360 OUR HUMBLE HELPERS 



training they have received, in two chief groups 

 saddle horses and draft horses. The first serve 

 as mounts for riders, the second draw loads in ve- 

 hicles. Among saddle horses the most celebrated 

 are the Arabian, remarkable for their mettle, intelli- 

 gence, docility, fleetness of foot, and ability to endure 

 long abstinence from food and drink. The Arab 

 steed is medium-sized and has a delicate skin, small 

 head, slender frame, a spirited bearing, finely mod- 

 eled legs, stomach little developed, and small, pol- 

 ished, very hard hoofs. 



* l Draft horses, whose function it is to draw heavy 

 loads in wheeled vehicles at a walking pace, have 

 quite opposite characteristics. They lack lightness 

 and mettle, but patiently exert their strength, which 

 is considerable, as might be inferred from their more 

 massive build and from the great quantity of feed 

 that their maintenance demands. They have a stout 

 body, heavy walk, thick skin, large head, wide chest, 

 broad rump, capacious stomach, strong legs, and 

 hoofs of no delicate proportions. France possesses 

 in the Boulogne breed the most highly prized of 

 draft horses. This vigorous animal, usually dapple- 

 gray, plays the laborious part of shaft-horse. Hav- 

 ing its position next to the cart or wagon, it is placed 

 between the two shafts. It is the one to pull the 

 hardest on up-grades, the one that eases with its 

 enormous weight the jolts on street pavements and 

 checks the dangerous momentum of the vehicle on 

 down-grades. Compare these two pictures that I 



