THE BARB 15 



same rule applys to the various countries of Asia, as well 

 as in North and South America. Of all foreign horses, 

 however, as already mentioned, none, whatever their estim- 

 able qualities, may be compared with the Barb in interest 

 to the people of the British Isles, as it is to that original 

 breed that we are indebted to the improvement of our own 

 coarser horse. Barbary may be considered as comprising 

 all North Africa, from Egypt westward. Here was found 

 that illustrious breed in question, and which figured as the 

 ancestor of our thoroughbreds. There have been many 

 importations of Barbs into this country, beginning, as 

 previously mentioned, in the year 1112, but the most 

 important has been that of the Godolphin Barb, which 

 began its career as a sire in the year 1731. 



The horse is much affected in character and form by the 

 agencies of food and climate, and it may be by other causes 

 unknown to us. It sustains the temperature of the most 

 burning regions. But there is a degree of cold at which 

 it cannot exist ; and as it approaches to this limit, its 

 temperament and external conformation is affected. In 

 Iceland, for instance, at the arctic circle, it has become a 

 dwarf. In Lapland, at latitude 65°, it has given place to 

 the rein-deer, and in other northern regions it has given 

 place to the dog. An interesting fact in connection with 

 this intelligent animal and the snowy regions, is, that if 

 turned out in the open, on snowy ground, even though for 

 the first time in its life, it will scrape the snow from the 

 ground in search of food — a thing that oxen and many 

 other animals seem not to have the intelligence to do. As 

 the horse approaches the limit of its natural habitat, it 

 loses much of the fiery spirit and swiftness which it 

 possesses in more genial climes. It may be hardy, sagacious, 

 and enduring ; but it generally needs the whip and the 

 spur, and is rarely roused to continued action by its own 

 natural energy and love of motion. 



The nature and abundance of its food, too, greatly affect 

 its character and form. A country of heaths and innu- 

 tritious herbs will not produce a horse so large and strong 

 as one of plentiful herbage. The horse of the mountains 

 will be smaller than that of the plains, the horse of the 

 sandy desert than that of the watered valley. By a com- 

 bination of these, and, it may be, of other less apparent 

 agencies, the horse, like other creatures formed for the 



