OF FARRIER V. 



311 



bvl^e Arabs, they walk terrified on any pave- 

 ment, and can only with difficulty be got into 

 a trot, as they jump out of a walk into a full 

 gallop, and stop as suddenly ; but being very 

 docile, they are easily broken-in properly. 



I have already stated that the five principal 

 races are said to originate from the five fa- 

 vourite mares of the Prophet, and these only 

 deserve the name of Koenlan, and are mostly 

 met with at Bagdad and Orfa. Those at the 

 Euphrat are taller and stronger, but their 

 muscles are not so finely drawn. Some Eu- 

 ropean judges prefer the Nedgedi to the Koen- 

 lan, as one often finds among>t them finer 

 Horses with extraordinary qualities ; but the 

 Oriental prejudice always returns to the Ko- 

 enlan, as their race is bred more in and in, 

 just like our race-horses. It is difficult to say 

 tvith any sort of certainty whether a Horse is 

 Nedgedi or Koenlan : the former have some- 

 what of a Roman nose and high forehead : a 

 true Koenlan, with a genuine certificate, has 

 a nose drawn inwards like a jack or pike, large 

 eyes, wide nostrils, a broad front, and a beau- 

 tiful head. One may buy without difficulty 

 a stallion ; but an Arab seldom parts with a 

 mare, and, if pressed by necessity, they manage 

 as follows. First, the price is agreed upon : 

 the purchaser then begins to use the mare, and 

 the first and second foal is delivered to the 

 seller, who, if he likes, has the right to deliver 

 in return one foal for the dam. These condi- 

 tions often vary, for at times the owner will 

 not sell above a fourth of the mare, which in 

 the Arabian language is called purchasing one 

 foot. 



Aware that none of our readers are likely 

 to visit Arabia for the purpose of purchasing 

 Horses, as a better breed may now be had at 

 home, I shall omit giving the particulars of 



the different tribes of Cheicks of the Dcseri, 

 of those who may be trusted, and those who 

 are regular cheats, and likewise the translation 

 of the superstitious belief of the Arabs, who 

 are very loth to shew their Horses to stran^-ers 

 from fear of the Evil Eye, and never omit to 

 pray the great Macha Allaa ; and if a Horse 

 falls ill after such a visit, they immediately 

 call in a sort of wizard, and who, talkino- some 

 cabalistical words, breaks an egg on the front 

 of the patient, who, nevertheless, generally 

 dies, and the wizard then gravely says, " God 

 ordained it so," or "it was written so." But 

 a French Veterinary Surgeon at the same time 

 thought proper to administer physic, which 

 saved his Horse, whereas that attended by the 

 Arab died in spite of the egg, the magical 

 words and the golden ring. Some of the pro- 

 phecies of Mahomed are sheer nonsense, par- 

 ticularly those about colour : others coincide 

 with observations of the present age. If 

 Mahomed actually was inspired by Allah, our 

 wives would do well never to permit their 

 husbands riding Horses who carry the tail on 

 one side, as they are sure to be soon repudi- 

 ated ; and maidens ought to be in awe against 

 bachelors on stallions with white spots on the 

 thighs. Such nonsensical revelations, if known 

 before, might have saved a great deal of money 

 to some European purchasers : they are kept 

 a great secret by the Arabs, but have been 

 translated by Mr. Bandon, Dragoman to Lady 

 Stanhope. 



This (the most modern) account of the 

 Arabians and their Horses in the desert, will 

 throw a doubt on former statements which 

 have been implicitly relied on as genuine. 

 The announcement of their not keeping a stud- 

 book, which was supposed by us from the 

 seeming accuracy and detail of pedigree. 



