EGYPTIAN AND ARABIAN HORSES. 463 



races of Limousin. rn'iKany, Ardciuu's, Auvcriiiie, and otliors almost 

 as well known. 



The Eomans A'aliied most highly as a war mount the Numidian 

 horse." They uscmI thnii with givat suecess in their expeditions 

 against the Germans, the ( iauls. and the Scythians. During the Cru- 

 sades the Frankish peoples brought home numhei-s of oriental horses, 

 which they soon came to value highly foi- breeding no less than for 

 war. 



All the famous horses of history — that of liichard C(ein' de Lion 

 at Medina, of Philip Augustus at Bouvines, of William the Con- 

 queror at Llastings, of Saint I^ouis at Massoure, of Francis the First 

 at Pavia, of Henry the Second at the tournament in whit-li he was 

 killed, of Henry the Fourth at Arques de Tvry, of Louis XIV in his 

 wars and fetes, and, tinally, of Napoleon at Marengo and Austerlitz — 

 all these horses were ''Arabians " or '"■ Larbs." 



The Aral)ian horse is easily recognized by a ]>eculiar physiognomy. 

 He has always a remarkable expression Avhich is not found in any 

 other race and which seems to signalize him as the type of the spe- 

 cies. His head is square and sharply chiseled ; in front it is large and 

 sometimes bulgy; the back of the skull is also well developed. The 

 eyes are large, prominent, and ordinarily very beautiful, with the 

 cliaracteristic Idack lashes. The ears are small, well placed, and 

 mobile. The lower jaw is a little strong; the forehead is hollow 

 rather than prominent; the muzzle is sharp; the nostrils large and 

 susceptible of great dilation when the horse is excited. The mouth 

 is of medium size, with a small lower lip. A well-attached head and 

 easy curve of neck and shoulder give an elegance to the animal. The 

 neck is long enough to bend gracefully, and, when the horse runs, 

 is thrown back to form what is termed the '' stag neck." This con- 

 formation, looked upon somewhat as a fault, is natni'al to all animals 

 Avho run long distances. 



The withers of the Arabian are well tilled out without being con- 

 spicuous; the back nari-ow, the sides rounded, the loins double and 

 full, the hind quarters long and rounded. A well-placed tail is car- 

 ried with vigor and grace. This horse, like all energetic creatures, is 

 not above medium size. Its articulations are large and strong, its 

 vigorous nuiscles show plainly beneath the skin. The I'umj), the 

 withers, the hind (juarters, are above all remarkable for their strength. 

 The solid hocks are close together, a conformation peculiar to swift- 

 running animals, like tlie stag and the gazelle. 



The shoulder and foi'eleg aiv free and nuiseular. The delicate legs 

 are clean cut, with detaehe(| tendons; the shank of the front leg is 

 usually short and the saphenous veins inconspicuous. The feet are 



"They imist liave existent loii^ before the RoiiiiUis were aware of their value, 

 siuce Strabo pUicetl at 100,000 the number of eolts born each year in NumiJia. 



