The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-26
THE ARAB HORSE.
His Needs Are Few, and Hs Can Stand a Vast
Amount OF Work.

The great Arab stud OF Europe are
the Russian. the Austrian. the German
and the Turkish. In England the work
has practically been left to one indi-
vidual, and IL is surely high time that
the government should interest itself In
an enterprise which might easily at
tain development of national mo-
ment. Serious experiment has con-
vinced military experts OH the conti-
nent that, for the wear and tear OF a
campaign, Arab blood Is unrivalled. I'm
til recently. says the London Saturday
Review the English thoroughbred was
regarded as the ideal stock, but it has
now come 10 be, admitted, at least by
many, that his artificial breeding, with
two centuries OF coddhng and high
feeding. has developed an animal un-
rlNalled for speed over a short distance,
but too deHcate and highly strung for
hard, practical work. The Arab, on the
other hand has been Injured, during, we
might almost say. thousands OF years,
10 the open air and the desert, to want
of food and water. and has thriven up
on his privations.
Again and again have armies been
handicapped and even defeated owing
To the inability OF their cavalry and
transport horses TO endure starvation
rations. OF course, an Arab cannot dis
pense with food altogether. like the leg
endary camel of travellers tales, but
his needs are few. and he will maintain
his health and spirits under conditions
which other horses would never be
able 10 endure. Indeed, not only can he
put up with hardships at n pinch, but
he actually deteriorates under the gen-
erous regiment which is considered nee
Al for 81 h... A.,~ A. 4.
proved over and over again by pur-
chasers who have refused to believe
| the usual three feeds of corn 10 be su-
| pererogatory and the morning hour OF
| walking exercise insufficient. There Is
| probably no being SO obstinately con-
servative as an English coachman. and,
] even when he finds an Arab grow Ut :
terly unmanageable, he is not TO be
convinced that the simple cause Ia lack
OF exercise and exuberance OF feeling.
The fact is. an Arab is naturally SO
high-spirited and so difficult to tire that
even a single feed of corn Is excessive
! unless he Is being subjected to excep.
| tionally hard work He will answer ev.
| cry requirement as a hunter IL his die
| is restricteC toN hay or even TO grass
, and I'm the summer time ne is most sat
| isfactory II he has the run of pad
dock, where he can choose his own foot
! and exercise. SO far. the qualify OF th'
normal Arab i'm everyday llfe What ,
| picked horse can do when put upon hi.
| mattle almost battles belief. An Officer
| recently returned from the Soudan re-
lates that after a ride of 500 miles his
| horse showed no signs OF work. though
he had cast all his shoes before accom-.
plishing a quarter OF the Journey
though many OF the camels had died
and the others had suffered severely
Again, IL was an Arab OF 142L which
carried 10 stone pounds and won a
ten-mile race at Ferozepore i'm twenty
five minutes, a feat OF endurance prob
ably unequalled I'm equine annals. And
Lord Roberts can bear testimony TO the
powers OF the Arab which carried him
through all his campaigns during twen-
ty-hve years and. -lone among the
horses of history. received official au-
thority TO wear the Afghan medal with
four cIasps.