132 THE HISTORY AND ART 



They wear their tails at full length, and are never 

 gelt ; are covered with cloths, and cleaned with tlie 

 niceft attention \ are managed with a fnaiEe, and ig- 

 norant of the fpur, the Perfians ufing none. Great 

 numbers of them are fent into Turkey and India. In 

 fpite, however, of thefe commendations fo lavifhly* 

 yet defervedly beflowed, all travellers agree in giving 

 the preference to the Arabian horfes, which are prized 

 even by the Perfians to the horfes of their own 

 country. 



Thefe latter are apt to carry their nofes fo high, as 

 to flrike the rider's face with their heads, unlefs he is 

 much upon his guard to prevent it : for this purpofe, 

 they are generally rode with a martingale. The horn 

 of their hoofs is much better than of the European 

 horfes, either becaufe the climate is more favourable, 

 or becaufe the Perfians do not injure and deftroy their 

 feet by an injudicious method, or too frequent a prac- 

 tice of fhoeing them. A Perfian will make no diffi- 

 culty to tack on the firft Ihoe he finds, and adjuft it to 

 the foot, which is generally fo flrong and found, that 

 the nails may be drove in any part of it. The flioes 

 are light, flat, and made to fit exaftly even, without 

 cramps, or being turned up ; but when the ground is 

 hard and fmooth, the horfe is apt to flip, as well as 

 when it is foft and moift. It is a cuftom with fome m 

 mix fait with the barley, with which they feed their 

 horfes, to corre»5t the ranknefs of their dung, and 



make 



