they are, on the other hand, very careful and particular in their choice
of the food, and above all of the water, they give to their horses. Many
a time during the early days of the conquest, while on an expedition,
after long marches in an intolerable heat, with a south wind blowing
that choked us and drove the dust and sand into our faces, when horse
and foot alike panting, exhausted, without power of motion, we delivered
ourselves up, worn out as we were, to a fatiguing sleep often
interrupted by the alerts caused by the enemy prowling around us—at such
a time I have seen the natives go a league from the bivouac in order to
water their horses at some pure spring known to themselves. They
preferred to risk their own lives to experiencing the pain of watering
their horses at the scanty rivulets in the encampment, quickly converted
into filthy drains by the trampling of men and beasts of burden.
It can hardly be necessary for me to dilate any farther on the hygiene
of the horse among the Arabs. Indeed, I could only repeat what I have
already said. It seems to me preferable to refer the reader to the
various details scattered through the preceding pages, and particularly
to the principles enunciated in the chapter on the education of the
colt. If I have made myself at all understood, I have shown how every
owner of a horse among the Arabs is an active, vigilant, I had almost
said devoted, master who watches and directs the progress, corrects the
defects, and perfects the qualities of his pupil from the very first
day. This education embraces every thing, including what I may fairly
call the moral faculties; and it augments, modifies, and improves the
physical qualities. Every thing is weighed and foreseen. The drink, the
diet, the exercise, the position in rest, the whole is graduated and
proportioned to age, place, and season; it is all the object of
incessant and sustained solicitude. Moreover, the grand principle, and I
myself think it a good one, seems to be to avoid, on one hand, excessive
fatness which is opposed to all energetic work, and, on the other, any
check to perspiration which is the cause of the greater number of
diseases. Once more, the question is not: is all this care well founded?
are they wrong, or are we mistaken? But after having propounded the
formula, that in the life of an Arab his most absorbing and almost
exclusive occupation is the rearing and training of his horse, I have
shown that the Arab is not guided by mere chance, that his is not a
blind, inconsiderate passion, as is supposed by those who see him from
afar and bestow only a glance on him. Any one who will study him
perseveringly, who will examine him, as it were, under the microscope,
and analyse his daily acts and doings, will be forced to the conclusion
that he is guided by traditional and logical motives. In a word, this
education, this careful bringing up, of the horse is based upon fixed
and constant principles having for their aim to endow the animal with
spirit, bottom, and health. And what is this but hygiene?
The Arabs, says Ben-el-Ouardy, have always preferred good horses to
their own children, and they love so much to show them off on occasions
of rejoicing that they would deprive themselves of all nourishment
rather than see them suffer from hunger and thirst. In the arduous and
critical circumstances of life, especially in years of famine, they go
so far as to give them the preference over their own persons and
families. This is proved both by faithful narratives, and by the chaunts
composed by their poets. Witness the verses addressed by the learned
Ben-Sassa to the great tribe of the Beni-Aâmer.[47]
Beni-Aâmer, why do I behold your horses
Blemished and changed by misery?
Such a condition cannot be right for them.
Though death has an hour that no man can put back,
Horses are your safeguard:
Give them the good things you yourselves like best;
With pure barley fill their nose-bags,
And with iron furnish their hoofs.
Love horses, and take care of them;
In them alone lie honour and beauty.
In taking care of them, you take care of yourselves,
The Arab who has not a good horse can never aim at renown.
For my part, on this earth, I know no other happiness.
And had I hundreds of gold _soulthanis_.[48]
I should enjoy them only by sharing them with him.
I would also support my family with them,
And when they came to fail me,
I would humble my pride
Even to beg alms proudly for my friend.
All the treasures of Karoun,[49] without a horse,
Would not make me happy.
Does the north wind begin to blow,
Do the heavens open upon the earth,
Secure your horses from the cold rain.
Keep them warm, they deserve these attentions.
For sports, for war,
Adorn them with your richest saddles,
With bridles embroidered with gold, with superb garments,
And the Prophet will love you.
Sympathise, too, with, the mares of your poor dependents,
When in spite of all their efforts
They have not sufficed for their wants;
Bestow upon them a generous hospitality,
Share with them your ordinary food;
Associate them with your own families,
Many sins will be forgiven you.
The sabres are drawn,
The warriors are in their ranks,
The horse is about to become more precious than a wife.
The fire of battle is kindled,
I guide him into the midst of perils,
He protects me with his head, and his croup,
And makes my enemies to flee.
May Allah preserve this well-maned horse,
Whose eyes flash fire!
Love horses, take care of them,
In them alone lie honour and beauty.
In the Sahara, then, the horse is the noblest creature after man. The
most honourable occupation is to rear him, the most delightful pastime
is to mount him, the best of all actions is to tend him well.
The Arabs assert that they can tell beforehand, by certain methods, what
will be a colt's stature and character when he becomes a horse. These
methods vary in different localities, but those most generally adopted
are the following:—For the height, they take a cord, and passing it
behind the ears and the nape of the neck, they bring the two ends
together on the upper lip just below the nostrils. Having established
this measure, they apply it to the distance from the foot to the
withers. It is an article of belief that the colt will grow as high as
this last measurement out-tops the withers.
When it is desired to ascertain the value of a horse by his proportions,
they measure with the hand from the extremity of the dock to the middle
of the withers, and take note of the number of palms. They then begin
again from the middle of the withers to the extremity of the upper lip,
passing between the ears. If in the two cases the number of palms is
equal, the horse will be good, but of ordinary speed. If the number of
palms behind is greater than in front, the horse will have no "go" in
him. But if the number of palms between the withers and the extremity of
the upper lip is more considerable than in measuring from the tail to
the withers, rest assured the animal will have great qualities. The more
the number differs to the advantage of the forepart, the greater will be
the value of the horse. With such an animal, say the Arabs, they can
"strike afar"—go a long distance—thus expressing the pace and bottom
promised by such proportions. With a little practice they easily come to
judge by the eye so as to have no occasion to measure. While a horse is
passing they compare rapidly, starting from the withers, the hindpart
with the forepart, and without going into details the animal is judged.
REMARKS BY THE EMIR ABD-EL-KADER.
Passing before a horse the Prophet began to rub his face with his
sleeve, saying: "Allah has been wrathful with me because of horses."
"Felicity is attached to the forelocks of horses." And it is on their
account that their owners can reckon on the aid of Allah. Therefore it
is your duty to wipe their forelocks with your hands. A wise man has
said:—"The noble labours with his hands without a blush, in three cases;
for his horse, for his father, and for his guest."
One mode of judging of a horse is to measure him from the root of the
mane close to the withers and descend to the end of the upper lip
between the nostrils. They then measure from the root of the mane to the
end of the tail-bone, and if the forepart is longer than the hindpart
there is no doubt the horse will have excellent qualities. To ascertain
if a young horse will grow any more or not, the Arabs measure first from
the knee to the highest point situated in the prolongation of the limb
above the withers, then from the knee downwards to the beginning of the
hair above the coronet (to the crust of the hoof): if these two measures
are to one another as two-thirds to one-third, the horse will grow no
more. If this proportion does not exist, the animal has not done
growing, for it is absolutely necessary that the height from the knee to
the withers should represent in a full grown horse exactly double the
length of the leg from the knee to the hoof.
In the desert the curry-comb is never used, the horses are cleaned with
the nose-bag, which is made of horse hair, and are frequently washed if
the weather is favourable. Milk is their ordinary drink. Should it
happen to run short, the Arabs do not hesitate to go a considerable
distance to find clear and pure water for them. The barley ought to be
heavy, very clean, without any bad smell, and completely clear of the
impurities which are unavoidably mixed with it in the "silos." The
horses are covered with good _djellale_, which fully protect the loins,
the belly, and the chest. They are manufactured in the tribe. Those that
are made with care are water proof.
There are some coats which must be preserved with equal attention from
cold and from heat. Experience has demonstrated that this is necessary
for all horses of a light colour, beginning with the white, the fineness
of whose skin makes him very susceptible.
In the sun he melts like butter:
In the rain he melts like salt.
Coats of a dark colour do not need so many precautions. When it is very
hot or very cold, the horses are brought inside the tent. In the Sahara
the nights are always cool; in summer, as in winter, the animals must be
covered. Nothing is overlooked that may avert checked perspiration.
After a long journey the saddle is not removed until the horse is dry.
Nor do they give him any thing to eat until he has recovered the
regularity of his breathing, and for the most part they give him water
to drink with the bridle on. Lastly, the encamping grounds are
studiously selected. What is preferred is a dry ground, cleared of the
stones that might encumber it, on which the horse is placed so that the
forequarters shall be a little higher than the hind quarters, and facing
as much as possible the master of the tent, who watches him night and
day like one of his own children. To place a horse with his forequarters
lower than the hind quarters is to ruin his shoulders. Particular care
should always be taken of the _djellale_. A horseman is little respected
by the Arabs when it can be said of him:
His horse drinks troubled water,
And his covering is full of holes.
COATS.
The favourite coats are:—
The White: "Take the horse white as a silken flag, without spot, with
the circle of his eyes black."
The Black: "He must be black as a night without moon and stars."
The Bay: He must be nearly black, or streaked with gold. "The dark red
one said to the dispute, 'Stop there.'"
The Chestnut: "Desire a dark shade. When he flees beneath the sun, it is
the wind. The Prophet was partial to chestnuts."
The Dark Dappled-Gray, called "the grey of the wild pigeon," if
resembling the stone of the river.
He will fill the douar
When it is empty,
And will preserve us from the combat,
On the day when the muzzles of the guns touch each other.
The Grays are generally esteemed when the head is of a lighter colour
than the body.
The Green, or rather the yellow dun, which must be dark, with black tail
and mane.
White is the colour for princes, but does not stand heat. The black
brings good fortune, but fears rocky ground. The chestnut is the most
active. "If one tells you that he has seen a horse fly in the air, ask
of what colour he was; and if he replies: 'Chestnut,'—believe him." "In
a combat against a chestnut, you must have a chestnut." The bay is the
hardiest and most sober. "If one tells you that a horse has leaped to
the bottom of a precipice without hurting himself, ask of what colour he
was; and if he replies: 'Bay,'—believe him."
Ben Dyab, a renowned chief of the desert, who flourished in the year of
the Hijra 955, happening one day to be pursued by Saad-el-Zenaty, sheikh
of the Oulad-Yagoub, turned to his son and asked: "What horses are in
the front of the enemy?" "White horses," replied his son. "It is well;
let us make for the sunny side, and they will melt away like butter."
Some time afterwards Ben Dyab again turned to his son and said: "What
horses are in the front of the enemy?" "Black horses," cried his son.
"It is well; let us make for stony ground, and we shall have nothing to
fear—they are the negroes of the Soudan, who cannot walk with bare feet
upon the flints." He changed his course, and the black horses were
speedily distanced. A third time Ben Dyab asked: "And now, what horses
are in the front of the enemy?" "Dark chestnuts and dark bays." "In that
case," exclaimed Ben Dyab, "strike out, my children, strike out, and
give your horses the heel, for these might perchance overtake us had we
not given barley to ours all the summer through."
The coats despised are:
The Piebald: "Flee him like the pestilence, for he is own brother to the
cow."
The kouskoussou arrives when he is gone,
And he finds the dispute as soon as he arrives.
The Isabel, with white mane and tail; no chief would condescend to mount
such a horse. There are some tribes even that would not consent to allow
him to remain a single night with them. They call such a one _sefeur el
ihoudy_, "the Jew's yellow." It is a colour that brings ill luck.
The iron gray
And the Jew's yellow,
If his rider returns from the fight
Cut off my hand.
The Roan; this is called _meghedeur-el-deum_, "a pool of blood." The
rider is sure to be overtaken, but will never overtake.
The horse is to be valued that has no white spots except a star on the
forehead, or a simple white stripe down the face. The latter must
descend to the lips, and then the owner will never be in want of milk.
It is a fortunate mark. It is the image of the dawn. If the star is
truncated or has jagged edges, it is universally disliked, and if the
animal adds to that a white spot in front of the saddle no man in his
senses would mount it, nor would any judge of horse-flesh deign to
possess it. Such a horse is as fatal as a subtile poison. If a horse has
several white spots, three is the preferable number—one of the right
feet should be exempt, but it matters not whether it be behind or
before. It is a good sign to have stockings on both the off forefoot and
the near hindfoot. It is called,
The hand of the writer
And the foot of the horseman.
The master of such a horse cannot fail to be fortunate, for he mounts
and dismounts over white. The Arabs, it must be remembered, generally
mount on the off side and alight on the near side. Two hind stockings
are a sign of good fortune;
The horse with the white hind-feet,
His master will never be ruined.
It is the same with white forefeet—his master's face will never turn
yellow. Never buy a horse with a white face and four stockings, for he
carries his winding-sheet with him. The prejudices of the Arabs on the
subject of white spots are summed up in the following little story:
"An Arab had a blood mare. There was a dispute beforehand as to what her
foal would be. So when she was on the point of foaling he invited all
his friends to be present. The head first of all came in sight—it bore a
star. The Arab rejoiced. His horse would one day, outstrip the dawn, for
he had the mark on his forehead. Next appeared the near forefoot, when
the owner in ecstasy demanded one hundred _douros_ for the foal. The off
forefoot then showed itself with a stocking, and the price was reduced
to fifty douros. After that came the near hindfoot. It also had a
stocking, and the Arab overjoyed, swore that he would not part with his
foal for the whole world. But lo! the fourth foot presents itself
likewise with a stocking, when the dweller in the Sahara cast the animal
out, in his fury, on the refuse-heap, unable to bring himself to keep
such a brute."
A horse has forty white _Tufts_, of which twenty eight are generally
considered as being of neither good nor bad omen, while to the remaining
twelve a certain influence is attributed. It is agreed on all hands to
regard six of these as augmenting riches and bringing good fortune, and
the other six as causing ruin and adversity.
The tufts of good omen are:
The tuft that is between the two ears, _nekhlet el aâdar_, "the tuft of
the head stall": such a horse is swift in the race.
The tuft that grows on the lateral surface of the neck, _sebâa enneby_,
"the finger of the Prophet": the owner will die like a good Mussulman in
his bed.
The tuft of the Sultan, _nekhlet essoultan_. It runs along the whole
length of the neck, following the tracheal artery: love, riches, and
prosperity. The horse that bear this offers up three prayers every day:
"Allah grant that my master may look upon me as the most precious
possession he has in the world!"
"May Allah give unto him a happy lot, so that mine may benefit by it!"
"May Allah grant unto him the happiness of dying a martyr upon my back!"
The tuft on the chest, _zeradya_, fills the tent with plunder.
The tuft where the saddle-girths pass, _nekhlet el hazame_ multiplies
the flocks.
The tuft on the flank, _nekhlet eshebour_, "the tuft of the spurs." If
it is turned towards the back, it preserves the rider from misadventure
in war: if it is turned towards the belly, it is a sign of riches for
its master.
The following white tufts bring misfortune:
_Netahyat_, a tuft over the eyebrows: the master will die, shot through
the head.
_Nekhlet el nâash_, the coffin tuft, grows close to the withers and goes
down towards the shoulder. The rider will not fail to perish on the back
of such a horse.
_Neddabyat_, the mourners; a tuft on the cheek; debts, tears, ruin.
_Nekhlet el khriana_, the thieves' tuft. It is close to the fetlock
joint, and night and morning it prays: "O Allah! grant that I may be
stolen, or that my master may die!"
The tuft by the side of the tail announces trouble, misery, and famine.
The tuft on the inner part of the thigh: women, children, flocks, all
will disappear.
Such is the classification generally adopted. It is not, however,
absolute, for it varies according to localities, each tribe increasing
or diminishing the number of its lucky and unlucky tufts. It will be
seen that I have alluded only to the principal coats without entering
upon the gradation of shades, which would have carried me too far
astray. Making every allowance for prejudice and superstition, it is
clear that the Arabs are fond of dark and decided colours, while they
look upon light and faded colours, as well as white spots upon the head,
carcase, and limbs, if broad or long, as signs of weakness and
degeneracy of race. Every Arab has his own favourite coat. Some like
black horses and others gray, while others again affect bays or
chestnuts. Their preferences and antipathies are usually based on family
associations. With such a coat their ancestors achieved a brilliant
success—with such another they encountered a grievous calamity. They
will thus often refuse a good horse, without giving any other reason
than "It is not my colour."
REMARKS BY THE EMIR ABD-EL-KADER.
The horse the most esteemed is a black one with a star on his forehead
and white spots on his feet. Then comes the blood-bay, and after that
the dark chestnut. Horses of other coats are placed on the same line
with the exception of the piebald, with which the Arabs will have
nothing to do.
The Prophet has said: "If thou wouldst go to the war, purchase a horse
with a star on the forehead and stockings on all his legs with the
exception of the right forefoot."
A horse with white feet, his off foreleg being alone of the colour of
his coat, resembles a man who carries himself gracefully in walking,
with the sleeve of his cloak floating in the air.
The Prophet has said: "If I were to gather together in one spot all the
horses of the Arabs, and make them race against one another, it is the
chestnut that would outstrip the rest."
According to the traditions of our Lord Mohammed the black horse is
superior in the beauty of its mould and in its moral qualities, but the
chestnut in fleetness. The Arabs have a saying: "If thou hast a
chestnut, bring him along. If thou hast only a sorry chestnut, still
bring him."
In a spacious arena constructed for races, cast thy eyes over the
assemblage of noble coursers.
Thou wilt see the one who, arriving the first at the goal, has removed
his master's anxieties.
Then the second who followed close at hand;—they both reached the goal
without slackening their speed.
Every horse of noble race fascinates the eyes and rivets the gaze of the
enthusiastic spectator.
One of a rose colour, whose coat resembles the red tints which the
setting sun leaves on the horizon.
Another of a white colour, like to a shooting star hurled against the
evil genii.
A third, a blood-bay, of incomparable beauty and tall stature, in whom
may be recognized traces of his paternal and maternal uncles, famous in
the annals of racing.
There may also be seen a bright bay with a skin like gold.
And then a chestnut that pleases the eye with its shining mane.
Or another, black as night, adorned only with a white star on the
forehead, that shines like the first light of dawn. Oh! blessed is the
horse with white stars and stockings!
The Prophet abhorred a horse that has white marks on all its legs. The
horse with a white mark that does not come down to the tip of the upper
lip, accompanied by a stocking on the off forefoot, bears upon him the
signs of the most evil omen. Thus, whosoever sees him prays to Allah to
avert from himself the calamity announced by this animal. He is like the
"hour poison."[50]
The fleetest of horses is the chestnut; the most enduring, the bay; the
most spirited, the black; the most blessed, one with a white forehead.
The Arabs distinguish forty knots or tufts in a horse. Of these, twenty
eight are without any significance in their eyes, and are of neither
good nor bad omen. To twelve of them alone do they ascribe an influence
allowed by tradition and confirmed, as they think, by personal
observation.
"Horses are eagles mounted by riders tall as a lance; they arrive,
cleaving the air like a falcon swooping on its quarry."
ON CHOOSING AND PURCHASING HORSES.
In the Sahara horses that are celebrated for their blood and speed sell
easily and at a good price. There are blemishes that totally exclude a
horse from serving in war. Such as _el maateuk_, a narrow and hollow
chest accompanying lean and perpendicular shoulders. It is difficult to
form an idea of the importance attached by the Arabs to the development
of the muscles of the chest.
Another blemish is fatness and want of prominence in the withers. You
can never fix the saddle properly on such a horse, nor handle him boldly
in galloping down hill. Again, the jardens "father of bleaching" (of the
beard): curbs, when too far gone; ring-bone; spavin, especially when it
is near the saphena; the processes known as _louzze_, or "almonds," on
the ribs, and _fekroune_, or "tortoise," on the forequarters; splints,
if near the back sinew; the pastern prolonged and bent; the pastern
short and upright; windgalls along the tendons; and a long and concave
back, are all serious objections. An animal is also rejected if he
cannot see at night, or when there is snow. It is discovered by the
manner he raises his feet when it begins to grow dark. The defect may be
ascertained by placing a black surface before him in the day time—if he
steps upon it without hesitation, there is no doubt on the subject. As
the Arab passes much of his life-time in making nocturnal marches to
surprise his enemy, or to escape from him, what could he do with such an
animal?