Described. 143 



iron, so clean, and yet so well twisted with sinew ; a 

 neat round hoof, just the requisite for hard ground ; the 

 tail set-on, or rather thrown out, at a perfect arch ; coat 

 smooth, shining, and light ; the mane long, but not over- 

 grown nor heavy. Their appearance justified all reputa- 

 tion, all value, all poetry. 



' But if asked what are, after all, the specially distinc- 

 tive points of the Nejdee horse, I should reply, the slope 

 of the shoulder, the extreme cleanness of the shank, and 

 the full rounded haunch ; though every other part, too, 

 has a perfection and a harmony unwitnessed (at least by 

 my eyes) anywhere else. 



' The peculiar obliquity of the shoulder-blade gave 

 them an easy^ springy movement, which, combined 

 with their splendid barrel, immense haunches, superbly 

 set tail, delicate muzzle, and magnificent crest, made 

 them the beau ideal of a horse.' 



The following is the description of Major Gwatkin's 

 Arab horse. Barefoot, considered by Mr, Elliott as the 

 best specimen of the Arabian he had met with in India. 

 It is very characteristic, and is almost identical with the 

 preceding more general description : ' Barefoot is of the 

 Nejdee caste, eight years old, 14 hands -2 inches ; is a 

 silvery grey, with a dark skin, blood head, full eye, large 

 throttle, light neck ; the shoulders are flat, with the 

 muscular lines very distinct ; withers well raised ; a 

 good arm, leg flat, and the sinews large and well de- 

 tached from the bone ; pastern of a moderate length. 

 His back and loins are particularly beautiful, and convey 

 the idea of great strength. His quarters are finely 



