The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-09-30
THE ARABIAN HORSE.


The Arabs hold that the age most
favorable for breeding is, for the mare,
from four to twelve years for the
stallion from six to fourteen. They are
more particular concerning the qualities
of the stallion than of the mare because,
as they say, the colt always has the
qualities of the sire. After the colt is
weaned he still follows his mother to the
pasture, as the Arabs find this exercise
necessary for his health and the develop
ment of his faculties. At night he re-
turns home and sleeps near the tent of
his master. The women and children
make him the object of their greatest
care, playing with him, and feeding him
with dates and milk. From this comes
the docility 80 much admired in Arabian
horses. After this the colts are fastened
up for awhile, which causes them to
grow thin and lose their appetites. At
the age of one year they unloosen them,
and their health again returns. If at
the age of fifteen or eighteen months
the colt does not move his shoulders
easily, they do not hesitate to apply fire
to the joints. If the knees are badly
formed, indicating a predisposition to
tumors, they apply the fire to them on
three parallel lines. Finally, if they
fear that the horse will become deiormed,
either in front or rear, they spply fire to
the fetlock JOINTS, but only on the front
part, which indicates that the Arabs
know the tendons and protect them.
The fire is ordinarily applied with q
sickle and for this operation they avoid
as much as possible the great heats of
summer. The most favorable time is
the end OF autumn or the beginning of
spring, when there are fewer flies and
the weather is more invigorating.
1t is necessary to commence the edu-
cation Of the colt at eighteen months, if
you wish to have him docile. From that
time until the age of twenty months, he
is ridden by child, who conducts him
to drink and to pasture. This exercise
is good for both, making the child a
horseman and accustoming the colt to be
tether the colt. At first the tethers are
very short, for fear that he will iniure
his shoulder or chest. Little by little
they lengthen them. The colt is always
tethered near the tent, and they place
beside him little negro with stick,
whose mission it is gently to correct the
colt whenever he kicks at any one who
passes behind him. This watchflllness
begets in the colt complete docility and
tranquility.
At the age of twenty-five to twenty
seven months, they commence to bride
and saddle the colt, but with the great
est precaution, never saddling him until
he has already become used to the bri-
die. For several days they keep bit
covered with wool in his mouth. The
bit is thus covered, not so much for the
purpose of keeping the iron bars OF tho
bit from offending the colt, as to induce
him to hold it in his mouth owing to the
salt taste of the wool which pleases him.
They consider the colt nearly trained as
to this portion of his education when he
begins to chew the bit.
One of the first things which the Arabs
teach their colts is never to run away
when the master dismounts. They give
the greatest care to this part of his
education, as it is of supreme import
ance in the life of an Arab. 1t is done
by placing q slave on each side of the
colt, who, whenever he attempts to start,
put their feet on the reins and stop him
suddenly, thus hurting his mouth.
After many days of this exercise he be-
comes so well trained that he will stand
wherever his master dismounts from
him, even if he is left alone and has to
await whole days for his masters return.
From the age Of thirty months to that of
three years they continue these lessons
in order to confirm the young animal in
that docility so necessary in war teach
ing him also to allow his master to mount
and dismount easily, and to obey his
voice. From three to four years they
exercise the colt more, but feed him
well, and also begin to mount him with
spurs. .. ... f.H .....