the last of their enemies to the sword
At length, after many hours of this wild chase,
the pursuers, disarmed of their wrath by admi
ration of the noble mare, whose heetness defed
their approach, came to parley with her rider,
and granted him his life on condition Of his per-
hitting them to kiss the forehead of his match
less courser. The Arab agreed to this, and the
Druzes, on taking their departure, addressed
him in these words, now proverbial among
them:-
$50, now wash the feet of thy steed, and
drink the water"
! In some parts of the East, they recognize 9th.
er noble families of the horse, in addition to the
| five above mentioned. The miriakhomr, or en-
titled Kamel el Sanatein ('' The Art of Training
snd curing horses mentions ten, to each Of
which he gives special designation.
! According to this authority, the horse of He'd
JAZZ is the purest of blood; that of Neded the
surest Of foot; and that Of Yemen the most pa
tient and enduring.
Thence he passes into Syria, stating that the
horses of Damascus have the finest coats, those
of Mesopotamia the best points.
sThe horses recently sent TO Gov. SEWARD by A. cub
| Bey, of the two races in italics:
COLLECTING POSTAGE STAMPS. Boston
| Daily Adrertissr says that there is now mania
in some circles for collecting postage stamps Of
all nations. Some collections number three hun.
dred varieties. 1t says:
"The comparison Of the different heads and
legends adopted by the several powers OF the
world makes the collection something mere thar
mere pastime, and gives to it something Of the
dignity and value of collection of coins or med
ais. The stamps of Mauritinus and Hawaii, We
believe, are accounted among the most rare, anG
next to these may be named the Russian, fol
which, acting as amateur stamp broker, We
should readily be authorized TO offer half-dozer
Of the more common Italian, German, or French
varieties, and perhaps hundreds OF English Oh
American. The great variety of stamps obtain
able ceases to be surprising when it is recoecteC
that in each Of the countries where they are EN-
ployed at all several denominations are issued
and in some of them (as in the United States