The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-04-20
VII Zen fer tie Man!toSJc Pho:
History Of the Horse.

one of his best mares, and could not Tor
long time discover whether she was sto
len or had straYed. Some time after, a
yong man Of a different tribe, who had
long wished to marry his daughter, but
who had always been rejected by the
Chief, obtained the Iadv's consent and
eloped with her The Chief and his fol-
lowers pursued, but the young man and
his mistress, mounted on one horse. made
wonderful march and escaped. The old
Chief swore that the fellow was either
mounted upon the devil or the fayorite
mare lie had lost. After his return he
found the latter was the case; that lie had
stolen the one 10 carry off the other. The
Chief was quite gratiied 10 think that be
bad not been beaten by mare Of another
breed, and was easily reconcilsd to the
young man, in order that he might recov
er the mare, which appeared an object
about which he was more solicitors than
about his daughter. To the Arabian,
principally, England is indebted for Ter
improved breed Of horses for the turf, the
field, and the road.
The enterprising traveller, Major Den
ham, affords a pleasing instance of the at
tachment with which the doclity and sa-
gacitv Of the horse may inspire the own
er. lie thus relates the death Of bis IA
vorite Arabian, in one of the most desert
spots of Central Africa. His feelings
needed no apology. We naturally honor
the man in whom true seusibility and TN
daunted courage, exerted for useful pur
poses, are thus united.
There are few situations in a mans
hfe ia which losses Of this nature are felt
most keenly; and this was one Of them.
1t was not grief, but it was something very
nearly approaching to it; and though |
felt ashamed Of the arrangement | suffer
Ell from it, yet it was several days before |
could get over the loss. Let it, however,
be remembered that the poor animal had
been my support and comfort,-nay, |
may say, companiom-through many
dreary day and night; had endured both
hunger and thirst in my service ; and was
40 docile that he would stand still 70!
hours III the desert while slept between
lis legs, his body afording ne about the
only shelter that could be obtained from
the powerful influence of MONDAY sun;
he was yet the feetest Of the fleet, and
ever foremost in the chase"
Returning westward, we find the Per
sian horse next in estimation, and desprv-
edly so, to the Arabian. The head is al
most equally beautiful-the crupper supe
rior he is equal in speed, but far inferior
in endurance. The whole frame is more
developed than the Arabian. The Per
sian horses never exceed fourteen or four
teen and half hands high, yet certainly,
in the who lc, are taller than the Arabian
The Persian horses were celebrated for
many centuries before the Arabians were
known or even existed. They constituted
il ancient times the best cavalry of the
East. The native Persian was SO highly
prized that Alexander considered one of
them the noblest gift he could bestow,
and when the kings Of Parthia would pro-
pitiate their divinities by the most costly
sacrifice, Persian horse was sacrificed
on the altar
The ToORKoMAN HoRsE- Turkistan is
that part Of South Tartary, northeast of
the Caspian Sea, and has been celebrated
from early times, for producing pure and
valuable breed Of horses. They are called
Toorkomans. They are said to be prefer
able, even to the pure Persians, for ser
vice. They are large, standing from if
teen to sixteen hands high; swift, and in
exhaustabIe under fatigue. They, howev-
er, are somewhat too small in the barrel,
too long on the legs, occasionally eve
necked and always have head out of
proportion large; yet, such are the good
qualities Of the horse that they sell for
large amounts.
Captain Fraser, who was evidently a
good Judge Of horse, in lis Journey 10
Khorasan," thus relates the impression
which they made on him: They are
deficient in compactness. Their bodies
are long in proportion to their bulk. They
are not well ribbed up. They are long
on the legs, deficient in muscle, falling off
below the knee narrow chested, long
necked, head large, uncouth, and seldom
well put on. Such was the impression
that received from the first sight Of them
and it was not for some time that their
superior valuable qualities were apparent
TO me.
The Turkish horses are descended prin-
cipally from the Arab, crossed by the
Persian ard certain other bloods. The
body, however, is even longer than the
Arabian, and the crupper more elevated
They have contributed materially 10 the
improvement Of the English breed. The
Byerley and the lIelmsley Turk are names
familiar to every one conversaut about
horses, and connected with our best blood.
The German horses are generally large,
heavy and slow The Hungarian may be
an exception, being lighter, speeler, aud
giving greater proof Of Eastern blood
Every part of the Continent, however,
following tho example Of England, las
been diIigent in tie improvement of its
breed, aud the German and Prussian hors-
es are now better proportional and have
considerable endurance, but are still de-
iiciaEt in speed.
The rrussian. German, and the greater
Iart Of the Freuch cavalry, are procured
from IIolstein. They are Of dark glossy
bay color, with small heads. large nos
trils, and full, dark eyes, the fire and the
clearpess Of Which seem 10 denote the in.