OF HORSEMANSHIP. 121 



wafliing their legs, manes, and tails, which latter ihey 

 encourage to flow at full length, and comb but feldom, 

 for fear of breaking or pulling out the hairs. They 

 never feed them in the day, but allow them to drink 

 two or three times, referving their meal till fun-fet, 

 when they difpenfe to each horfe about half a buflicl 

 of barley, well fifted and cleaned, and put in a fack, 

 which they tie upon their heads, where they leave it 

 till morning, that they may take due time to eat their 

 allowance. About March, when the grafs is ftrong and 

 plentiful, they foil them, and devote this feafon like- 

 wife to the work of procreation ; obferving always to 

 throw cold water upon the mare, the moment the Hal- 

 lion defcends from her back. This cuftom is obferved 

 by us, and other European nations, being probably 

 borrowed of the Ai'abians, as well as that of keeping 

 the pedigrees, and recording, the vidories of our race- 

 horfes. When the fpringis paft, the horfes are taken 

 from the paftures, and kept for the rell of the year 

 without grafs or hay, and folely upon barley, with a 

 certain portion of ftraw. When the colts are about 

 a year and fix months old, the Arabs fheer the hair 

 of their tails, to make them grow thicker and 

 ftronger. 



They begin to ride the colts at the age of two years, 

 or two and an half at moft, rigidly obferving never to 

 touch them before this period, and always keeping 

 thofe horfes which they ride, faddled and bridled, and 

 waiting at the doors of their tents the whole day. 



Vol. I. R The 



