THE BREEDS OF HORSES. 185 



durance. Of these the horses of Turkey, Persia, 

 and later of Arabia, and also those on the Afri- 

 can side of the Mediterranean presented the 

 most characteristic type. Those found in low, 

 flat regions abounding in nutritious herbage 

 were larger, more sluggish, and less graceful. 

 Europe, from the North Sea to the Euxine, 

 once contained immense numbers of wild 

 horses of this type. In the inhospitable moun- 

 tain regions of Europe, Asia and Africa were 

 always found rough-coated, hardy ponies the 

 most diminutive specimens of the race. 



These points of divergence among horses 

 prevailed throughout the three Grand Divis- 

 ions of the Eastern Hemisphere, with many 

 minor points of difference or peculiarities ex- 

 isting in various localities. The horses of 

 Northern Africa the Barbs especially were 

 very tall, with long legs, very short bodies, 

 and possessed great speed; while those of 

 Turkey and Persia were rather heavier-bod- 

 ied, on shorter legs, and possessed greater 

 powers of endurance. Arabia most probably 

 obtained her horses originally from Turkey, 

 Persia, and the regions further northward 

 and eastward. Indeed, prior to their general 

 domestication horses appear to have been 

 more abundant in Eastern Central Asia than 

 in any other part of the world. Tartary and 

 Circassia were at a very early day famous for 



