THE HORSE. 



219 



of all colours, and often of whimsical ones, 

 some being streaked like the tiger, or mottled 

 like the leopard. 



The German horses are originally from 

 Arabinn ami Barbary stocks : nevertheless, 

 they appear to be small and ill-shaped : it is 

 said also, that they are weak and washy, with 

 tender hoofs. The Hungarian horses, on the 

 other hand, are excellent for the draught, as 

 well as the saddle. The Hussars, who use 

 them in war, usually slit their nostrils ; which 

 is done, as it is said, to prevent their neighing, 

 but, perhaps, without any real foundation. 



The Dutch breed is good for the draught, 

 and is generally used for that purpose over 

 Europe : the best come from the province of 

 Friezlnnd. The Flanders' horses are much 

 inferior to the former ; the have most com- 

 monly large heads, flat feet, and swollen logs; 

 which are an essential blemish in horses of this 

 kind. 



The French horses are of various kinds; 

 but they have few that are good. The best 

 horses of that country come from Limosin ; 

 they have a strong resemblance to the Barb, 

 and, like them, they are excellent for the chase ; 

 but they are slow in coming to perfection : 

 they are to be carefully treated while young, 

 and !)iust not be backed till they are eight years 

 old. Normandy furnishes the next best; which, 

 though not so good for the chase, are yet better 

 for war. In general, the French horses have 

 thi> fault of being heavy shouldered, which is 

 opposite fa the fault of the Barb, which is too 

 thin in the shoulder, and is, consequently, apt 

 to be shoulder -slipt. 



Having mentioned the horses most usually 

 knmni in Europe, we pass on to those of more 

 distant countries, of whose horses we can only 

 judge by report. We mentioned the wild 

 horses of America. Such as are tame, if we 

 may credit the latest reports," are admirable. 

 Great numbers of these are bred up to the chase, 

 and arc chiefly kept for this purpose, particu- 

 larly at Qiiito. The hunters, as Ulloa informs 

 us, are divided into two classes ; one part on 

 foot, the other on horseback : the business of 

 the footmen is to rouse the deer ; and that of 

 the horsemen, to hunt it down. They all, at 

 break of day, repair to the place appointed, 

 which is generally on the summit of a hill, with 



Ulloa's Voyage, vol. i. p. 464. 



every man his greyhound. The horsemen place 

 themselves on the highest peaks ; whilst those 

 on foot range the precipices, making an hideous 

 noise, in order to start the deer. Thus the 

 company extend themselves three or four 

 leagues, or more, according to their numbers. 

 On starting any game, the horse which first 

 perceives it, sets off, and the rider, being unable 

 to guide or stop him, pursues the chase, some- 

 times down such a steep slope, that a man on 

 foot, with the greatest care, could hardly keep 

 his legs ; from thence he flies up a dangerous 

 ascent, or along the side of a mountain ; so that 

 a person not used to this exercise would think 

 it much safer to throw himself out of the saddle, 

 than commit his life to the precipitate ardour 

 of his horse. The other horses, which join in 

 the chase, do not wait for the riders to animate 

 them ; they set forward immediately upon see- 

 ing another at full speed ; and it becomes pru- 

 dence in the rider to give them their way, and 

 at the same time to let them feel the spur, to 

 carry him over the precipices. These horses 

 are backed and exercised to this method of 

 hunting ; and their usual pace is trotting. 



There are said to be very good horses in the 

 islands of the Archipelago. Those of Crete 

 were in great reputation among the ancients 

 for their swiftness and force ; however, at 

 present they are but little used, even in the 

 country itself, because of the unevenness of the 

 ground, which is there very rocky and moun- 

 tainous. The original horses of Morocco are 

 much smaller than the Arabian breed ; how- 

 ever, they are very swift and vigorous. In 

 Turkey there are to be found horses of almost 

 all races: Arabians, Tartars, Hungarians, and 

 those natural to the place. The latter are very 

 beautiful and elegant ; they have a great deal 

 of fire, swiftness, and management ; but they 

 are not able to support fatigue : they eat little; 

 they are easily heated ; and they have skins so 

 sensible, that they can scarcely bear the rub- 

 bing of the stirrup. The Persian horses are, 

 in general, the most beautiful and most valuable 

 of all the East. The pastures in the plains of 

 Media, Persepolis, Ardebil, and Derbent, are 

 excellent for the purpose of rearing them ; and 

 there were bred in those places vast nu tubers, 

 by order of the government of Persia, while 

 thatcountry was under any government. Pietro 

 della Valle prefers the horses of Persia to those 

 of Italy; and informs us, that they are in gene- 



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