70 



the kindness and generosity of temper supposed to be inherent, and a 

 characteristic in the Arabian Morse. 



It is remarkable, that we have, in all probability, derived from the 

 Arabians, the common custom of throwing water upon the back of 

 the mare, the instant of the descent of the Horse. They have another 

 custom of shearing off the hair of their foals' tails, at eighteen months 

 old, in order to promote its growth. At two years old, or two years 

 and a half; at longest, the foals are taken in hand and taught their duty; 

 and those Horses, or rather mares, (for the Arabs, like their forefathers, 

 and for the same reasons it is said, always prefer mares,) are constantly 

 kept bridled and saddled at the door of the tent, throughout the whole 

 day. It has been said, that they are, in that place, made fast by one 

 of the fore legs, and that the leg becomes often stiffened, or injured, in 

 consequence. 



In the above situation, these animals remain unsheltered, whatever 

 may be the state of the weather, and unfed ; for by custom they are 

 never fed in the day time, but allowed water several times. At sun-set, 

 they are fed for the night, with the liberal allowance, if we may credit 

 travellers, of half a bushel of well sifted barley to each nag, given in 

 a bag which is left fastened to the head. In March, the grass season 

 in those countries, the Horses are either soiled at home or turned loose 

 into the pastures, whilst the grass lasts, which cannot be long in such 

 a climate. During the other seasons of the year, they are supported 

 on barley straw, barley, camel's milk, and perhaps dates. 



Berenger asserts, it may be supposed on the authority of travellers, 

 that the Arabians " curry their Horses morning and night, with great 

 exactness, never suffering the least stain to remain upon them, fre- 

 quently washing their legs, manes and tales, combing these seldom for 

 fear of breaking the hair." But all this, it may be suspected, is a mere 

 gratuitous transfer of the best practice of the Turkish studs, to those of 

 the desert: for I have seen letters from the Syrian border of the 

 desert, not yet two years old, in which it is positivley maintained that 

 the Arabs never dress or clean their Horses at all, and are even totally 

 ignorant of the use of any instrument for such purpose. It is on 

 jiccount of this neglect probably, and of the daily continued fixed posi- 

 tion 



