Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-05-28
PERSIAN HORSES.
What the Animals Are Worth and Their
Pecufiarities of Gait.

What the Animals Are Worth and Their
Pecufarities of Gait.
Railroads have never been built in
Persia, and it may be some time before
they are built. The character of the
country is such that it is difficult to lay
railroads from the north, and the char
acter of the people and customs are
also such as not to make them es-
pecially anxious on the subject, al
though change of sentiment is per-
ceptible. Until late years carriages
have also been unknown. and only in
the vicinity of Teheran is this possible.
For these reasons horses and donkeys
have always been employed to a large
extent.
The Persians have from earliest times
been noted for horsemanship. The
Persian horses. although full OF
spirit, are generally far more
gentle in disposition than Amerl-
can horses. The usual PAGES are
a very fast walk, canter and run.
The trot is not a favorite gait in the
East, and l am quite of the opinion OF
Orientals that it is a gait far more ia
tiguing for long rides than the gallop,
and only fit for carriage-horses.
A strong horse six years old can be
bought at Teheran for forty-tive dol
lars A very superior blood horse can
be bought for three hundred and fifty
to four hundreds dollars. The average
price for good and handsome steed is
sixty dollars.
The stables are generally very primi-
tive affairs, each horse having a sepa-
rate manger composed OF stone and
mud, built against the garden-wall,
with few branches thrown over to
keep off the sun, fordurlng nine months
there is scarcely any dew or rain
Each horse is also tethered by
the hind foot to spike driven
into the ground. But the greatest
care is taken, notw outstanding, in re-
card to the health of these horses.
Thev are always carefully blanketed,
and in cold weather or after night
fail hardly anything can be seen OF
them but the ears and tail, they are so
completely muffied with blankets OF
felt.
OF course the royal stables are more
elaborate affairs. One gets glimpse
of horse life in Persia in ancient times
when he reads in history of the way
i'm which Darius Hystaspes was elected
TO the throne l will not tell you the
story. because if you have not heard it,
it will interest you to look it up your
self. But the royal stables of Per-
STA have always been stocked
with hundreds and thousands of
picked steeds, fit for state pageants,
hunting and war. The Importance at
tached to this branch of the Kings
household brought about the custom
which existed from time immemOrial,
uutl within the present reign. that a
fugitive from the wrath of the King
could find sanctuary in the royal
stables. So long as he remained there
he was safe. The present Shah has
two thousand mares in the valley of the
Lar alone This is remarkable wind
ing depression in the mountains, forty
miles from Teheran and eleven thou
sand feet above the sea.
The donkeys of Persia play an inn
portank TT in the alta rs of the cOun-
try. 3Bsar the larger part of the trade
of PEsia beng conducted on the backs
of tH! se long suffering little beasts. As
one tAeNels over the hard mountain
roads he constantly encounters large
droyes of the m nutest donkeys, wend-
inc their way among the rocks to the
tinkle of little bells, bearing the exports
and imports of Persia on their backs.
A regularity of all the donkeys used
for this business is the conformation OF
their nostrils, which are twice the
length seen elsewhere. 1t seems the
Persians have an idea that the donkey
;breathes easier in travelling over such
an elevated country by having the nos