472 THE ORIGIN OF THE LIBYAN HORSE [CH. 



passing mares are widely different sounds from the bagpipe- 

 like squeals of the I'raki stallion." We have thus the un- 

 impeachable testimony of a first-rate observer who has had 

 exceptional opportunities over a long period of years for study- 

 ing the Kuhailan and the kadishes (common Turkish horses) 

 and the half-bred horses of the Euphrates region, and who, in 

 spite of his preconceived notion that the Kuhailan has been 

 produced by purely artificial breeding from the common horses 

 of Asia, has nevertheless been forced to point out the remark- 

 able difference in voice between the pure-bred Arabian and the 

 horses of undoubted Asiatic lineage. 



Not only physical characteristics, but also temperament 

 must be taken into consideration in discriminating between 

 species and sub-species, as is clearly shown in the cases of the 

 intractable Mountain zebra and the more docile Burchell 

 species. The difference in disposition between the Asiatic- 

 European horses and the Libyan and its derivatives has been 

 noticed, as we passed in review the breeds of various regions. 

 The Libyan down to the Christian era and probably long after 

 rode his horse without a bit, simply guiding it with a nose-band 

 or a switch (p. 240), the Egyptians seem to have used the 

 former contrivance for controlling their chariot-horses (p. 228), 

 the ancient Andalusian horses were noted for their docility 

 (p. 256), and their descendants the Pampas horses of South 

 America, after having regained their liberty for three centuries 

 and a half, are the most docile in South America ; the ancient 

 and medieval Irish rode their Hobbies with a mere halter 

 unprovided with a bit, and the Arab to this hour employs only 

 a nose-band to steer his foray steed ; Col. Hamilton Smith has 

 pointed out that frequent crossing of the Turcoman with Arab 

 blood has rendered the well-bred Turkish horse almost as docile 

 as his Arab ancestors, and the extraordinary tractability of the 

 Prussian Trakehnen breed derived from English thoroughbreds 

 and Arabians is a well known feature at the present moment. 

 The ease with which Arabs and thoroughbred horses are broken 

 in compared with cross-bred and inferior horses is a matter of 

 common notoriety amongst horse-breakers, and we observed 

 that horses of Libyan blood have, been constantly taught to 



