10 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



high, sometimes making specimens of the breed appear higher 

 here than at the withers. The tail sets high and is carried with 

 style. The quarters are long and deep, but the gaskins and 

 hocks hardly equal those of the Thoroughbred. The legs and 

 feet are very superior. For his size the strength of the Arabian 

 horse is remarkable, this being due in part to large development 

 of muscle of loin and arm, whereby he becomes a superior 

 burden carrier. The Arab has a great constitution and extraordi- 

 nary staying power. He is not noted so much for speed as for 

 endurance, as he is not nearly the equal of the Thoroughbred 

 or American trotter for rapid speed. Yet the Arab will perform 

 long journeys across country with comparative ease, such as 

 require great staying power. In height the Arab ranges from 

 14 to 1 4^ hands, so that he stands at the boundary line between 

 pony and horse. Many of the most famous Arabs brought to 

 England were ponies. Esa ben Curtas, a large importer of Arabs 

 to Bombay, is credited with the statement that the best Arabs 

 did not, as a rule, exceed 14 hands ij- inches to 14 \ hands 

 high. In color there is some variation, for there are bays, 

 whites, grays, chestnuts, and blacks. No pure-bred Arabs are 

 spotted or roan of color. Rowe gives the prevalence of the 

 various colors as follows 1 : bay, 50 to 60 per cent; chestnut, 

 25 per cent; and gray or white, 15 to 25 per cent. A black 

 Arabian is exceedingly rare. 



The introduction of the Arab horse to America dates back many 

 years. No doubt numerous horses called Arabian were not of 

 that breed, but were of oriental ancestry. About 1765 an Arab 

 stallion named Ranger was imported to New London, Connecticut. 

 A half-bred, gray son of this horse was used by General Washing- 

 ton during the Revolutionary War. Ranger was later taken to 

 Virginia, where he became known as the Lindsay Arabian. In 

 1838 a large consignment of both stallions and mares was brought 

 to the United States by Commodore J. D. Elliott of the United 

 States Navy. The first volume of Bruce's "American Studbook " 

 (Thoroughbred) contains a list of 42 Arab stallions imported into 

 the United States between 1760 and 1860, besides 12 Arab 

 mares, 4 Barb stallions, and 2 Barb mares. About 1855 A. Keene 



1 Breeders' Gazette, May 29, 1912. 



