THE ARABIAN HORSE. 



The Arabians, who may be laid to be born' horfemen, differ very much 

 from the Europeans in their mode of riding, dreffmg, and feeding this noble 

 animal. Their ordinary food is cut Itraw, with a little barley once or twice 

 a day ; and, if it is to be procured, they turn them to grafs one month in the 

 year, which is generally about March ; fometimes they give them dates and 

 Camel's milk. They think that hay, given them at random, makes them 

 large-bellied and unhealthy. They feldom ride them before they have 

 attained the age of two years and a half, until which period they fuffer them 

 to fuck the Camels. Before this age they never put either faddle or bridle 

 on them ; but, after that period, the Arabian Horfes Hand faddled at the 

 doors of the tents every day, from morning to night. They drefs them 

 morning and evening with fo much care and regularity, that not a fpot is to 

 be feen on their Ikin ; they warn their legs, mane, and tail ; the latter, they 

 fuffer to grow long, and feldom comb it, for fear of breaking the hairs. 

 They flain their manes and tails of a yellowiih red, with a powder ufed by 

 the men and women to colour their hair and beards. They cut the manes of 

 tlie Toals when they are a year or eighteen months old, to make them grow 

 thick. They generally ride upon the Mares, having learned by experience, 

 that they endure hunger, thirtl, and fatigue, much better than Horfes ; they 

 are alfo lefs vicious, ,and will not hurt each other, although they are left 

 together in great numbers for many days. The faddle they ufe is a fimple 

 pannel, firm and light, detached from the pads made of foft felt, which jut 

 out a little, and are fo well fitted to the back, that they feldom wring the 

 Horfe, even in the longeft journies. They ride with their Itirrups much 

 ihorter than the Europeans, which they fay, gives them more power and 

 firmnefs, and is alfo lefs fatiguing. In the education they give their Horfes, 

 they do not neglect to teach them elegance and grace ; but they lay much 

 greater lirels on what is effentially ufeful and beneficial to the warrior. 



The Arabs have no houfes, but conflantly live in tents, which ferve them 

 alfo for liables : the hulband, wife, and children lie promifcuonny with the 

 Mare and Foal ; who, infiead of hurting the children, fuffer them to lie on 

 their bodies and necks, without in the ieaft incommoding them ; nay, the 



