Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-04-26
The Arabian Horse.

In early youth immense pains are larished
upon him, and he is rarely mounted before he
is two years and half old but his education
has been such that he is BY that time almost
qualified to take care both Of himself and his
master. When the rider dismounts, and
wishes his steed to remain stationary, he has
merely to pass the bride over his head-he
has never any reason to ask man TO hold
his horse for him. At market, or elsewhere,
he leaves him fer hours without disquietude,
and returns to find him standing stock-still.
This has been taught by very simple pro.
cess. The bride once over his head, and
dragging on the ground, 4 slave is stationed
beside him to tread upon it whenever the ami
nal is about to 60 off, and so to give dis
agreeable shock to the bars Of the mouth.
This is the only thing approaching to harsh
ness in the training OF the Arab-althou2h,
indeed, If the training should fail, there are
spurs employed such as no European would
dream OF using. The society for the preven-
ton of cruelty TO animals would have little
scope for employment in Algeria. Should
any children, too Young 10 reason, tease or i'll
use the horses tethered in front Of the tent,
the Arab wife will cry: "Chi!dren, beat not
the horses. Wretchcs, it is they who nourish
YOU. Do YOU wish that Allah should curse
YOUR TENT" She does not spare her own hus-
band, if he misuses his horse, but complains
Of him 10 the chief Of the tribe. "Oh, my
lord although he is all we have, yet my hus-
band takes him on idle journeys. oyerrides
him, taxes him beyond his strength. ScoId
him, | beseech you, in the name of Allah.
Lead him back into the ways of our fore
fathers. Above all, however, don't tell him
that it was who suggested this TO you
The Arab horse is watered only once in the
tyenty-four hours. He is often obliged 10
content himself with dates instead OF barley
these are given to him before they are per-
fectlv ripe, when their stones are soft and
are eaten stones and all. In the spring. he is
turned ont on the pastures but in the sum
mer, if his master can afford it, he gets lit
tie barley; On this scanty fare, good horse
in the desert is expected, if necessary, TO ac-
complish for five or six successive days, dis
tanCes OF a hundred and twenty-five 10 nun
dred and fity miles and, after couple Of
days rest and good feeding, he will be quite
well enough to repeat the feat. II he shakes
himself at any resting. place, or paws the
ground with his foot, it is held that there il
no occasion to put up in the journey; and II
you would know, at the end of day Of exces-
sive fatigue, how far YOU can yet depend upon
YOUR horse, get off his back, and pull him
strongly by the tail; if he remains unmoved,
you may still rely upon him. at is Of no
very rare occurrence to hear Of horse doing
one hundred and eighty miles in twenty four
hours" The requisites which the men Of
the desert look for in him are, that "he
should carry fUll-grown man, his arms and
a change Of clothing, food for both his rider
and himself, flag even on windy day; and,
il it be necessary, drag dead body behind
him."
A horse OF the Sahara is calculated TO live
from twenty to twenty-five years, and mare
from twenty-five TO thirty. The animals
prime is indicated by the following Arabian
proverb: