INSTINCT OF ARAB HORSES. 219 



without breaking. They approve of our method of 

 driving the nails into the hoofs and clenching them on 

 the outside, which prevents a horse cutting himself; but 

 their scarcity of iron obliges them to content themselves 

 with hammering the nail-points close to the face of the 

 hoof, sometimes in a curled fashion, like the Celtic nails, 

 so as to preserve them in a state fit for use a second time, 

 by making a new head. If a horse over-reaches himself, 

 they cut away his heels and place light shoes on his fore- 

 feet, but heavier ones on his hind-feet. They are careful 

 not to leave one foot shod and the other unshod. 

 During a journey, if a horse chances to cast one of his 

 fore-shoes, and his rider has not a fresh supply with him, 

 he takes off both the hind-shoes and puts one of them on 

 the fore-foot ; and if the animal is shod only on his fore- 

 feet, the rider will take the shoe off the other foot, rather 

 than leave him in such a condition. Should a horse, 

 after a long journey such as the horsemen of the desert 

 not unfrequently make, require to be shod, it is no un- 

 common thing to place a morsel of felt between the shoe 

 and the foot. 



The necessity, caused partly by the nature of the 

 ground, and partly by the length of their excursions, of 

 shoeing the horses of the Sahara, has show^n the ex- 

 pediency of accustoming the colt to let himself be shod 

 without resistance. They therefore give him kouskous- 

 sou, cakes, dates, &c., while he allows them to lift his foot 

 and knock upon it. They then caress his neck and 

 cheeks, and speak to him in a low tone ; and thus, after a 

 while, he lifts his feet whenever they are touched. The 

 little difficulty experienced at a later period, thanks to this 



