154 '^^^^ Arabian Horse. 



Much confusion exists with regard to Arab horses. 

 This has arisen partly from the vast districts occupied 

 and traversed by the Arabs, partly from the misapplica- 

 tion of terms and words. A man possessing an Arab 

 horse says he is of such and such a breed, instead of 

 saying, of such a family of the Arabian breed ; and 

 therefore it has got about that there are upwards of 

 a hundred different breeds of Arabian horses. It is not 

 unfrequent to hear people speak of horses as Egyptian, 

 Syrian, or Turkish Arabs. If it were intended to convey 

 the idea that such horses were of pure Arab blood, 

 only foaled or bought in those countries, they might be 

 simply styled Arabs ; but as it really infers that they 

 are not of pure Arabian blood they should simply be 

 called Egyptian, &c. With the exception of horses 

 sent as gifts very occasionally to the Sultan at Con- 

 stantinople, or the Viceroy in Egypt, let it be most 

 distinctly understood there are no Arabians in Egypt or 

 Turkey. The Arabian is not the horse of either country. 

 The Egyptian is the degenerated horse of Egypt crossed 

 with the horse of Dongola, the English horse, and also 

 the Arab, and is as mixed as most European breeds. 



The terms Nejed or Nejdee, and Anezah, as applied 

 to Arabian horses, have led to much confusion and pro- 

 duced many doubts. It has been generally supposed 

 they implied two separate breeds of horses, rival breeds 

 by some, a superior and inferior by others, or that they 

 were the horses of two great rival tribes. Some will 

 tell you the Nejdee is the onl}' pure Arabian, others that 

 the Anezah is the best. 



