176 THE HORSES OF PREHISTORIC [CH. 



Turcoman horse stands fifteen hands two inches, or, even, I am 

 told, sixteen hands ; and these the Montefik have used to cross 

 their mares with. The produce is known in India as the Gulf 

 Arab, but his inferior quality is now recognised. Lastly among 

 the Sebaa themselves, who have maintained the ancient breeds 

 in all their integi'ity, various accidents have occurred to diminish 

 the number of their mares. The deterioration is probably due 

 also to the small number of horses kept for the mares, one 

 horse perhaps being all that is found for two hundred mares. 

 The Shammars have been cut off from the rest of the Arabs 

 for a long time, and with the exception of occasional Anazah 

 horses captured in war, they have no means of renewing their 

 stocks" 



At the present moment all the blood stock of the Anazah 

 tribes must be related in the closest degree of consanguinity. 

 The horses bred from are not chosen for their size or shape, or 

 for any quality of speed or stoutness, only for their blood. 

 Mr Blunt saw a stallion of great reputation among the Aghedaat, 

 for no other reason than that he was a Maneghi Hedruj of Ibn 

 Sbyel's strain. " He was a mere pony without a single good 

 point, but his blood was unexceptional, and he was looked upon 

 with awe by the tribe." " It is difficult to understand how the 

 pure Arabian race should have in fact retained as much of its 

 good qualities as it has. In all ages aud in all parts of Arabia, 

 to say nothing of the points I have already mentioned, an 

 unpractical system of breeding has prevailed, due in part to 

 prejudice, and in part to peculiarities of climate and soil. The 

 Bedouins only allow the mare a month before and a month after 

 foaling for rest, the foals come at any time of the year. They 

 are weaned after a month and fed on camel's milk. The best 

 colts are sold to the townsmen of Der, Aleppo, and Mosul. 

 The dealers will not buy hadud colts, as they cost about three 

 times as much as the others, and it is easy to forge a pedigree. 

 The fillies are generally kept in the tribe. The Bedouin never 

 uses bit or bridle of any sort, but instead a halter with a fine 

 chain passing round the nose. With this he controls the 



^ Blunt, op. cit., Vol. ii. p. 258. 



