31) FOREIGN BREEDS OF HORSES. 



Vast numbers of horses and sheep are reared in the plains of Oircassia, and they 

 and the slaves which are made in their excursions, form the principal articles of 

 the commerce of the natives. Almost every family of distinction aims at pos- 

 sessing a peculiar breed of horses, excelling, in their estimation, that of any 

 other tribe. Each breed is distinguished by its peculiar mark, to forge or to place 

 which on an inferior breed, would be punished with death. The most valuable 

 breed of all is in the possession of the reigning family, and its distinguishing mark 

 is a full horse-shoe. These horses possess considerable strength and speed. 



THE EAST INDIAN HORSE. 



We will now travel farther eastward, and examine the breeds of horses in our 

 Indian possessions. They are small, and, although some have considerable 

 endurance and courage, they wear the general character of degeneracy from a 

 nobler stock. First in value is the Toorky, originally from a Toorkoman and a 

 Persian, beautiful in his form, graceful in his action, and docile in his temper. 

 When skilfully managed his carriage is stately and grand. His spirit rising as 

 his exertions are required, he exhibits to his beholders an appearance of fury in 

 the performance of his task, yet preserving to his rider the utmost playfulness 

 and gentleness. They are usually from fourteen to fifteen hands high, and have 

 the common defect of the East India horse — smallness and length of bone 

 below the knees and about the hocks. 



Next comes the Iranee, well limbed, and his joints closely knit, and particu- 

 larly powerful in the quarters, but with large head, and hanging ears, and 

 deficiency of spirit. 



The gentle and docile Cozdkee is deep in the girth, powerful in the fore-arm, 

 but with large head and cat-hammed ; hardy, and calculated for long journeys 

 and severe service. 



The Mqjinniss have spirit, beauty, speed, and perseverance. 



The Taxsee is slight, hollow-backed, and, for that reason perhaps, deficient 

 in strength. His hind legs are ill placed, and dragged as it were behind him, and 

 he is stubborn and irritable, yet this horse is sought after on account of the 

 peculiar easiness of his paces, a matter of no small consideration where the heat 

 is so great and the slightest exertion fatiguing. 



A sale of horses near the Company's stud, at Hissar, is thus described by an 

 excellent judge : — " Not less than one thousand horses were shown. They were 

 all above fourteen hands and a half in height, high-crested, and showy-looking 

 animals. The great defect seemed a want of bone below the knee, which is 

 general to all the native horses throughout India ; and also so great a tendency 

 to fullness in the hocks, that, in England, it would be thought half of them had 

 blood spavins." 



There are other studs in different parts of the country, in which some valu- 

 able stallions are kept for the purpose of improving the various Indian breeds. 

 Almost all of them have a greater or lesser portion of Arabian blood in them, 

 which gives them the appearance of good cavalry horses, but renders them inferior 

 to the Arabians generally in swiftness and always in endurance. For this reason 

 the native cavalry are principally mounted on Arabian horses, which are brought 

 in great numbers, but of no considerable value, from Arabia and Syria. 



It may be readily supposed that it was not long before races were established 

 in the East Indies, and that they .were properly patronised by the government. 

 They were, however, confined almost entirely to the Arabian horses, for those 

 of half blood were manifestly inferior to them. 



In 1828, Recruit, by Whalebone, a horse of some celebrity at the time, was 

 sent out to Calcutta. This was deemed a proper opportunity to decide the 

 question of superiority between the pure Arab, and the true English racing 



