138 Ti/E Book of the Horse. 



Latouche, wanting a horse to ride a long journey, was returning from a search througli Malaga, 

 without finding one to his mind, when, in his own words, " I perceived a gentleman in high 

 boots, with immense silver spurs, a well-used velveteen jacket, and a dirty red sash wound 

 several times round his waist. He had so evident an expression, attitude, and bearing, of being 

 connected with horse-flesh, that I instantly accosted him. After being shown a lot of miserable 

 ponies, 'Sir,' said I, with solemnity requisite in horse-dealing in Spain, 'pray look well at me, 

 and having done so, inform me on which of these animals you recommend me to confide my 

 person for a journey of some three or four hundred miles.' The horse-dealer gravely and 

 politely removed his hat for the purpose of the desired inspection, and having concluded it, he 

 replied, ' Caballero, I perceive you are not to be imposed on. These animals are certainly not 

 capable of carrying your distinguished person ;' he ended by telling me that he possessed 

 one horse of superlative excellence." Finally, after much bargaining, Mr. Latouche purchased 

 a strong, serviceable Andalusian, which turned out well on a long journey, for ^^25. 



NORWEGIAN HORSES. 



A few years ago, before Norway had become one of the established playgrounds of 



English travellers, Norwegian ponies could be purchased in that country at very moderate 



prices, and a good many were imported. Some fine specimens of yellow duns, with black 



points, manes, and tails, were seen in very fashionable carriages in London. The best have 



fair knee-action, although not fast, eight miles an hour being their average pace. From their 



docility they make very suitable pairs for ladies' phaetons ; but as their chief merit lies in their 



endurance on long journeys on scanty fare, and as the home demand has greatly increased, it is 



only by exception that a superior Norwegian pony can be picked up worth the cost and trouble 



of importation. 



SERVIAN HORSES. 



On the Morava Valley road, although we found no evidences of war, there was more traffic 

 than we had seen between Belgrade and Semendria. Long strings of bullock carts were passed 

 or met, drawn by white o.xen with black muzzles, the doubles in all save ferocity of the Chillingham 

 cattle. Equestrians there were in plenty, riding with short leg — a la Cossack — on the high ridge 

 of a Turkish saddle, made higher still with housings and blankets, and with feet stuck in stirrups 

 that served as slippers at the same time. They mostly were mounted on weedy, blood-looking 

 ponies, with wild, vicious heads, ewe necks, high rumps, a great deal of tail and mane, and any 

 quantity of daylight under them. I saw very few that would have been cheap at a five-pound 

 note; but they make capital hacks, these greyhound-like animals, ambling along at a great pace 

 under any quantity of Servian baggage, with head high in air and legs wobbling about in a 

 curious intricate fashion tiiat comes out all right in the end. Scrvia is a great horse-breeding 

 country, and there trots alongside the traveller by waggon or on horseback the foal of the mare 

 in the shafts or in the saddle. No doubt the horses arc suited to the country. — Correspondent of 

 the Daily News. 



BULGARIAN HORSES. 



"The account of our life in the Dobrudja," writes Mr. Ikirkley in his "Five years in Bulgaria," 

 "would be incomplete witiiout a short description of our two horses, Cole-ci and Kar-yardi (dun, 

 and snow-streaked). 



" Cole-ci was a beautiful mixture of dun, chestnut, and bay, with ashen on his coat it would 

 have puzzled Rosa Bonheur to paint. He came from Central Asia, his sire a pure Arab, iiis 

 dam of common breed, not quite well up to 14 stone, and as beautiful as a picture. He was a 



