142 The Arabian Horse 



almost invariably swells out, and leaves plenty of room 

 where it is most zvanted for the play of the lungs, and at 

 the same time where the weight does not press so exclu- 

 sively on the fore legs, and expose the feet to concussion 

 and injury.' This confirms what has been stated of the 

 perfect symmetry in the Arabian ; everything is in its 

 proper place. 



To fully appreciate the perfection of the Arabian 

 horse, to the knowledge of a horseman that of an ana- 

 tomist and painter should be added. By making studies 

 of him with the pencil it is found with surprise how large 

 a horse he is, and the difficulty there is of keeping him 

 within the canvas or paper, and you become assured of 

 the trueness of his proportions. 



Mr. Gififord Palgrave thus describes the Arab horses 

 in the Imaun's stables at Riad : ' Their stature was in- 

 deed somewhat low. I do not think that any came fully 

 up to fifteen hands — fourteen appeared to me about 

 their average ; but they were so exquisitely well shaped, 

 that want of greater size seemed hardly, if at all, a 

 defect. Remarkably full in the haunches, with a 

 shoulder of a slope so elegant as to make one, in the 

 words of an Arab poet, " go raving mad about it." A 

 little, a very little, saddle-backed, just the curve which 

 indicates springiness without any weakness ; a head 

 broad above, and tapering down to a nose fine enough 

 to verify the phrase of " drinking from a pint pot," did 

 pint pots exist in Nejcd ; a most intelligent and yet a 

 singularly gentle look ; full c}'e ; sharp, thorn-like little car ; 

 legs, fore and hind, that seemed as if made of hammered 



