6i4 ASIATIC AND NORTH AFRICAN HORSES. 



is long and is sometimes inclined to be concave (ewe- 

 necked) ; and the legs are well-shaped, but often wanting 

 in bone. They appear to inherit the failing of having 

 weak feet. Their paces, especially the walk and trot, are 

 good and comfortable to the rider. Their temper is 

 uncertain, but little difficulty is experienced with them 

 after they have become accustomed to an experienced 

 rider. 



Yahoo (pony or hack, Fig. 592) is the term applied to 

 nondescript animals of no definite breed. These small 

 equine weeds are not to be despised, for they are very 

 useful as pack animals, and are capable of carrying com- 

 paratively heavy loads on long journeys over mountain 

 passes. Every mule caravan has a yahoo to lead it, 

 and no muleteer would do his work without one. 

 Wherever the yahoo goes, the mules follow him im- 

 plicitly, and thus the caravan is kept together. 



Russian Horses^ including many Orlov trotters, are 

 employed to a large extent in Teheran, for drawing the 

 carriages of the wealthy. They generally reach Persia by 

 the Caspian ports, but are occasionally brought by dealers 

 to Teheran, via the Caucasus and Tabriz. For a descrip- 

 tion of these animals, see pages 539 to 559. 



Arab Horses (Figs. 593, 594, 595, 596, 597 and 

 598). — As Arabia is about 1,600 miles long, and 700 

 miles broad, differences of climate and soil have produced 

 several varieties of horses in it. General Tweedie, who 

 was for many 'years H.B.M.'s Consul-General at Bagh- 

 dad, tells us in his valuable book on The Arabian Horse, 

 that " the typical Arabian is the horse of the Bedouin 

 nations of Najd," which is a dry and high-lying district 

 to the east of Medina. When the word " typical " is 

 used with reference to breeds or varieties of horses, it is 

 intended, as in this case, to convey the meaning of " char- 

 acteristic and best." Another important breeding district 

 is the Syrian Desert (Shamiya), which produces the Aeniza 



