188 
ON ARABIAN HORSES. 
bly be made, by exhausting all the resources of the Asiatic style, 
is unquestionably that which occurs in the collection of fugitive 
pieces of Ghefoori, a Persian poet but little known, but whose 
elegant and fertile muse might rival those of Nizami and Anwari. 
‘ This courser,’ he observes, * is so full of mettle, that one might 
say it was quicksilver that flowed in his veins. At the sight of 
his graceful and elegant figure, the antelope hangs its head in 
modest confusion ; the warlike leopard would exchange the ter¬ 
rible claws with which he is armed for his hoofs; like the earth 
itself, always well-poised in his motions, not less rapid than the 
torrent which has forced its bounds, he equals fire in ardour, and 
wind in swiftness. His forehead, shaded with a fore-top which 
Aurora seems to have taken delight in painting with her own 
delicate hand, is the seat of pride. Audacity sparkles like light¬ 
ning in his looks ; his nostrils are inflamed ; he has the courage 
of the lion, the docility of the dog, and the strength of the 
elephant.’ 
Horse racing was much in vogue amongst the ancient Arabs, 
as it is still amongst their descendants; but the national and 
solemn exercises, denominated Messabeka, have at all times oc¬ 
casioned bloody quarrels between the tribes, whose chiefs upon 
those occasions disputed the honour of pre-eminence. Horseraces^ 
existed in Persia, and do so still, under the name of Ashdivani. 
The present Shah, who has a numerous stud, usually attends 
them ; his favourite horses appear first in the list, mounted by 
young and elegant jockeys; and he proclaims the conquerors, 
distributing the customary prizes with his own hand. 
The Persian and Turkoman horses, whose figures are much 
alike, differ from the Arabians in this, that they are more corpu¬ 
lent and their coat is not so soft to the touch. Moreover, it is an 
opinion pretty generally received in the East, that the latter are 
specially distinguished from the others by the repugnance they 
evince towards clear water, whilst that which is turbid pleases 
them to such a degree, that they never fail to prance about in any 
they may pass through. 
The finest horses of Arabia are now met with amongst the 
Anazes, and particularly amongst the Rovalas, a principal branch 
of the great tribe of the desert; those cf Persia in Khorasan; 
those of the Kurds on the northern and eastern frontiers of the 
same kingdom, and those of the Turkomans towards the shores 
of the Caspian Sea and in Syria. 
“ Speaking of horsemen, it is proverbially said, the Arab is 
without grace, he mounts mechanically ; the Persian is dexterous 
and impetuous; the Kurd awkward but intrepid; and the 
Turkoman [)roiid and terrible.” 
