Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-11-10

ARAB HORSES. The article on Arabia
in the second volume of the new edition
of the - F. cyclope lin Britannica is by
William Pa grave, one Of the first author
tiles upon the subject. 4 good portion of
his article is given to that theme of never
falling wonder, the Arab horse. He saws:
. Reared under an open shed. and early
habituated to the sight Of man, to the
sound and glitter of weapons and to all
the accessories of human life, the colt
grows up free from vice or timditv, and
even acquires Il degree of intelligence
that surprises \ stranger. Barley and
dates are the chief stall provender. but
the grass of the pasture grounds, in the
selection Of which much care is taken, is
the ordinary nourishment of an Arab horse
Of water the allowance is always kept
purposely scant. \ good Neilee will can
ter four -andtwentv hours in summer
time and eight-and- forty in winter without
once requiring a drink. Raw meat dried,
is occasionally given in small quantities
when extra eNcriion is required; lucerne is
employed for lowering the tone Geldinrs
are very rare. The color that most fire.
quently occurs is gray; then comes chest
nut; then white and sorrel mo;tled gray
and black are now and then t. be found; :;
dark bay never. Colts are ridden early
too eally indced-in their third, or even
second Year. and are soon broken into 4
steady walk or canter and to the amblinr
pace which is n special f:ivoritc with Arab
riders; racing. IN Arab amusement from
time immemorial. and the game of ierz-
ed. u kind of tournament, or mock FIGHT.
with blunt palm sticks. highly popular
throughout the peninsula. complete The
I 4 1
seldom used in Nejd. and stirrupS never;
but both are occa>ioally employed in IIiaz
and Yemen. So it is. also. with bits. the
place of which is taken in Neil by halter
ropes. the real guidance of the animal
being almost wholly effected by the press
ure of the riders leT and knee Shoes,
too, are of rare occurrence, nor are they
needed in the light sand-mixed soil of the
central provinces; on the other hand, the
hoofs are often rubbed with grease, to
counteract the drying effects of the heated
ground. OF all nicetics of grooming.
docking and clipping excepted. the Arabs
are masters; and their natural Kindness to
animals-a quality which they share with
most OricntalI, together with the care
every reasonable nun bestowS on a Vallla-
BILE article of propcrty-in>ureS to an Arab
horse good treatment ut the hands of its
owner. But Arab horses do not commonly
enter tents, nor play with women and
children, nor in Il general way. do they
share the family meals. nor are they hab-
itually kissed and cried over. rs the imag-
ination or credulity of some narrator has
suggested. An Arab flying for life has,
indeed. been known to give the only
mor>el of bread about him to his horse
rather than eat it himself-an act in which
sclf-preservation had as large 4 share rs
affection. Lastly. the standing prohibition
of horse selling from Neid has really
nothing more romantic in it than narrow
minded application of the principles of
protective monopoly; in other cases. re-
luctance 20 conclude 4 barg lin simply
indicates tllat the otfer nude WIS INSULT
cent"