STILL MORE ABOUT ARABS 1 99 



to find his cloak had not been lost, for it had been 

 caught by the mare's tail, which she carried in her 

 gallop to a high degree. Hence the name * Keheilet, 

 or Arabian mare of the Cloak.' The Manakhi Habdan 

 and Seklawi-jedran complete the five families of the 

 'Al-Khamseh.' 



The Arabs are very particular in regard to three points 

 in connection with the head of the horse — the jibbah, 

 or forehead ; the mitbeh, or form of the throat ; and the 

 shape, size, direction and attitude of the ears. The 

 ears to be perfect should be so placed that they point 

 inwards, so that the tips may almost touch. The shape 

 of the jibbah, in which the Arab delights, gives a large 

 brain cavity, and adds greatly to the beauty of the head, 

 giving an expression of great nobility. When the jibbah, 

 producing an apparent dip in the nose, comes on a level 

 with the eyes, it proves that he has great brain power. 

 In inferior horses, a flat forehead means bad temper. 

 The Arab's eye is set lower than in any other breed, 

 thereby giving greater brain capacity. The Arab is fine 

 and lean in those parts that are not essential. He is 

 deep in the jaw bones, and the two jaws are separated 

 wider, allowing for the greatest development of the thorax, 

 or windpipe. The ' mitbeh ' is a term used to express 

 the manner in which the head is set on the neck, and 

 refers to the form of the windpipe. And where the 

 throat runs in between the jaws, it should have a slight 

 and graceful curve. This not only permits a graceful 

 and easy carriage of the head, but enables it to be 

 brought in or extended at pleasure, thus giving great 

 freedom to the air passages. 



