536 
THE STUD OF A COURDISH CHIEF. 
in itself is preferable to the pure Persian race for positive service. 
It is of a larger size ; standing commonly from fifteen to sixteen 
hands high; and has also the advantage considerably in bone, as 
well as being inexhaustible under fatigue: its powers of speed 
are very great. The Turcomans in the possession of the Khan 
are a mixed breed, half Persian blood ; by which cross their 
figure is improved, though not their virtues. The Turcoman 
horse is scanty in barrel, has long legs, very often ewe necks, 
and always large heads; but the creature got from a fine Persian 
mare, is a most magnificent looking animal. A fine pure 
blooded horse from Turcomania, is worth two or three hundred 
tom aims. Arabian horses are not very common in the north of 
Persia; but the breed between them and a Persian mare is all 
elegance and elasticity, being of a rather stronger mould than 
the Arab of Nidjed, the best race of the country. The Persian 
horses never exceed fourteen, or fourteen and a half hands; yet, 
certainly, in the whole, are taller than the Arabs. Those of the 
desert, and country about Hillah, run very small, but are full of 
bone and of good speed. General custom feeds and waters 
them only at sun-rise and at sun-set, when they are cleaned. 
Their usual provender is barley, and chopped straw, which, if 
the animals are picqueted, is put into a nose-bag and hung from 
their heads; but if stabled, it is thrown into a small lozenge¬ 
shaped hole left in the thickness of the mud wall for that pur¬ 
pose, but much higher up than the line of our mangers, and 
there the animal eats at his leisure. Hay is a kind of food not 
known here. The bedding of the horse consists of his dung, 
after having been carefully exposed to the drying effects of the 
sun during the day; it then becomes quite pulverised, and in 
that state is nightly spread under him. Little of it touches his 
