af54 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



more care and attention in the stable than the 

 commoner breed of Horse in this country, and 

 in consequence of that is more fitted for a 

 gentleman's than a poor man's stable. If then 

 the racer has been made through the stomach 

 a more powerful animal than his ancestor ; if 

 his speed be superior; if the English stock be 

 at one year old fifteen hands two inches high, 

 and of substance sufficient to be taken for four 

 years old, we see here no cause to suspect 

 degeneracy. We know, however, we are 

 speaking of a very superior stock of Horses, 

 both as to breed and management, and we do 

 not wish to affirm, that the generality of 

 racers by any means possess the same sub- 

 stance as these. We shall proceed to give a 

 description of two of the most beautiful Arabs 

 ever seen in this country, by a gentleman who 

 well knows what a Horse should be. They 

 were a present from an Eastern Prince, the 

 fmaum of Muscat, to his late Majesty William 

 the Fourth, which will show the difference, in 

 a most striking manner, of the present breed 

 of English racers to what they are derived 

 from, which must prove both curious and in- 

 terestino; to our readers. 



" The first that was shewn to me was a 

 black stallion, standing fourteen hands three 

 inches high, branded M on the off-quarter. 

 This Horse is the most esteemed of the two, 

 this colour in Arabs of tite highest class being 

 rarely or ever met with. Years, I was given 

 to understand, were consumed in selecting the 

 pair sent to his Majesty, and no limit put upon 

 the price. Great as the difficulty has ever 

 been to convey a just idea of the Horse with 

 the pencil, to put upon paper words to eft'ect 

 such a purpose, is ten times a more hopeless 

 affair. The first impression that the sight of 

 this little unpretending animal made upon me 



was anything save in accordance with my an- 

 ticipations as I entered his box. The issue 

 was precisely such as we experience in con- 

 templating a highly-finished picture ; the more 

 you gaze upon it, the more its beauties are 

 developed. In this country we are by no 

 means familiar with the Arab ; many have not 

 even seen one : I do not even think above a 

 score have come within my own notice ; but I 

 must say, that if the portraits with which 

 every Sportsman is acquainted of the Darley 

 or Godolphin Arabians be faithful delineations 

 of the animals they profess to represent, the 

 whole model of the Arab Horse, as I have 

 seen it, differs toto ceelo from, them. Here I 

 had before me one, selected by a Prince whose 

 subjects have ever been celebrated for traffick- 

 ing in the purest blood of the Desert: I could 

 not doubt his claim to legitimacy. I have 

 said his height is fourteen hands three inches ; 

 his form so angular that at the first glance it 

 seems to defy all claim to symmetry. The 

 whole character of shape and bearing is closely 

 allied to that of the deer. When you come 

 to a minuter examination of the parts, indi- 

 vidually, then you are convinced how pure the 

 fountain must have been whence such blood 

 was obtained. The head of this Horse can be 

 likened to nothing but exquisitely chiseled 

 marble ; there is literally no flesh upon it ; it 

 is marble too to the touch. The eye is small, 

 but clear to transparency ; the cheek-bones 

 are prominent ; and there is a fixedness about 

 the ears that helps you to think you are really 

 looking upon the work of the sculptor. The 

 jaws stand very far asunder ; tlie nostrils are 

 large and high ; and the wind-pipe is of an 

 extraordinary size. The neck is light, and set 

 on similar to the deer's : the shoulders more 

 fleshy and upright than suits our taste ; but 



