THE HORSE. 401 



boiled ; and sometimes before the commencement of a long 

 journey they get roasted meat, that they may be the better 

 able to endure fatigue. A native of Hamah told Burckhardt, 

 that in order to prevent a favourite horse from faUing into 

 the hands of the governor of that town, he fed it for a 

 fortnight exclusively on roasted pork, which excited its mettle 

 to such a degree that it became absolutely unmanageable, 

 and could be no longer an object of desire to the avaricious 

 functionary. In Egypt, vicious horses are cured of the habit 

 of biting by having a leg of mutton presented to them newly 

 taken from the fire ; the pain which the animal feels in seiz- 

 ing the hot meat with its teeth teaches it in a few lessons 

 more gentleness of temper. The Arab steed, like its mas- 

 ter, is accustomed to the inclemency of all weathers. During 

 the whole year they are kept in the open air, being seldom 

 taken into a tent even in the rainv season. The Bedouins 

 never rub or clean their horses ; but take care to walk them 

 gently whenever they return after a ride. They generally 

 rest in a standing position, and have been known to remain 

 on their legs for years in succession without lying down. 

 Yet with so little attention to health they are seldom ill. 

 The most prevalent diseases are the gripes, farcy, warbles, 

 surfeit jaundice, strangles, mange, broken wind, and watery 

 swellings upon the stomach. Burning is the most general 

 remedy. To cure the strangles they rub the tumours with a 

 paste made of barley, chaff, and butter ; at the same time 

 the smoke of a linen rag died with indigo is inhaled up the 

 animal's nostrils, which occasions a copious discharge. In 

 eases of surfeit they bleed the horse's feet, and wrap the 

 skin of a sheep newly killed round its body. They have no 

 use for farriers, except for making shoes, which are of a soft 

 flexible iron, hammered cold, and very small, that the swilt- 

 ness may not be impeded. They give different names both 

 to fillies and colts every year until the age of four.* In gen- 

 eral, they do not allow their mares to breed until they have 



* So extremely accurate are the Arabs in every thing relating 

 to their horses, that they have invented appropriate names for 

 distinguishing the several competitors in a race, according to 

 their respective merits. Instead of saying the first, second, 

 third, (fee. as we do, they call the foremost the outrunner of the 

 outrunners: the next the 6acfc-pre«ser ; the third the ^ran^wj'Zhzer ,' 

 *nd t^iis .distinction they cofitmue as far as the eleventh. 



LU 



