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(QUADRUPEDS. 



THE H O R S. E. 



OF all quadrupeds, the horfe is moft beautiful ; his noble form, 

 his glolfy imoothnefs of iT^in, his graceful eafe of motion, and exadt 

 fymmetry of fhape, have induced us to regard him as the firft of animals, 

 and as the moft perfectly formed ; yet, his internal ftru6lure differs more 

 from the human than that of all other quadrupeds. 



The horfe, like other animals, is naturally wild, and domefticated 

 by the art of manj his enemies of the foreft are but few, none but 

 the greater kinds will venture to attack him ; thcfe he is able to over- 

 come fingly, but is content to find fafety in fociety ; wild horfes herding 

 together, often in droves of five or fix hundred. As they are never 

 attacked but at a difadvantage, when they fleep in the forefts, one am^ong 

 their number ftands as centinel, and this office they take by turns. If 

 a man approaches them while feeding by day, the centinel walks boldly 

 near him, as if to examine, or to intimidate him ; as the man approaches 

 within piftol fhot, the centinel alarms his fellows, by a loud kind of 

 fnorting, upon which all fly off with the fpeed of the wind ; their 

 faithful centinel bringing up the rear. They will not admit of fl:range 

 animals among them, even of their own kind. If a tame horfe attempts 

 to affociate with them, they foon oblige him to feek fafety by flight. 



Arabia produces the moft beautiful breed of native horfes, the moft 

 generous, fwift and perfevering. They are found wild, though not in 

 great numbers, in the defarts of that country ; and the natives ufe every 

 Itratagem to take them. They are aftive and beautiful, yet not fo large 

 as thofe bred up tame ; are of a brown colour j their mane and tail verv 

 fhort, and the hair black and tufted. Their fwiftnefs is incredible ; 

 to purfue them with dogs is fruitlefs. By their rapid flight, they are 

 inftantly out of view, and dogs themfelvcs give up the purfuit. They 

 are taken by traps, hidden in the fand, which entangle their feet. If 

 the horfe thus caught be young, he is confidered as a great delicacy, 

 and affords a feaft ; but if he promifes to be fcrviceable in his nobler 

 capacity, he is tamed by the ufual methods, fatigue and hunger, and 

 foon becomes an ufeful domeftic. 



The 



