THE HORSE AT AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Concerning the origin of the horse the Arabs have the following 

 tradition : 



" When God wished to create the horse He said to the south 

 wind, 'I wish to form a creature out of thee, be thou condensed,' 

 and the wind was condensed. And God formed a chestnut horse, 

 saying, ' I have called thee horse ; I have created thee an Arab, 

 and have given thee a chestnut color. I have bound fortune on 

 the mane which falls over thine eyes ; thou shalt be chief among 

 animals ; men shall follow thee whithersoever thou goest ; good 

 for the pursuit as for the retreat thou shalt fly without wings ; 

 riches shall repose in thy loins and wealth shall be made by thy 

 intercession.' Then he marked him with the sign of glory and of 

 happiness, a star shining in the middle of his forehead. After the 

 creation of Adam, God called him by name, and said 'Choose now 

 between the horse and the borak.' Adam replied, 'The more 

 beautiful of the two is the horse.' And God said, ' Excellent, thou 

 hast chosen thy glory and the glory of thy sons ; while they e.xist 

 my blessing shall be with them, because I have not created any- 

 thing that can be more dear to me than man and the horse.' " ■ 



The beautiful imagery in the above extract contains a highly 

 figurative description of the noble qualities of the horse — an ani- 

 mal of greater service and higher use to man than any in the whole 

 range of animated nature ; and yet it is not too highly drawn nor 

 too extravagant in statement. The horse is indeed chief among 

 animals. " Without wings, he fairly flies, and wealth and riches 

 grow out of his intercession ; fortune rests upon his flowing mane, 

 and men follow him whithersoever he goeth," Endowed equally 

 with strength, beauty and docility, he also possesses wondrous 

 powers of speed and of endurance, has faculties susceptible of a 

 high order of education, and perceptions.which catch the spirit of 

 man's intentions. Under the saddle or in the harness, attached to 



