THE TURKISH— GERMAN. \f\ 



warped :n, eight minutes after him. At starting, the English horses car- 

 ried full three stone more than the Cossacks; and during the latter halfo* 

 the race, a mere child had ridden the Cossack. 



THE TURKISH HORSE. 



The Turkish horses are descended principally from the Arab, crossed by 

 the Persian and certain other bloods. The body, however, is even longer 

 than tiie Arabian's, and the crupper more elevated. They have contribu- 

 ted materially to the improvement of the English breed. The Byerley and 

 the Helmsley Turk are names familiar to every one conversant with horses, 

 and connected with our best blood. 



The learned and benevolent Busbequius, who was amb.issador at Con- 

 stantinople in the seventetnth century, gives the following account of the 

 Turkish horses. Our gro^ims, and their masters too, may learn a lesson 

 of wisdom and humanity fiom his words. 



" There is no creature so gentle as a Turkish horse, nor more respectful 

 to his master, or the groom that dresses him. The reason is, because they 

 treat their horses with great lenity. I myself saw, when I was in Pontus, 

 passing through a part of Bithinia called Axilos, towards Cappadocia, how 

 indulgent the countrymen were to young colts, and how kindly they used 

 them soon after they were foaled. They would stroke them, bring them 

 into their houses, and almost to their tables, and use them even like chil- 

 dren. They hung something like a jewel about their necks, and a garter, 

 which was full of amulets against poison, which they are most afi'aid of. 

 The grooms that dress them are as indulgent as their masters; they fre- 

 quently sleek them down with their hands, and never use a cudgel to bang 

 their sides, but in cases of neces'sity. This makes their horses great 

 lovers of mankind, and they are so far from kicking, wincing, or growing 

 untractable by this gentle usage, that you will hardly find a masterless 

 horse amongst them. 



" But alas ! our Christian grooms' horses go on at another rate. They 

 never think them rightly curried till they thunder at them with their 

 voices, and let their clubs or horse-whips, as it were, dwell on their sides. 

 This makes some horses even tremble when their keepers come into their 

 stable ; so that they hate and fear them too. But the Turks love to have 

 their horses so gentle, that at the word of command they may fall on their 

 knees, and in this position receive their riders. 



" They will take up a staff' or club upon the road with their teeth, 

 which their rider has let fall, and hold it up to him again ; and when 

 they a "e perfect in this lesson, then, for credit, they have rings of silver 

 hung on their nostrils as a badge of honour and good discipline. I saw 

 so-^e horses when their master was fallen from the saddle stand stock 

 still wiiliout wagging a foot till he got up again. Another time I saw a 

 groom standing at a distance in the midst of a whole ring of horses, and, 

 at the word of command, they would either go round or stand still. Once 

 I saw some horses when their master was at dinner with me in an upper 

 room prick up their ears to hear his voice, and when they did so they 

 Deighed for joy." 



THE GERMAN HORSE. 



Tne German horses are generally large, heavy, and slow. The Flun- 

 garian may be an exception, being lighter, speedier, and giving greater 



