270 ROAD, TRACK, AND STABLE. 



nostrils," and this suggests the raised head of a 

 hissing snake. 



What gives the head of the Arabian steed this 

 peculiar appearance is chiefly the prominence of the 

 forehead, — greater in the mares than in the horses. 

 A small head the Arabians particularly dislike, as 

 indicating a small brain, but the size should be in the 

 upper regions of the skull. From the top of the head 

 to a point between the eyes will often measure as 

 much as from the last mentioned point to the upper 

 edge of the nostril. Morever, the forehead, between 

 and below the eyes, should be slightly convex or bul- 

 ging. 1 The space around the eyes should be free of 

 hair, so as to show the skin underneath, which at 

 this part is particularly black and lustrous. The 

 name for the original breed of Arab horses, now 

 divided into five families, is Keheilan, from kohl, 

 antimony, the Arabian horse having by nature that 

 dark circle about the eye which the women of Arabia 

 are wont to obtain by the use of antimony. Some- 

 times the whole face, and even the ears, are entirely 

 free of hair. The cheek-bone should be deep and 

 lean, and the jaw-bone clearly marked. There is 

 great width of jaw and depth of jowl. In fine, the 

 head of the Arabian horse is large where the brain 

 is, and large in the breathing apparatus, but small in 

 all the unessential parts. The face narrows sud- 

 denly below the cheek-bone, and runs down almost 

 to a point. " A nose that would go in a pint pot " 



1 This feature, which, by the way, distinguishes the Touchstone 

 family of English thoroughbreds, is not to be confounded with that 

 of a convex or " Roman " nose. The latter points to a low descent, 

 and is associated with obstinacy. 



