THE MODERN ARAB. 39 



horse ; while both bones are generally better furnished with mus- 

 cles, better developed, and feel firmer to the hand. But some of 

 the very fastest Arabs have their fore legs very much under them ; 

 indeed, so much that no judge would buy an English horse so 

 made. Yet, whether it be that this form admits of the joints 

 between these bones becoming more opened, when the horse 

 extends himself, or whatever be the cause, it is a fact that blood- 

 horses thus made are almost always fast horses. The upper part 

 of their shoulder-blade seems to run back under the front part of 

 the saddle, when they are going their best. This formation is 

 most common in the lower-sized Arab, and apparently makes up 

 to him for his deficiency in height. The very finest-actioned 

 Arabs have had this peculiarity of form. They are rather apt 

 to become chafed at the elbow-points by the girths, and almost 

 require to have saddles made on purpose for them. The elbow- 

 point, that essential bone, which for the sake of leverage should 

 be prominent, is fine in the Arab, and generally plays clear of the 

 body. The fore-arm is strong and muscular, and is pretty long; 

 the knee square, with a good speedy cut for the size of the animal, 

 equal to the English horse; while below the knee the Arab shines 

 very conspicuously, having a degree of power there, both in the 

 suspensory ligaments and flexor tendons, far superior, in proportion 

 to his size, to the English horse. These are distinct and away 

 from the shank-bone ; they give a very deep leg, and act mechani- 

 cally to great advantage. The bone looks small, but then it is 

 very dense, the hollow which contains the marrow being very 

 small, and the material solid, more like ivory than bone, heavy, 

 and close-grained. The flexor tendons are nearly as large and as 

 thick as the canna bone. The pasterns and their joints are quite 

 in keeping with the bones above them, and are not so long, straight, 

 and weak as those of the English horse. The feet are generally 

 in the same proportion : but the Arabs themselves appear to be 

 very careless in their treatment of them. The body or centre piece 

 of the Arab horse has rarely too great length. This is a very 

 uncommon fault in the pure breed ; and there is no breed of horses 

 that are more even in this respect than the Arab. Behind this, 

 we come to a great peculiarity in the breed — his croup. I might 

 say an Arab horse is known by it : he is so much more beautifully 

 made in his hind quarters, and in the way his tail is put on, than 

 most other breeds. His loins are good ; he is well coupled ; his 

 quarters are powerful, and his tail carried high ; and this even in 

 castes that have very little more than a high-bred stallion to recom- 

 mend them. The straight-dropped hind leg is always a recom- 

 mendation, and almost all racing Arabs have it; and this, when 

 extended, brings the hind foot under the stirrup, and the pro- 

 pellers being of this shape give a vast stride, without fear of over- 



