chest: 'It is to the mixture of Arabian blood that we principally owe this peculiar 

 and advantageous formation of the chest of the horse. The Arab is light — some 

 would say too much so before, but immediately behind the arms the barrel almost 

 invariably swells out, and leaves plenty of room where it is most wanted for the 

 play of the lungs, and at the same time where the weight does not press so exclusively 

 on the four legs, and expose the feet to concussion and injury.' This confirms 

 what has been stated of the perfect symmetry in the Arabian — everything is in its 

 proper place. 



"To fully appreciate the perfection of the Arabian horse, to the knowledge of a 

 horseman that of an anatomist and painter should be added. By making studies of 

 him with the pencil it is found with surprise how large a horse he is, and the diffi- 

 culty there is of keeping him within the canvas or paper, and you become assured 

 of the trueness of his proportion. 



"Mr. Gifford Palgrave thus describes the Arab horses in an imaum's stables at 

 Riad: 'Their stature was indeed somewhat low; I do not think that any came 

 fully up to fifteen hands — fourteen appeared to me about their average — but they 

 were so exquisitely well shaped that want of greater size seemed hardly, if at all, 

 a defect; remarkably full in the haunches, with a shoulder of a slope so elegant 

 as to make one, in the words of an Arab poet, "go raving mad about it." A little, 

 a very little, saddle-backed — just the curve which indicates springiness without any 

 weakness; a head broad above, and tapering down to a nose fine enough to verify 

 the phrase of "drinking from a pint pot," did pint pots exist in Jajed ; a most intel- 

 ligent and yet a singularly gentle look; full eye; sharp, thorn-like little ear; legs, 

 fore and hind, that seemed as if made of hammered iron, so clean and yet so well 

 twisted with sinew; a neat round hoof, just the requisite for hard ground; the tail 

 set on, or rather thrown out, at a perfect arch; coat smooth, shining and light; the 

 mane long, but not overgrown nor heavy. Their appearance justified all reputation, 

 all value, all poetry. 



" 'But if asked what are, after all, the specially distinctive points of the Nejded 

 horse, I should reply, "the slope of the shoulder, the extreme cleanness of the shank 

 and the full rounded haunch," though every other part, too, has a perfection and 

 a harmony unwitnessed, at least by my eyes, anywhere else. 



" 'The peculiar obliquity of the shoulder-blade gave them an easy, springy 

 movement, which, combined with their splendid barrel, immense haunches, su- 

 perbly set tail, delicate muzzle and magnificent crest, made them the "beau ideal" 

 of a horse.' 



"The following is a description of Major Gwatkin's Arab horse. Barefoot, 

 considered by Mr. Elliott as the best specimen of the Arabian he had met with in India. 

 It is very characteristic, and is almost identical with the preceding more general 

 description: 'Barefoot is of the Nejded cast, eight years old, fourteen hands two 

 inches ; is a silver gray, with a dark skin, blood head, full eye, large throttle, light 

 neck; the shoulders are flat, with the muscular lines very distinct; withers well 

 raised ; good arm, good leg, and the sinews large and well detached from the bone ; 

 pastern of a moderate length. His back and loins are particularly beautiful, and 

 convey the idea of great strength ; his quarters are finely turned and very muscular ; 

 his temper is exceedingly good ; when led out to start he appears to great advan- 

 tage, full of fire, yet very temperate, and when at work no horse could evince more 

 vigor and determined courage. Other similar examples might be shown of the 

 Arabian as known in India, and among them the beautiful and equally good little 

 Honeysuckle.' 



"A gentleman to whom I am much indebted, and who has for many years 

 been in constant intercourse with the Bedouin sheiks from Nedjed, thus speaks of 

 the Arabian: 'The Arab, although less swift for a short distance, is certainly stouter 

 than the English thoroughbred horse; his stride is greater in proportion to their 



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