H O R S E. 
372 
that period, to the middle.of the eighteenth century, the 
fyftem of renovation, from a croft with different foreign 
llocks, has been occasionally adopted, particularly by 
Arabian and Barbary ftallions with well-fa(hioned mares; 
the confequence of which has been, a decided fuperiority 
over the parent-dock, from whatever country; and an 
improved breed of our own, of all denominations, of lu- 
perior fpeed, power, and utility. 
The horfes of this country, in confequence of thefe im¬ 
provements in the art of breeding, have long fmee ar¬ 
rived at the higheft point of perfection of which they can 
be capable, in the admired qualities of fpeed and ftrength ; 
for we have no reafon to believe that the fpeed, ftrength, 
and continuance, of Childers and Eclipfe as gallopers; of 
Archer, and one or two others, as trotters; or the powers 
of certain draft-horfes, which have drawn fuch immenfe 
weights, and repeated lb many dead pulls ; can or will ever 
be excelled. It feems not to be within the compafs of 
thofe powers of aftion which nature has bellowed upon 
the horfe, to gallop a mile in left time than a minute; or to 
trot the fame dillance in lei's than three minutes, bating a 
few feconds. But animals, capable of fuch extraordinary 
feats, to be found perhaps no where elfe upon the face of 
the habitable globe, have neverthelefs been rare even in 
England; in lhort, this feems to be the ne plus ultra, to 
which the perfeftions of the horfe can poflibly be brought. 
Of BREEDING. 
In the technical phrafeology appropriated to this fub- 
jeft, a bred horfe is underllood to be defeended in full pe¬ 
digree from the pure Arabian, or oriental blood; and the 
degrees of its commixture with the common breed of this 
country, are fignified by the terms, three-parts bred, half- 
bred, or having a Jhozu of blood. The charafteriftic figns 
of blood, are iinenefs of ikin and hair, fymmetry, and re¬ 
gularity of proportions; length; flatnefs, and depth, par¬ 
ticularly in the (houlder and girting-place ; fwell of the 
mufcles, and Ihow of fubftance in the fore-arms and 
thighs ; leannefs and fymmetry of the head, large and 
bright eyes, patterns fomewhat longer, and more inclin¬ 
ing than common to deer-like hoofs. Of thefe a horfe 
will generally partake in proportion to his degree of 
blood ; and it has of late years been found, that by in- 
fufing certain; degrees of oriental blood into the fturdy 
mares of our northern counties, the moll valuable im¬ 
provements have been made in draft-horfes. From thefe 
well-known facts, it might be a confederation worthy the 
notice of thole noble and judicious perfons who are en¬ 
gaged in breeding race-horfes, whether it might not be an 
acquifition of great private emolument, as well as of. na¬ 
tional advantage, to import, at any expence, frelh ftallions 
into this country from the purelt Hock in Arabia. The 
Arabs pretend to have pedigrees of their pure mountain- 
breed, for a feries of upwards of two thouland years palt; 
but whether thefe records accord with truth, or not, is 
of little moment, lince the experience of both ancient 
and modern times has proved them to be of fuperior 
form and qualification to all other horfes in the world. In 
very remote ages, as well as at the prefent time, the breed 
of the Arabian horfes was fought for and difperfed over 
aimoil all Alia, and part of Africa; and at length fome few 
individuals found their way into this country; to which 
we are indebted not only for our belt racing blood, but 
for that great fuperiority in horfes which we fo eminent¬ 
ly pofl'efs over all the nations of Europe. But to make 
the number and variety of our horfes Hill more extenfive, 
it might prove a valuable acquisition to import Xrabian 
marts ; the produce of which, croffed with the bell Eng- 
lilh ftallions, and invigorated by our hardy climate, might 
yield a bre d of the firit utility, and of the highell degree 
of general excellence. 
Niebuhr in his Travels through Arabia, gives the fol¬ 
lowing account of their horles : Of all their domeftic 
animals, it is well known that the Arabians put the great- 
eft value on their horles. Of thefe they have two great 
branches, the Kadifchi , vvliofe defcent.is unknown, and 
the Kochlani, of whom a written genealogy has been kept 
for upwards of two thouland years. The Kadifchi are in 
no better eftimation than our European horfes, and are 
ufually employed in bearing burthens, and in ordinary 
labour; but the Kochlani are referved for riding foleiyi 
They are highly elleemed, and conlequently veiy dear. 
They are faid to derive their orgin from king Solomon’s 
duds. However this may be, they are fit to bear the 
greatefc fatigues, and can pals whole days without food. 
They are alfo faid to manifell uncommon courage againft 
an enemy. It is even alferted, that when a horfe of this 
breed finds himlelf wounded, and unable to bear his rider 
much longer, he retires from the fray, and conveys him 
to a place of fecurity. If the rider falls upon the ground, 
his horfe remainsTefide him, and neighs till afiiitance is 
brought. 
“The Kochlani are bred chieflv by the Bedouins fet¬ 
tled between Bafra, Merdin, and Syria, in which coun¬ 
tries the nobility never choofe to ride horles of any other 
breed. The whole race is divided into feveral families, 
each of which has its proper name: That of Dsjufa feems 
to-be the moll numerous. Some of thefe families of 
horfes have a higher reputation than others, on account 
of their more ancient and uncontaminated nobility. The 
Arabians, indeed, have no tables of their genealogy ; yet 
they are fure of the legitimacy of the progeny ; for a 
mare of this race is never covered unlefs in the prefence 
of witnelfes, who mull be Arabians. There has never 
been known an inftance of falfe teftimony being given in. 
refpeft to the defeent of a horfe. Every Arabian is per- 
fuaded that himfelf and his whole family would be ru¬ 
ined, if he Ihould prevaricate in giving his oath in an af¬ 
fair of fuch confequence. 
“ A Chriftian, having a Kochlani mare whom he willies 
to have covered by a ftallion of the fame race, is obliged 
to employ an Arabian witnefs, who mull watch the mare 
twenty days, to be fure that Ihe has been defiled by the 
embraces of no common horfe. During all this time, Hie 
muft not<fee either horfe or afs, even at a dillance. When 
the mare produces her foal, the fame Arabian muft be 
prefent; and, within the firft feven days, a certificate of 
the legitimate birth of the foal is made. If there hap¬ 
pens to be a crofting of the two breeds, the foal, whether 
the fire or the dam be Kochlani, is always efteemed only 
as a Kadifchi. 
“The Arabians make no fcruple of felling their Koch- 
lani ftallions like other horfes; but they are unwilling to 
part with their mares. When not in a condition to lup- 
port them, they difpofe of them to others, on the terms 
of having a (hare in the foals, or of being at liberty to re¬ 
cover them, after a certain time. An Englilh merchant 
was offered at Bengal twice the purcliafe money he had 
given for one of thefe horles; but he lent him to Eng¬ 
land, where lie hoped that he would draw four times the 
original price.” 
The horle next in eftimation to the Arabian, is the 
mountain Barb. This approximation arifes from limila- 
rity of climate, aided by the drift attention to pedigree 
which is invariably obferved by all the breeders in Bar- 
bary. The mountain Barb is left than the Arabian, very 
deep chefted, beautifully (leek and filky, but rather of an 
afinine appearance about the head. If genuine, he gets 
llout and fleet runners, of true bottom. 
With an adequate number of mares, and only a few 
ftallions, whether Arabs or Barbs, nothing further would 
be requilite to infure fuccefs, than to transfer the fcience 
of breeding from ignorant and brutilh hands, to more 
humane and intelligent perfons. There are, indeed, 
many dilcouraging cirCumftances attendant on the bed- 
concerted breeding-plan, exclulive of the great capital re¬ 
quired to carry it into efteft ; and it is a bufinefs which 
requires unceafing attention, or it is fure to fail, particu¬ 
larly when entrulted aimoil wholly to ignorant grooms. 
Yet thefe deprefling circumftances will have little weight, 
when 
