THE HORSE TRIBE 179 
As a race-horse, one enthusiast 
assures us, the Arab is superior to 
every other natural breed; he is 
beaten only by his own half-breed 
offspring —the English Race-horse. 
But this seems to be rather an over- 
estimate. 
The colour of the Arab varies; 
white is the most highly esteemed, 
but bay and chestnut are common, 
black being rare. Strange as it may 
seem, the white breed is never born 
white. 
The great affection of the Arab 
for his horse is proverbial. The 
following story is certainly worth 
repeating: ‘ The whole stock of an 
Arab of the desert consisted of a 
mare. The French Consul offered to 
purchase her, in order to send her 
to his sovereign, Louis XIV. The 
Arab would have rejected the pro- 
posal; but being miserably poor, with 
scarcely a rag to cover him, his wife 
and children starving, he was tempted 
greatly. At length he yielded. He 
brought the mare to the consul’s 
house, and stood leaning on her neck, 
in 
Photo by I, Fail 
HACKNEY AND FOAL 
Ai specimen of the English carriage-horse 
PERCHERON HORSE 
Re 
and looking, now at the gold, and now 
at the horse. The gold was good to 
look upon; it would make him rich 
for life. Turning at last to his 
favourite, he said: ‘To whom is it 
I am going to yield thee up? To 
Europeans, who will tie thee close, 
who will beat thee, who will make 
thee miserable. Return with me, my 
beauty, my jewel, and rejoice the 
hearts of my children.’ At the last 
of these words he sprang upon her 
back, and was in a few moments out 
of sight.” 
THE BARB 
This is an African breed, which, 
like the generality of African horses, 
is distinguished from those of Asia 
by its long limbs and small girth 
at the loins, thus resembling the 
foals of other breeds. It displays 
great powers of enduring hunger and 
