The Portuguese. 137 



remarked. It was plain to all eyes that tlie wicked white horse had got his master in Don 

 Alfonso de Bourbon, and that the Valencian 'Cruiser' knew it." 



A Tasmanian traveller, Mr. Carr, who neither understood nor cared for mere parade horses, 

 writes : — 



"The Andalusian horse of the present day is healthy and vigorous, works hard on little 

 food, and is up to great weight ; but, according to our English notion, he is a brute. 



" At a great show of saddle-horses at Seville, held in the Corrida de Toros, I was per- 

 mitted to descend into the arena, and inspect the animals with the judges. The Spanish 

 judges admire everything we dislike in a horse ; they set no store on a lean fleshless head, 

 with an open intelligent eye, and a light, active, firm walk. 



"They like a short, high-crested, thick neck, if the horse is fifteen and a half to sixteen hands 

 high, bay being the colour preferred, with a lu.xuriant mane and tail, short back, body rather 

 round than deep, wide chest, with strong arm and gaskin, good sound feet, wide hips, and 

 muscular couplings ; if he performs the paso to their satisfaction, is fat as a hog, has a 

 good coat, is placid in temper, but proud and fiery in his gait, he comes up to their idea of 

 what a riding horse should be. His shoulder may be straight and heavy, his pastern straight, 

 his bone round, his head coarse — something, in fact, like the sort of animal that a Suffolk 

 mare might throw to a cart-horse — and he will not be disqualified for a prize. 



" He is ridden with a strong heavy curb, his head is held high, and his chin is forced 

 close to the lower part of his neck ; then, with the spur in his side he does the paso — that is, 

 he seems to walk on his hind legs, while he lifts his fore-feet very high with a dishing turn 

 of each foot, throwing up mud and dust, then plants them with a blow very nearly on the 

 spot from which he raised them. This is the much-esteemed paso, which could only be 

 rivalled by our best black funeral stallions. In all the great inland cities of Andalusia you 

 see the young cabellero take his daily ride in the national costume, reining back his steed 

 with the long Eastern curb. The swarthy complexion of the rider, the stately head of the 

 horse, his Moorish saddle and shovel stirrups, the gorgeous shawl that falls across his knees, 

 the many-coloured housings, and huge tail tied up with ribands, recall, as he passes down 

 the narrow cartless streets, the day of his Moorish predecessors." 



PORTUGUESE HORSES. 



Portuguese horses, or rather ponies, have no European reputation, but they have, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Latouche, some of the merits of all Eastern breeds — endurance, showy heads 

 and tails, and a sort of grace. In a country of such indifferent roads there is no such 

 pleasant way of travelling as on horseback, for a man who speaks the language. A native 

 proverb says, "A good man on a good horse is a servant to no man; the caballero stops when 

 he pleases, and eats and lodges where and how he chooses." The Portuguese horses are 

 moderately strong and active, but seldom exceed thirteen hands in height. 



The horse brought by the Saracen conquerors was "an Arab pony — not the Barb" — which 

 was, says Mr. Latouche, the produce of a cross between the pure Arab and an indigenous 

 horse of the Barbary coast. High-actioned trotters show the Barbary horse. 



In the early days of the Portuguese monarchy, a man, although not of noble blood, who 

 kept a horse (for war purposes) at his own expense, was remitted the jugada — the tax levied 

 on every man who kept a yoke of oxen. 



Horse-dealing in the Iberian peninsula is carried on with a dignity and deliberation that 

 is amazing and irritating to an inexperienced purchaser of English, Scotch, or Irish race. Mr. 

 s 



