48 The Arab Horse 



a horse." Such an animal is Kadish 

 (a mongrel), his dam is lacking in his 

 pedigree, and no number of generations 

 of pure blood, superimposed on an impure 

 foundation, can wash away the stain of an 

 impure mare at the bottom of the pedi- 

 gree. But a Keheilan is a different prop- 

 osition; he is the son of a mare, a Keh- 

 eilet, and no mare among the Anazah is 

 allowed to be bred, excepting in the pres- 

 ence of witnesses, who can testify that her 

 offspring is a Keheilan, son of a Keheilet. 



This founding a family on a mare rather 

 than a stallion is a certain guarantee 

 against mongrelisation; and the Anazah 

 do not recognise the possibility of a taint 

 ever being covered by the intervention of 

 never so many pure-bred sires. They 

 look with contempt on even the best 

 English thoroughbred, since there is not 

 one of them whose family is not lacking 

 in some of its female lines. 



The English have an expression, "as 

 thoroughbred as Eclipse." Yet Eclipse 

 had 70% of unknown blood in his veins. 



