THE HORSE. 17 



When these horses were first introduced into 

 Europe they seemed, after a short stay in civil- 

 ization, to have completely changed their na- 

 ture, and, instead of gentleness and docility, 

 exhibited an almost tiger-like ferocity. This 

 change was at first attributed to difference of 

 climate and high feeding, but, after several 

 grooms had been injured or killed by their 

 charges, it began to be suspected that there 

 was something wrong in the treatment. The 

 experiment of introducing native grooms was 

 therefore tried, and the results proved most sat- 

 isfactory, the animals once more becoming gen- 

 tle and docile. 1 Since then the nature of the 

 Arabian has become better understood, and, 



1 " The Bedouin (and every other race of Orientals that I am 

 acquainted with seems to possess somewhat the same quality) ex- 

 hibits a patience towards his horse as remarkable as is the impa- 

 tience and roughness of the Englishman. ... In his (the Ori- 

 ental's) mental organization some screw is tight which in the 

 English mind is loose; he is sane on a point where the English- 

 man is slightly cracked, and he rides on serene and contented 

 where the latter would go into a paroxysm of swearing and spur- 

 ring. I have seen an Arab horse, broken loose at a moment when 

 our camp was thronged with horses brought for sale, turn the 

 whole concern topsy-turvy, and reduce it to one tumult of pawing 

 and snorting and belligerent screeching; and I never yet saw the 

 captor when he finally got hold of the halter show the least trace 

 of anger, or do otherwise than lead the animal back to his picket 

 with perfect calmness. Contrast this with the 'job' in the 

 mouth and the kick in the ribs and the curse that the English 

 groom would bestow under similar circumstances, and you have, 

 2 



