36 THE HORSE. 



though narrow, well united to the back by a rounded mass of pow- 

 erful muscles. The croup is high, and the tail set on with a con- 

 siderable arch. The bones of the legs are large in proportion to 

 the size, and the tendons full and free, the suspensory ligaments 

 being particularly strong and clean. The hocks are large and free 

 both from curbs and spavins; and, lastly, the feet, though small, 

 are sound, and capable of bearing an amount of battering which 

 few well-bred English horses can sustain. The prefixed engraving 

 of " Chaban," an Arabian stallion, shows most of these points 

 extremely well, and the general characteristics of the breed are 

 particularly well indicated by the artist, who took the sketch from 

 a celebrated Arabian of high caste in the stud of the King of 

 Wurtcmburg. 



From the full development of the brain in this breed it 

 might be expected d priori, that the amount of intelligence and 

 courage possessed by them would be far above the average ; and 

 such is the result of experience. Most of them are extremely 

 docile, and in their native plains, where they pass their lives in 

 constant communion with their masters, they are possessed of fine 

 tempers ; but if they are highly fed, and at the same time deprived 

 of exercise and cruelly treated, their nervous system is so sensitive 

 that they rebel, and when they fight they persevere to the death. 

 A vicious Arabian is, therefore, a very unmanageable brute, and 

 difficult to cure of his bad propensities. Good treatment, however, 

 has its effect upon him, and when he once shows his forgiveness he 

 may be depended on by the individual that he takes into his good 

 graces. This trait has been well exemplified in the savage Arabian 

 lately tamed by Mr. Rarey, and in a still more marked manner in 

 former years in the ease of Chillaby, who was, if possible, more 

 savage than Cruiser, and yet was so completely tamed by Hughes, 

 the celebrated circus-horse trainer, that he was able to exhibit him 

 as a trained horse, and was never once disappointed by him. This 

 is. I believe, more than Mr. Rarey can say of the above well-known 

 savage horse, which was one of the first he operated on in this 

 country. 



The food of this kind of horse is of a very dry though nour- 

 ishing nature, and neither when at liberty nor when tied up can 

 he get much water, the prevalent opinion being that an unlimited 

 supply of this fluid injures his shape, and interferes with his wind. 

 It is said that the Arab horse is only fed twice a-day ; but I con- 

 clude that this only refers to his allowance of corn, and that in 

 the intervals he is permitted to pick up what little dry herbage 

 the soil affords. Wonderful stories are told of the distances which 

 young colts are compelled to go when first mounted, but I confess 

 that 1 look with great suspicion upon these travellers' tales. About 

 five nr six pounds of barley or beans, or a mixture of the two, con- 



