XITL-PERSIA. 



[Froin'-Zurhtuiiil Romoiitininsiili-r 3IiIit;ir-I'f. nU' allcrStiiiitcii," by Dr. PiUil Goldbeck, Bialiu, 1901.] 



Persia, renowned from time immemorial for her horses, 

 still possesses an excellent supply of them. The shah and 

 noblemen of the country each keep a number of studs, in 

 which, however, only the horses needed by the court are bred. 

 The principal wealth of horses lies with the tribes of nomads, 

 who follow the same methods of horse breeding as the Arabs. 

 The Persian thoroughbred is very nearly related to the Arab, 

 but is more slender in build. 



The Persian cavalry, excluding the three Cossack regiments 

 under Russian command, stationed in Teheran, and the body- 

 guard of the shah (about 1,200 cavalrymen), consists of irregu- 

 lar troops. There are said to be 125 squadrons of cavalry. 

 The artillery is said to consist of 20 batteries. In the cavalry 

 each trooper is obliged to furnish his own horse and equipment. 

 Russian horses have been introduced experimentally for artil- 

 lery purposes, but balk on long grades. It is very difficult to 

 find suitable draft horses in the country. Horses become un- 

 serviceable usually at the age of 12 years, though Arabian 

 horses attain ages of 18 to 20 years in spite of their rough 

 usage. The ration consists of G.61 pounds of barley for sad- 

 dle horses, 8.82 to 11.02 pounds of barley for draft horses, and 

 for each also 13.23 pounds of straw and (3.61 pounds of hay. 

 The barley is fed half in the morning and half in the evening. 

 In May all dry feed is withheld from the animals, and they 

 are given grass and hay without limit. During the last days 

 of May a little barley is added and then dry forage is resumed. 



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