370 RIDING OF WOMEN 



dollar piece will cover them, and generally protrude. De- 

 spite this clumsy device, the little fellow rarely cuts, and 

 the texture of the wall is so tough that the nails nev- 

 er break it away, even after months. In the desert the 

 horse is supposed to be generally unshod ; but enormous 

 stretches of the desert, so-called, are a mass of broken 

 stone, like a badly -laid and unrolled macadamized road, 

 only ten times worse ; for such places he must be shod. 



The women of the people in Syria ride astride a pad, 

 with long stirrups or none. They frequently use the 

 men's saddle. There is nothing odd about their seat as 

 about that of their Egyptian sisters. The}^ seem much at 

 home on horseback, though it is the ass which is especially 

 their mount. 



The various Arabians I have ridden have been excellent 

 of their kind. AVhen not spoiled by or for the English 

 tourists by being taught to trot and jog, they have had 

 easy gaits, nice mouths, and good manners. Many of 

 them have for their size a good deal in front of you, and 

 give you the impression of carrying you easily, though 

 they are usually much under fifteen hands, and weigh 

 little for their inches. They have fine heads and necks, 

 little delicate ears which are lively but not nervous, and 

 a general air of good-nature and ability to go. But they 

 do not give one the same sense of immense power which 

 a rangy thorough-bred Avill do, in magnificence of stride or 

 in the general action of head and shoulders as he gallops 

 away from under you. Except for the habit of throwing 

 u]) the head, a trick bred of gag-bits, the Arabians are 

 most agreeable to mount. If you will get one used to a bit 

 and bridoon, which is easy to be done, he will come '' in 

 hand " quicker than most of our horses and carry his head 

 just right. Still, it remains true that in gaits the Arabians 

 lag far behind our i-acer in stride, far behind our Southern. 



