Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-09
Arabian Horses.



f'No Arab dreams of tying up horse by the
neck a tether replaces the halter and one of the
animals hind legS is encircled about the pas
tern by light iron ring, furnished with pad
lock, and connected with an.iron chain two feet
or whereabouts in length, ending in n rope.
which is fastened TO the ground at some distance
by an iron peg; such is the customary method.
But shoul d the animal be restless and trouble
some fore leg is put under similar restraint.
Il is well known that horses in Arabia are much
less frequently vicious or refractory than in Eu-
rope, and this Is the reason why geldin9S are
here so rare, though not unknown. No particu-
lar prejudice, that | could discover, exists
against the operation itself; only it is seldom
performed, because not otherwise necessary
and tending, of course, to diminish the value OF
the animal.
But to return to the horses now before us,
never had seen or imagined so lovely collec-
ton. Their stature was indeed somewhat low;
do not think that any came fully mp to fifteen
hands; fourteen appeared to be about their
average, but they were so eXquisitely well shaped
that want of greater size seemed hardly, if at
all, defect.
Remarkably full in the launches, with
shoulder of a slope so elegant as TO make one,
in the words of an Arabian poet, 90 raving
mad about it, little, a very little, saddle
backed, Just the curve which indicates spring
ness; head broad above, and tapering down to
a nose fine enough to verify the phrase of
drinking from pint pot did pint pots exist in
Nedied; most intelligent and yet singuarly
gentle look, full eye, sharp thorn-like ear, legs
fore and hind that seem as if made OF ham
mered iron, so clean, and yet so well twisted
with sinew; u neat, round hoof just the requi-
site for hard ground; the tail set on, or rather
thrown out at perfect arch; coats smooth,
shining and light, the name long, but not over
grown nor heavy, and air and steps that
seemed to say, look at me, am | not prettyP
their appearance justified all reputation, all
value, all poetry. The prevailing color was
chestnut or gray; a light bay, an iron color,
white or black, were less common; full bay,
fea-bitten or piebald, nOne But if asked what
are, after all, the specially distinctive points of
a Nediee horse, should reply, the slope of the
shoulders, the extreme eleanness of the shank,
and the full rounded haunch, though every
other part, too, has a perfection and Il harmony
unwitnessed, at least by my eyes, anywhere
else. Nediee horses are especially esteemed for
great speed and endurance of fatigue; indeed in
this latter quality none come up to them.
70 pass twenty-lour hours on the road with
out drink and without tagging is certainly
something; but to keep up the same abstinence
and labor conJoined under the burning Arabian
sky for forty-eisht hours at a stretch, is, be-
lieve, peculiar to the animals of the breed. Be
sides they have a delicacy, | cannot say of
mouth, for it is common to ride them without
bit or bride, hut CT feeling and obedience to the
knee and thigh, TO the slightest check of the
halter and the voice of the rider, far surprising
whatever the most elaborate nldaege gives a
European horse, though furnished with snaf1e,
curb and all, | often mounted them at the in
yitation of their owners, and without saddle,
rein, or stirrup, set them OFT at full gallop,
wheeled them round, brought them up in mad
career at dead halt and that without the least
difficulty, or the smallest want of correspond.
eHce between the horses movements aud my
own will; the rider on their back really feels
himself the man-haf Of oeutaur, not distinct
being"