THE ARABIAJT. 
429 
spiration incidental to a warm climate. The consequence is, 
that the horses of those and other countries with similar 
pasturage, are completely free from the strangles and other 
glandular diseases, which are so frequent and fatal to those 
of Europe. 
The pure Arabian is considerably smaller than our race¬ 
horse, seldom exceeding fourteen hands two inches in height. 
His head is very beautiful, clean, and wide between. the 
jaws; the forehead broad and square ; the face flat; the 
muzzle short and fine; the nostrils large and open ; the 
eyes prominent and brilliant; the ears small and hand¬ 
some ; the skin of the head thin, through which may be 
distinctly traced the whole of the veins ; the neck rather 
short than otherwise. The body, as a whole, may be con¬ 
sidered too light, and the breast rather narrow ; but behind 
the fore legs, the chest generally swells out greatly, and 
with much depth of ribs, leaving ample room for the lungs 
to play ; the shoulder is superior to that of any other 
breed ; the scapula, or shoulder-blade, inclines backward, 
nearly at an angle of forty-five degrees ; the withers are 
high and arched ; the neck beautifully curved ; the mane 
and tail long, thin, and flowing ; the legs fine, flat, and wiry, 
with the flanks placed somewhat oblique, which has led 
some to suppose that their strength was thereby diminished ; 
but this is by no means the case : the bone is of uncommon 
density, and the prominent muscles of the fore-arms and 
thighs prove that the Arabian horse is fully equal to all 
that has been said of his powers. The Arabian is never 
known in a tropical climate to be a roarer, or to have curbs ; 
the shape from the point of the hock to the fetlock being 
very perfect. It is a remarkable fact that the skin of all 
the light-coloured Arabians is either pure black or bluish 
black, which gives to white horses that beautiful silvery 
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