The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-02
The Only Representative Of His
Kind That Was Brought
to America.
Description Of Omar !, tho Prop
erty OF the Empress Of
Austria.
where tho Pure Arabia steed IL Found
Allied to the Turcoman Breed
rr.a On Training.
at IL said that Arabian horses have de-

~ienlously guard these rare breeds from loss
by sale or theft. They have a race OF
horses called the Levantine, which they
offer in exchange for money ana merchan-
disc. These horses have excellent points,
a are SNOWY, handsome, we'll trained and in
every way desirable; but they no moro COM
pare to the true Arab steeds than a clumsy
cart horse to the swift runner" says Dinah
Sharpe in the New York Times.
"Are there many distinct breedsT'
.'"Ihere are but five. and every n en-
tirely different, and with distinctive marks.
Those most highly priced, most rare and
valuable, are the Nediier and the Osman.
The other thrse-the Abdalla. Dakir. and
Mohammed-although of blood as pure,and
as impossible to obtain by purchase, have
not the same matohless beauty"
'But we're not the horses presented to
Gen. Grant by the sultan thoroughbred
Arabs?" 5&
''Certainly not. They we're only the
common Levantine horses, snowy and
stylish, strong, and with fine points, but
they were not ~thoroughbreds, MS the Sultan
has never had a pure thoroughbred Arab in
his stables"
''Is this fact generally known and be-
lievedY''
at ia, of course, we'll known in Europe
among such horsemen as study the differ
emit breeds and have seen the true Arab in
its native land, These fine breeds which l
have mentioned are considered SO precious
that every procaution is taken not only by
the owners, but by the whole tribe, to pre-
vent their sale or loss by intrigue. and the
Arab tribes, with all their peculiar creeds
OF hospitality, have never arrived a.
that state of civilization which could
Undue them to give away such treas
ures. If an owner should be tempted
by an enormous price to part with a marc
or stallion-there are no g%eldings-,
the man who had the temerity to seek such
a purchase must do so at the risk OF his
life. Every horse lives inside his owners
tent, and is the pet and delight OF the
women and children, and quite as muoh a
part Of the family. Their intelligence is
almost human. as they answer in obedience
to every word, while their endurance is
supeihuman. The famous Omar l., who
now belongs to the empress OF Austria, the
finest horsewoman in Europe, Travelled
hot and barren plains of the Arabian
desert with but two quarts OF barley
for food and an occasional tuft OF the
Sahara clover. Only twice was there water
found for him to drink. Fleet as a bird,
he ran, seemingly unconscious OF his bur
den. and arrived at the wall before Cairo
apparently as fresh as when he started.
The two SluhRi, enormous g~reyhounds
called antelope -catchers. which were a part
of Omar's outfit and always travelled with
and weary; but Omar Weighed cheerfully,
encouraging them to approach. and prom
Using to them rest and refreshment in his
sympathetic whinnies."
"Will you describe him?"
ellis skin was black, and shone through
q fra u1CaSv coat pf Gilyar-pr0V hair. the
name full and long, and his tail, which
swept the ground, WIS pink. About fifteen
hands high, in form the most beautiful that
can be imagined in any four-footed animal,
he was feet rs the wind, graceful as the an
telope, trained to every agile movement,
and with an endurance lnconceiveable. In
disposition faultleBs-kind, gentle, caress-
ing and obedient-he had never known
whip or spur, or even a harsh word, giving
always the best he knew" . "
docs he still liver"
HE was alive when last I heard, and is
now about forty years old and in his prime,
as the Arab horses are almost as longlived
as n man."
do they make good war horses?" .
'In battle their extraordinary evolutions
the swallow when it flies. They turn and
wheel with such rapidity that it is almost
impossible to get a shot at them, and if
they run nothing can catch them, their
wonderful wisdom and cunning leading
them and their riders out of difficulties the
most serious"
"Wbere ure they found?"
''In Mecca, Medina, Palestine, and the
Persian gulf are found the Nedijer and Os-
man. They have the Abdalla race in the
Atlas mountains rs well rs between Afghan
istan and the Persian mountains, where
also live the Mohammed and Dakir breeds.
These horses descen led as heirlooms from
father to son, and no possession is SO pre-
cious as these exquisite animals. Their
pedigree is carefully preserved with that of
the family's own. and their names descend
as do those of the generations Of kings.
Sometimes many or all the members
of a tribe will be each q part sharer
in a horse, and this horse is left by
will to a successor. One cannot sell his
share without PERMISSION from the rest,
be he ever SO much in need; and it must be
an unusual circumstance, indeed, which
could gain auch permission"
Doubtless their pedigree dates a long
way back"
said to be a true one, is this: During the
reign of Momammed he sent hi1 grand
vizier with his army in the hope of conquer
ing China. For five years they travelled
over mountain and valley, through forest
and desert. climbing rocky precipices to
and streams. Unparalleled hardships
befell them on their long Jour
ney thither, and were not liRhtened
on their return, inasmuch as every
horse died on the road except i've beautiful
mares. From those and the Dzigguetai
pronounced Gigati) are descended
tho five rare breeds 40 closely guarded by
the Arab tribes. The Dzigguetni are the
wild Arabian stations Of the desert, out
matching and outwitting the wary and cum
ming Arab in his various devices to ap~
proach them, never letting him got nearer
than half a mile. After exhuusting every
other n~rtiice, the Arabs have lain con-
cealed in the desert by being buried in the
sand for days and nights, with tue fruitless
hope of securing them by throwing their
lasso at long range. But these unframed
and untnmable creatures, with their
Intelligent instinct. scented danger
from afar, and kept thsir half mile dis
tance between themselves and their would
be captors. Their strength and endurance
are greater than that of the Mohari. the
desert camel. and they nre far more fleet.
1t is we'll Known that they can travel 400
miles In twelve consecutive hours. in order
to drink from Il certain clear, cold spring
in one of the GASES and to feed on tho
dainty, nourishing grass; but these power
full runners brook no rider, no whip, spur
or bride, nor have they ever been captured
or broken by man. In this dilemma it 90
cured to the fur. seeing Arabian that this
race could at least DO perpetuated and I'M
proved by arranging some equine mar
riages. Picketing tho iivo beautiful mares
rnas THAR Iupiiuu ut,,,pJo thn,, x,nr,