THE EXCELLENCE OF THE ARAB HORSE 103 



sory ligament. Not to speak too exclusively of 

 racing, he says that fifty-three years ago Captain 

 Home, of the Horse Artillery, undertook to ride his 

 gray Arab horse Jumping Jimmy 400 miles in five 

 days, and accomplished the feat on the Bangalore 

 Racecourse before crowds of spectators with three 

 hours and five minutes in hand. Then he denounces 

 bigness, and says that the town Arabs of Arabia, 

 like the ' swells ' of London town, admire large 

 animals, and the Turks think that a Pasha ought to 

 be on a horse like an elephant ; but the Bedouin 

 Arab knows better, and realizes that the power 

 which the compact little Arabian possesses to carry 

 a heavy man both far and fast is very remark- 

 able. ' Townies ' in other places than Arabia 

 seem to like bigness, so as to be * well up ' in the 

 world ! 



The Major-General quotes Captain Nolan's book 

 on cavalry as containing an account of a Persian 

 troop-horse which, only 14 hands high, was ridden 

 throughout an 800 mile march in India by a private 

 of the 1 8th Hussars, who weighed with his accoutre- 

 ments 22^ stone. 



At the crossing of the Kistna, a broad and dan- 

 gerous river, his rider scorned the ferry-boat, and, 

 declaring that a Hussar and his horse should never 

 part company, gallantly stemmed the current in 

 heavy marching order. He contrasts this with a 

 field of Australian horses in a steeplechase in India, 

 which was completely stopped by what they had to 



