THE ARABIAN HORSE. 83 



hardy, terse little horse, all wire and whipcord ; but certainly 

 are not likely to rear that massive animal so eagerly sought 

 after in this country, and which, for downright hard work, 

 away from his oats and old meadow hay, is so useless out of 

 it especially under a tropical sun. 



" Till very lately the Arabian has been out of favour with 

 our people. With us size covers a multitude of evils, and any- 

 thing not over 15.2, no matter how big of bone and large of 

 frame, is termed a ' little horse.' But now; thanks to H.R.H. 

 the Prince of Wales, Mr. Wilfrid and Lady Anne Blunt, the 

 Honourable Miss Dillon, and others afflicted with ' the Arab 

 craze,' increased attention is being directed to this Eastern 

 horse, whose descendants are now found to be distinguishing 

 themselves pre-eminently on all the racecourses of the world, 

 not excluding the trotting-tracks of America ; and whose blood 

 (no matter in what channel directed or with what plebeian 

 puddle mingled) has ever brought improvement in some shape 

 or other, but mainly in respect of quality, stamina, courage, 

 nervous energy, ivory-like bone, tough hoof, and hereditary 

 soundness. In the desert, roaring the curse of our breeds of 

 horses, from the thoroughbred to the farm slave is unknown, 

 and the absence of this unmusical propensity is of itself an 

 undeniable recommendation. But Arabs frequently stand 

 well above the normal 14.1 and 14.2 high. The grey Arab 

 stallion, Smetanxa, the founder of the Russian breed of Orloff 

 trotters, was a horse of commanding size and of unusual 

 power. Naomi, now in the United States, measures 15.24. 

 The late Mr. Skene (when Consul-General at Aleppo) sent 

 .me two Anezeh mares, the one 15. if, the other 15.2. It is 

 on record that in 1729 an Arabian was in service in Norfolk, 

 'by size 15.3, and strength proportionate.' Later on, in 1762, 

 Pettigrew's Grey Barb the Barbary horses are descended 

 from Arabians height 15. i|, was also travelling in the 

 same county. Aleppo, the Ormonde of his day on the turf of 

 Bengal, stood 15.2. The Sakhur tribe, on the borders of 

 Moab, have some well-grown mares. 



" Thanks to the Live Stock Journal, and to its contributors,the 



