THE rORTUGUESE IIOKSE. 43 



they are extremely beautiful, and tlie most proper of all to be clra^v^l by a 

 curious pencil or to be mounted by a king, when he intends to show himself 

 in his majestic glory to the people.' 



The common breed of Spanish horses have nothing extraordinary about 

 them. The legs and feet are good, but the head is rather large, the fore- 

 hand hea-s^^, and yet the posterior part of the chest deficient, the crupper 

 also having too much the appearance of a mule. The horses of Estre- 

 madura and Granada, and particularly of Andalusia, are most valued. 

 Berenger, whose judgment can be fully depended on, thus enumerates their 

 excellences and their defects : — ' The neck is long and arched, perhaps 

 somewhat thick, but clothed '\^dth a full and flowing mane ; the head may 

 be a little too coarse ; the ears loiig, but well placed ; the eyes large, bold, 

 and full of fire. Their carriage lofty, proud, and noble. The breast 

 large ; the shoulders sometimes thick ; the belly frequently too full, and 

 swelling ; and the loin a little too low ; but the ribs round, and the croup 

 round and full, and the legs well formed and clear of hair, and the sinews 

 at a distance from the bone — active and ready in their paces — of quick 

 ai^prehension ; a memory singularly faithful ; obedient to the utmost 

 proof; docile and affectionate to man, yet full of spirit and courage.' The 

 Parfait Maresehal shall take up the story again : — ' There will not be 

 found any kind of horses more noble than they, and of their courage ! why I 

 have seen their entrails hanging from them, through the number of wounds 

 that they have received ; yet they have carried off their rider safe and 

 sound with the same pride with which they brought him to the field, and 

 after that tliey have died, having less life than courage.' It is delightful 

 to read accounts like these, and we know not which to admire most, the 

 noble horse or the man who could so well appreciate his excellence. 



The modern Spanish horses are fed upon chopped straw and a little 

 barley. Wlien the French and English cavalry were there, during the 

 Peninsular war, and were without preparation put upon this mode of 

 living, so different fi'om that to which they had been accustomed, they 

 began to be much debilitated, and a considerable mortality broke out 

 among them ; but, after a while, they who were left regained their strength 

 and spu-its, and the mortality entirely ceased, 



THE PORTUGUESE HOKSE. 



There was a time when the Lusitanian or Portuguese horses were 

 highly celebrated. The Roman historian Justin compares their swiftness 

 to that of the -svinds, and adds, that many of them might be said to be 

 born of the winds ; while, on the other hand, Berenger, who lived at a 

 time when the glory of the Spanish horse had not quite faded away, says, 

 that ' the Portugal horses are in no repute, and differ as nmch from their 

 neighbours, the SjDaniards, as crabs fi^om apples, or sloes from grapes.' 

 He thus accounts for it. Wlien Portiigal was annexed to Spain, the 

 latter country was preferred for the estabhshment of the studs for 

 breeding, and the few districts in Portugal which Avere sufficiently sup- 

 plied -with herbage and water to fit them for a breeding country wei-e 

 devoted to the rearing of horned cattle for the shambles and the plough, 

 and mules and asses for draught. Hence, the natives regarded the horse 

 as connected moi-e Avith pomp and pleasure than ^rith. utility, and drew 

 the comparatively few horses that they wanted from Spain. The present 

 government, however, seems disposed to effect a reform in this, and there 

 are still a sufficient number of Andalusian horses in Portugal, and Barbs 

 in Africa, fully to accomplish the purpose. 



