410 



THE ODD-TOED AX DIALS. 



The Arabs distinguish many strains of blood among 

 their Horses and every locality, every tribe, boasts of 

 its special breed. At present there are twenty-one 

 tribes or families distinguished in Arabia, the five 

 best of which are ranged under the title of "Kham- 

 sa," and are said to be descended from the five mares 

 of Solomon. [The Arab always reckons the breeding 

 of the colt by that of the female ancestors.] The 

 oldest and noblest of these families is the " Kehilan" 

 or " Kohlani." 



Bombastic Praise The eulogies bestowed by the Arabs 

 Bestowed on their on blue-blooded Horses are very 

 Horses by Arabs, amusing. "Do not tell me that this 

 animal is my Horse; say that it is my son. It runs 

 more quickly than the wind of a storm, more swiftly 

 than the glance that sweeps the plain. It is pure as 

 gold. Its eye is clear and so keen that it sees a 



PERCHERON HORSE.— An especially fine breed of draft Horses, of great strength and endurance 



i the strong and well developed muscles and powerful 

 i this country during recent years. 



The picture! 

 especially popuh 



hair in the dark. It overtakes the Gazelle in its 

 course. To the Eagle it says: I hurry on likevou! 

 When it hears the shouts of girls, it neighs with jov, 

 and the whistling of bullets rejoices its heart. From 

 the hands of women it begs for alms; the enemy it 

 beats in the face with its hoofs. When it can run 

 to its heart's desire, it weeps tears. It recks not 

 whether the sky be clear or the blasts of the desert 

 obscure the light of the sun with dust; for it is a 

 noble steed and despises the rage of the storm. 

 There is no other in this world that could vie with 

 it. Swift as a Swallow, it courses on; so light is its 

 weight that it could dance on the breast of your 

 beloved and not annoy her. Its pace is so gentle 

 that you could drink a cup of coffee on its back, 

 when its speed is highest, and not spill a drop. It 

 understands all like a son of Adam, and all it lacks 

 is speech." 



The English Thor- The noblest relative of the Arab in 

 oughbred Europe is the English thoroughbred 

 Racer. racer. Many experts are of the 



opinion that the difference between these two breeds 

 lies only in the diversifications caused by altered 

 environment of climate and system of breeding, 

 and that consequently the English racer has pure 

 oriental blood in his veins. The genealogy of the 

 racer, however, furnishes an irrefragable proof that 

 there is no one thoroughbred, the pedigree of which 

 can be traced to exclusively oriental ancestors, 

 either on the father's or mother's side. At the 

 present day the English thoroughbred is nothing 

 but a product of the racer, its selection, breeding, 

 feeding and training, being all rendered subservient 

 to the production of the two indispensable attributes 

 of speed and endurance. The race Horses of to- 

 day surpass their ancestors 

 in every respect, in shape 

 as well as in capability of 

 performance, and comprise 

 among their ranks many 

 excellent Horses, attain- 

 ing a height of seventy 

 inches or more. Their 

 shape has become nobler 

 and more symmetrical in 

 its proportions. The En- 

 glish racer is exported to 

 all countries of the globe, 

 inhabited by Europeans, to 

 improve the breed. A third 

 representative of the no- 

 ble breeds is the Anglo- 

 Arab, produced by the 

 immediate interbreeding of 

 the English and Arab 

 Horses, effected in recent 

 times only. 



The thoroughbreds are 

 followed by the much more 

 numerous half-bloods. 

 Many crossings with ori- 

 ental Horses and especially 

 with English thorough- 

 breds have gradually pro- 

 duced the Trakehnen, a 

 well-shaped and very ca- 

 pable animal of great pow- 

 -^g^^i^f^^' 7 ers of endurance, which 



one at present might term 

 the German Horse, espe- 

 cial ly as the Trakehnen 

 Horse farm and kindred institutions have exerted 

 and are still exerting the most important influence 

 on the breeding and improvement of all Prussian 

 Horses, and are factors of the greatest moment in 

 promoting the efficiency of the German cavalry. 

 Various Other Other half-bloods are bred in Ger- 

 Half -Breed many, in Hanover, Oldenburg, 

 Horses. Mecklenburg and Holstein. Yet 



other members of this group are: in Austria, the 

 Lippizaner anil Kladruber, which are closely allied 

 to the Spanish half-blood, the Andalusian Horse; 

 in France the Anglo-Norman and Anglo-Breton 

 Horse; in Russia the Orloff trotters, as well as cer- 

 tain 1 needs of Don and Circassian Horses; in Eng- 

 land different breeds of highly improved Horses, 

 known as Hunters, Hacks and Roadsters, as well as 

 the powerful Cleveland Bay Horse, now become 

 comparatively rare; in America certain breeds of 



bs of this animal which has become 



