AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
77 
in speed, but far inferior in endurance. The whole frame 
is more developed than in the Arabian, and is about four- 
teen to fourteen and a half hands high. 
The Toorkoman Horse. 
Turkistan is that part of South Tartary, north-east of 
the Caspian Sea, and has been celebrated from very early 
times, for producing a pure and valuable breed of Horses. 
They are called Toorkomans. They are said to be pre- 
ferable even to the pure Persians, for service. They are 
large, standing from fifteen to sixteen hands high, swift, 
and inexhaustible under fatigue. Some of them have tra- 
velled nine hundred miles in eleven successive days. They, 
however, are somewhat too small in the barrel, too long in 
the legs, — occasionally ewe-necked, and always have a 
head out of proportion large: yet, such are the good 
qualities of the Horse, that one of the pure blood is worth 
two or three hundred pounds, even in that country. 
The Tartar and Calmucfc Horse. 
The Horses of the other parts of Tartary, comprehend- 
ing the immense plains of Central Asia, and a considera- 
ble part of European Russia, are little removed from a 
wild state: they are small and badly made; but capable 
of supporting the longest and most rapid journey, on the 
scantiest fare. The foals, from the earliest period, are 
exposed to the inclemency of the weather, have little to 
eat, and follow their dams in the longest excursions, and, 
therefore, soon acquire a very great power of sustaining 
fatigue. They must be hardy for another reason. The 
Tartars live much on the flesh of Horses, and, consequently, 
those animals that are unable to support the labour of their 
frequent rapid emigrations are soon destroyed, and only 
the more vigorous preserved. 
The Horses, which range at large over the plains, are 
divided into herds, at the head of which are placed two 
stallions, who carefully prevent them from intermingling 
with each other, and it is rarely that a foal is lost. On the 
approach of a strange herd, the stallions drive their own 
into a close body, place themselves in front, and, if neces- 
sary, attack and drive off the others. As the stallion-foals 
grow up, they are driven away from the herd, and are 
seen straggling about at a distance, until they are strong 
enough to form herds of wild mares for themselves. 
The Turkish Horse. 
The Turkish Horses are descended principally from the 
Arab, crossed by the Persian and certain other bloods. 
The body, however, is even longer than the Arabian’s, 
U 
and the crupper more elevated. They have contributed 
materially to the improvement of the English breed. The 
Byerley and the Helmsley Turk are names familiar to 
every one conversant with Horses, and connected with the 
best blood. 
The learned and benevolent Busbequius, who was am- 
bassador at Constantinople in the seventeenth century, 
gives the following account of the Turkish Horses. Our 
grooms, and their masters too, may learn a lesson of wis- 
dom and humanity from his words. 
‘ There is no creature so gentle as a Turkish Horse, 
nor more respectful to his master, or the groom that dresses 
him. The reason is, because they treat their Horses with 
great lenity. I myself saw, when I was in Pontus, pass- 
ing through a part of Bithinia called Axilos, towards 
Cappadocia, how indulgent the countrymen were to young 
colts, and how kindly they used them soon after they were 
foaled. They would stroke them, bring them into their 
houses, and almost to their tables, and use them even like 
children. They hung something like a jewel about their 
necks, and a garter, which was full of amulets against poi- 
son, which they are most afraid of. The grooms that dress 
them are as indulgent as their masters; they frequently 
sleek them down with their hands, and never use a cudgel 
to bang their sides, but in cases of necessity. This makes 
their Horses great lovers of mankind, and they are so far 
from kicking, wincing, or growing untractable by this 
gentle usage, that you will hardly find a masterless Horse 
amongst them. 
‘ But, alas ! our Christian grooms’ horses go on at ano- 
ther rate. They never think them rightly curried till they 
thunder at them with their voices, and let their clubs or 
horse-whips, as it were, dwell on their sides. This makes 
some Horses even tremble when their keepers come into 
their stable; so that they hate and fear them too. But the 
Turks love to have their Horses so gentle, that at the 
word of command they may fall on their knees, and in 
this position receive their riders. 
1 They will take up a staff or club upon the road with 
their teeth, which their rider has let fall, and hold it up to 
him again ; and when they are perfect in this lesson, then, 
for credit, they have rings of silver hung on their nostrils 
as a badge of honour and good discipline. I saw some 
Horses when their master was fallen from the saddle, stand 
stock still, without wagging a foot till he got up again. 
Another time I saw a groom standing at a distance in the 
midst of a whole ring of horses, and, at the word of com- 
mand, they would either go round or stand still. Once 
I saw some Horses when their master was at dinner with 
me in an upper room, prick up their ears to hear his voice, 
and when they did so they neighed for joy.’ 
