172 THE HORSE 



bourhood of wells. The mare is like the serpent, their powers increase in 

 hot weather and in arid countries. Serpents which live in cold or watery 

 countries have little venom or courage, so that their bite is seldom mortal, 

 whereas those that live in hot countries are more irritable, and the 

 virulence of their poison is increased. Whilst the horse can less easily 

 bear the heat of the sun, the mare, doubtless from constitutional causes, 

 finds her energies increase with the greatest heat. The third reason is that 

 the mare requires less care and less nourishment. The owner can lead and 

 turn her out to graze with the sheep and camels, and he is not obliged to 

 have a person constantly watching her ; whereas a horse cannot do without 

 being highly fed, and he cannot be turned out without an attendant for 

 obvious reasons. These are the true reasons of an Arab's preference for 

 mares. It does not arise from the foal inheriting the qualities of the dam 

 rather than those of the sire ; it does not proceed from its being better at 

 all times and under all circumstances to ride a mare rather than a horse ; 

 but it is based upon material interests, and on the necessities enforced by 

 the description of life which Arabs lead. It must, however, be admitted 

 that a horse is more noble than a mare. He is stronger, more courageous, 

 and faster. That a horse is stronger than a mare is thus proved. If both 

 were struck by the same mortal wound a mare would fall at once, but a 

 horse would seldom drop until he had carried his rider into safety. I saw 

 a mare struck by a ball on the leg ; the bone was broken ; unable to bear 

 the pain she fell immediately. A horse was hit in the same manner ; the 

 broken limb hung only by the skin ; he continued his course, supporting 

 himself on his sound leg, until he bore his rider from the battle-field and 

 then fell. The Arabs prefer mares to horses for the reasons I have given, 

 and those reasons are sufficient to show why amongst us the value attached 

 to the possession of a mare is greater than that they attach to the posses- 

 sion of a horse, even though the breeding of each were the same ; for whilst 

 on the one hand the foal takes more after the sire than the dam, on the 

 other the proprietor of a horse cannot gain in many years as much as the 

 proprietor of a mare can gain in one year if she throw a foal. However, 

 when a horse has displayed any extraordinary qualities, it often happens 

 that he will not be parted with, probably producing to his master in the 

 way of booty or otherwise as much as the most valuable mare. I saw 

 amongst the Annazas, a tribe extending from Bagdad to Syria, horses so 

 beyond all price that it was almost impossible to purchase them, and 

 certainly impossible to pay ready money for them. These animals, of a 

 fabulous value, are sold only to the highest personages, or to rich merchants 

 who pay for them by thirty or forty instalments, or by a perpetual rent 

 settled on the vendor or his descendants. The birth of a horse can never 

 be considered a misfortune by an Arab, however much he may prefer a 

 mare for the material advantages which they procure. Mares almost 

 always produce, and it is on that account principally that they are pre- 

 ferred. I repeat it the birth of an animal that guarantees its master 

 against humiliation can never be considered a misfortune. A poet says : 

 * My brothers reproach me with my debts, yet I never contracted one but 

 for an honourable purpose. In giving the bread of heaven to all, in 

 purchasing a horse of noble race, and buying a slave to attend upon me.' " 

 Baity 's Magazine of Sports, June 1860. 



