2 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



with astonishing rapidity. The wild Horses of 

 Arabia are esteemed the most beautiful in the 

 world : they are of a brown colour, their mane and 

 tail of black tufted hair, very short; they are 

 smaller than the tame ones, are very active, and of 

 great swiftness. The most usual method of taking 

 them is by snares or pits formed in the sand. It is 

 probable there were once wild Horses in Europe, 

 which have long since been brought under subjec- 

 tion. Those found in America were originally of 

 the Spanish breed, sent thither upon its first dis- 

 covery, which have since become wild, and spread 

 themselves over various parts of that vast con- 

 tinent. They are generally small, not exceeding 

 fourteen hands high, with thick heads and clumsy 

 joints; their ears and necks are longer than those 

 of the English Horses. They are easily tamed; 

 and if by accident they should regain their liberty, 

 they seldom become wild again, but know their 

 master, and may be easily caught by him. 



At the age of two years,* the Horse is in a con- 

 dition to propagate. The mare is generally in 

 season from the latter end of March till the 



* There are various ways of judging of the age of a Horse. The 

 following are the most general : The eye-pits of old Horses are com- 

 monly hollow; but that mark is equivocal, young Horses, begot by 

 old stallions, having them also hollow. t The teeth afford the best 

 criterion of the age of Horses. The Horse has, in all, forty teeth ; 

 viz., twenty-four grinders, four canine teeth or tusks, and twelve fore 

 teeth. Mares have either no tusks, or very short ones. Five days 

 after birth, the four teeth in front begin to shoot : these are called 

 nippers, and are cast at the age of two years and a half: they are 

 soon renewed: and the next year, he again casts two above, and two 

 below, one on each side of the nippers. At four years and a half, 

 other four fall out, next those last placed : these last four foal teeth 

 are succeeded by other four, which grow much more slowly than the 



