CHAPTER II. 



' THE ARABIAN HORSE. 



Mahomet its founder — Foundation mares for Mahomet's stud — Beautiful 

 points of the Arabian — The Arabian the foundation of the Thorough- 

 bred horse — Arabian blood in the Percheron, Morgan, and Narragan- 

 sett pacer — Six distinct breeds in Arabia — History of the Lindsey's 

 Arabian — Imported Grand Bashaw — Imported Ishmael Pasha — The 

 Arabian in Kentucky — Difficulty of obtaining good specimens in 

 Arabia. 



THE greater portion of Arabia is illy adapted to the rais- 

 ing of good horses, and previous to the days of Mahomet 

 horses were scarcely recognized as a part of the possessions of 

 the Arab, their riches consisting chiefly in camels, oxen, sheep, 

 and goats; but Mahomet was an enthusiastic lover of the 

 horse, and it appears a thorough horseman, and while he 

 succeeded in engrafting upon so large a portion of the Eastern 

 world his own peculiar religious tenets, he also imbued his fol- 

 lowers in a great degree with his enthusiastic admiration of the 

 horse. Kindness to and love for. this noble animal was made 

 a part of the religious duty of all true followers of this great 

 Oriental prophet. 



Mahomet, it appears, was not only a sanguine lover, but a 

 great improver as well, of the horse, thus placing himself 

 on record as the first successful breeder of blood horses in 

 history. From the days of Mahomet down to the present 

 time the Arab has held his stud, and especially his mares, in a 

 sort of superstitious reverence. Mahomet, during his life, had 

 accumulated for himself, by careful selection and breeding, the 

 most magnificent stud in the whole known world ; and to this 

 day his followers seek to trace the genealogy of their choicest 

 stock to the mares that were his favorites. There is a tradition 



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