12 The Book of the Horse. 



This picture of tlie Persian horse is very Hkc a chestnut entire pony, under 14 hands, 

 which was long well known with the Queen's Hounds as the " Little Wonder." He carried 

 his fore -hand quite low, in the ugly style of the Persian ; he was cat-hammed and goose- 

 rumped ; in fact, except his blood head and well-carried tail, very mean-looking ; and yet he 

 could gallop like a race-horse, jump wide places that would stop the best part of a field, and never 

 tired in the longest day. On one occasion, carrying me, my walking weight 10 st. 4 lbs., in a field 

 of four hundred, with the Queen's Hounds, in a run in which nine-tenths of the field were pumped 

 out and squandered all over the country, he galloped up in the second flight when the deer 

 was being taken ; that is to say, five horsemen arrived, some on their second horses, first, and 

 then a little clump of about fifteen led by one of the Yeomen Prick-ers. Little Wonder was 

 the first to get his wind, and begin to crop the grass at the side of the pond where the deer 

 was at bay, while good hunters were still sobbing, and shaking their tails. 



Tills pony was reported to be out of a West Country pony by an Arab ; but every Oriental 

 horse, Turk, Barb, or Egyptian bred, is called an Arab in this country. 



The late General Angerstein spent ;^ 10,000, and devoted many years, in trying to improve 

 the English blood-horse by crosses of Arab blood, without ever succeeding in producing either 

 a race-horse or a good hunter. I have seen several of his breed ; they were graceful little 

 weeds, fit for park hacks to carry eight or nine stone at the utmost. One, .full-sized, was pur- 

 chased at the sale after General Angerstcin's death, and converted by Messrs. Sangers, the 

 circus proprietors, into a remarkable performing manege horse. 



The best Arabs I have had an opportunity of examining may be divided into two classes — 

 those scarcely to be distinguished from English thorough-breds, of perfect symmetry and fine 

 quality, but not up to weight ; and those of equal quality, built like weight-carrying hacks. 



In the first class I should place an Arab exhibited in 1869 by Lady Ann Spiers, in the 

 class for stallions under 15 hands: " Farhan (Joyous), a bay, with blacklegs, 14 hands 3 inches 

 high, seven years old," of the breed of the blood-horses of the Anazehs, " purchased through 

 the British consul at Damascus, and valued at one thousand guineas, to which the first prize 

 was awarded." 



Farhan was a perfect specimen of a blood riding-horse, with none cf the usual defects of 

 conformation of the Arabs imported, and much resembling a compact English blood-horse, 

 with very good action ; he was very docile, and allowed the groom to mount him bare-backed. 

 The late Earl of Zetland came to see him, and examined him very closely. He said that he 

 was the best of the kind he had ever seen. This horse was afterwards purchased by a Mr. 

 Dangan, and exported to New South Wales as a stallion. Since the demand in Australia is not for 

 large harness horses, but for stout enduring saddle horses, it is probable the Arab and Turcoman 

 stallions, with the points essential in a good riding horse, would be the proper foundations of a 

 much needed improvement in the colonial breeds. 



Major Adrian Hope exhibited in the same class a very handsome black Arab of much 

 the same character, an inch less in height, with a pedigree traced " from a filly once ridden by 

 the Prophet Mahomed," of which the latter said, " On her back is majesty, and in her womb a 

 treasure." This Arab has up to the present time been regularly ridden as a charger by Major 

 Hope with a regiment of the City of London rifle volunteers, in which he holds a commission. 



Sir Henry Rawlinson, K.C.B., exhibited, in 1864, a bay Arab, ten years old, about 14 liands 

 3 inches high, bred by the Sheikh of the Wahabees, purchased when Sir Henry was Resident at 

 Bagdad, and stated " to have a pedigree of ft)ur hundred years." A grey Arab, of about the same 

 size, stamp, and pace, was exhibited at the same time by Mrs. Harriet TurnbuU, whose riding- 



