part that is quick, and not in the part that is hard, it is, of course,
the frog that should be shielded from accident. The shoes should
therefore follow the curvature of the frog. They give to the nail-heads
the form of a grasshopper's head, the only form, as they allege, that
allows the nails to be worn down to the last without breaking. They
approve of our method of driving the nails into punched holes and
clinching them outside, which prevents a horse from cutting himself; but
their scarcity of iron obliges them to content themselves, for their
part, with hammering the nails down upon the hoof, so as to render them
serviceable a second time by making a new head. If a horse overreaches
himself they cut away his heels and place light shoes on his forefeet,
but heavier ones on his hindfeet. They are careful not to leave one foot
shod and the other bare. If during an excursion a horse happens to cast
one of his fore-shoes, and his rider has not a fresh supply with him, he
takes off both the hind shoes and puts one of them on the forefoot; and
if the animal is shod only on his forefeet, the rider will take the shoe
off the other foot, rather than leave him in such a condition. Should a
horse, after a long journey such as the horsemen of the desert not
unfrequently make, require to be shod, it is no uncommon thing to place
a morsel of felt between the shoe and the foot.
The necessity, caused partly by the nature of the ground and partly by
the length of their excursions, of shoeing the horses of the Sahara, has
shown the expediency of accustoming the colt to let himself be shod
without resistance. They therefore give him kouskoussou, cakes, dates,
etc., while he allows them to lift his foot and knock upon it. They then
caress his neck and cheeks, and speak to him in a low tone; and thus
after a while he lifts his feet whenever they are touched. The little
difficulty experienced at a later period, thanks to this early training,
has probably given rise to the Arab hyperbole: "So wonderful is the
instinct of the thoroughbred horse that if he casts a shoe he draws
attention to it himself by showing his foot." This exaggeration at least
proves how easy these horses are to be shod, and further explains how
every horseman in the desert ought to have the knowledge and the means
of shoeing his own horse, while on a journey. It is a point of the
highest importance. It is not enough to be very skilful in horsemanship,
or to train a horse in the most perfect manner, to acquire the
reputation of a thorough horseman—in addition to all this, he must
likewise be able to put on a shoe if necessary. Thus on setting out for
a distant expedition every horseman carries with him in his _djebira_
shoes, nails, a hammer, pincers, some strips of leather to repair his
harness, and a needle. Should his horse cast a shoe, he alights,
unfastens his camel-rope, passes one end round the _kerbouss_ of the
saddle and the other round the pastern, and ties the two ends together
at such a length as will make the horse present his foot. The animal
stirs not an inch, and his rider shoes him without assistance. If it be
a hind shoe that has been thrown, he rests the foot upon his knee, and
dispenses with aid from his neighbours. To avoid making a mistake he
passes his awl into the nail holes in order to assure himself beforehand
of the exact direction the nails should take. If, by chance, the horse
is restive, he obtains for the hindfeet the help of a comrade who
pinches the nose or ears of the animal. For the forefeet, he merely
turns his hindquarters towards a thick prickly shrub, or extemporises a
torchenes with a nose-bag filled with earth. Such cases, however, are
rare.
The Saharenes declare that our shoes are much too heavy and in long and
rapid excursions must be dreadfully fatiguing to the articulations, and
cause much mischief to the fetlock joint. "Look at our horses," say
they, "how they throw up the earth and sand behind them! how nimble they
are! how lightly they lift their feet! how they extend or contract their
muscles! They would be as awkward and as clumsy as yours did we not give
them shoes light enough not to burden their feet, and the materials of
which as they grow thinner commingle with the hoof and with it form one
sole body." And when I have answered that we did not discover in our
mode of shoeing the inconveniences pointed out by them, they would
reply: "How should you do so? Cover as we do in a single day the
distance you take five or six days to accomplish, and then you will see.
Grand marches you make, you Christians, with your horses! As far as from
my nose to my ear!"
HARNESS.
I have stated that the Arab saddle furnishes the rider with such a firm
seat that he does not trouble himself at all about certain vices in a
horse that are apt to cause us uneasiness. I will therefore say a few
words on the subject, though it is one now familiar to every body.
The Arab saddle consists of a wooden saddle-tree, surmounted in front by
a long _kerbouss_ or pommel, and by a broad troussequin behind, high
enough to protect the loins. The whole is covered and held together,
without nails or pegs, by a plain camel's skin which gives it great
solidity. The bands rest on the animal's back, and are broad and flat,
with a proper regard for the freedom of the withers and loins, and
afford a roomy and commodious seat. This last is very hard, and it
requires long practice to get used to it. The chiefs cover it with a
woollen cushion; but the common horsemen make it a point of honour to
ride on the bare wood, pretending that the use of cushions is excessive
effeminacy, and by diminishing their points of contact cannot fail to
invite them to sleep during a long course, and consequently expose them
to injure their horses. This is all the more meritorious that for the
most part, and especially in summer they ride without trousers or
drawers.
The saddle-tree is concealed by a _stara_, or covering of red morocco,
without ornament, in the case of individuals who are poor or not very
well-to do; and by a _ghrebaria_, or covering of cloth or scarlet
velvet, embroidered with gold or silver thread, and ornamented with
fringes, in the case of rich people and chiefs. The _deïr_, or
breast-piece, is very broad and is placed like that of our French
saddle. Its extremities are provided with two strong buckles of iron or
chased silver, and are fastened to the saddle-tree by small
girth-leathers, so placed as to keep the saddle in its true position.
The Arabs will have nothing to do with a crupper. They say it interferes
with every forward movement by the restraint it imposes on the animal.
They use it only with bat mules and donkeys, and even then they do not
pass it under the tail.
The stirrups are broad and clumsy. Their lateral faces gradually
diminish so as to unite with the upper bar which supports the ring for
the stirrup-leathers. They are used very short, and the whole foot is
thrust into them, and thus shielded from balls or falls. These stirrups
are extremely painful for those who are not accustomed to them, because
in raising oneself on them the eye strikes against the bone of the leg.
After a time the skin hardens and an exostosis is formed that destroys
all sensibility. It is by these exostoses that a horseman is
distinguished from a foot-soldier, and so clearly, indeed, that in the
province of Oran a certain Bey, having resolved to inflict an exemplary
chastisement on a tribe that had revolted, put to death all who fell
into his hands, bearing these marks. He well knew that his anger was
vented only on the horsemen. The stirrups of wealthy individuals are
either plated or gilt, and in former times the great Turkish officers
had them made of solid silver or gold. The stirrups are suspended by
leathers placed behind the girth, which are simply twisted straps of
morocco or camel's skin—when doubled seven or eight times, they are of
great strength. The noble make their stirrup-leathers of silken cord;
but as these, let them be ever so solid, will not suffice when going at
a rapid pace with the whole weight thrown upon the stirrups, they add
what are called _maoune_, or stirrup-holders.
By way of horse-cloths the Arabs make use of pieces of felt fastened to
the saddle, to allow of the operation of saddling being quickly
performed. They are seven in number, and dyed blue, red, and yellow—the
blue being uppermost. An eighth one is added, but white and unattached,
so that it can be washed and dried in the sun if the horse has perspired
much. When these pieces of felt are well shaped, the different colours
lying one over the other and slightly projecting, form an ornament in
very fair taste, while they preserve the horse from wounds and sores.
Care is taken that they should partially cover the loins.
The saddle-girth is placed in front of the stirrups, and is narrower
than ours. The Arabs as a rule girth their horses loosely; and they can
do so without inconvenience, as their saddles never slip round.
The headstall of the bridle is very broad; blinkers are used, and
occasionally, but not often, a throat-band, loose and fastened to the
headband. The Arab of the Sahara, however, does not approve of it,
because if his horse, as may often happen, should be seized by the
bridle in a fight, it deprives him of his usual resource of slipping the
bridle over the head, and so escaping from the enemy, whose prize is
thus reduced to the bridle alone. The blinkers have the advantage of
preventing a horse from being disquieted by external objects, and are
perhaps partly the cause of his not fearing anything. The headstall and
the headband of the bridle are embroidered in silk for the commonality,
and in silver or gold for the rich. The bit is attached to the bridle,
and is never cleaned. The bars are broad, short, straight, and fashioned
_à la Condé_. The canons are flat, and the curb is a circular ring fixed
to the upper part of the mouth piece. The Arab bit allows no liberty to
the tongue, and its lever-arm is much shorter than in a French bit:
consequently, it is much less severe than has been hitherto imagined.
The advantage it offers in wartime of being free from those curbs and
hooks which are often so difficult to replace, cannot be too highly
appreciated.
The reins are long. Two knots are made in them, one at the length whence
a horse can be kept at a foot pace without impeding the freedom of his
movements, and the other at the point where experience has shown that
the horse, after shortening the muscles of the neck for a gallop, begins
to bear on the hand. They are held very full, and at times used as a
whip to quicken the animal. The Arabs reject the snaffle as calculated
to confuse a horse. Rarely combatting with the sabre, they have never
experienced the necessity of it.
As with them the horse is constantly fastened by hobbles, the Arabs do
not understand the value of the halter which we employ. They replace it
by a _goulada_, a thick cord of silk or camel's hair, of a more or less
lively colour according to the coat of the animal. It is passed round
the neck, and from it are suspended small morocco sachets, inclosing
talismans that have the virtue of preserving from the evil eye, of
averting sickness, and of bringing success in war. This _goulada_ is, in
the first place, an ornament, and, besides, it serves to hold the horse
by, when required. To take him by the forelock to hold or lead him, as
we do, is to dishonour him; for the Prophet has said: "The good things
of this world to the day of the last judgment shall be suspended from
the hairs that are between the eyes of your horses."
The Arabs of the Sahara make use of a whip to correct a horse when they
are breaking him in, or to excite him in war or at the chace. It is
composed of five or six twisted leather thongs, attached to a ring fixed
to a bar of iron six or seven inches long, terminating in another ring.
To the latter is fastened the small leather thong that is slipped over
the wrist. Round the iron rod, but shorter by an inch, is a hollow
cylinder, also of iron, of a diameter that allows the rod to play easily
within it. The whip is used with all their might. It punishes so
severely that after a time it suffices to shake it in order to make the
animal dash forward at full speed—the noise made by the cylinder coming
in contact either with the rings or with the bar that connects them,
recalling to his memory the nearly similar sound of the _tekerbeâa_.
In the desert the Arabs carry from the _kerbouss_ of the saddle a club a
cubit in length, and terminating in a large knob garnished with spikes.
It is hung from the wrist by a leather thong. Some replace this by a
longer club terminating in a hook, for the purpose of picking up booty
from off the ground, without alighting from the saddle. The latter is
called _el aâraya_, or the despoiler. Neither the Arbâ nor the Harrars
would ever mount on horseback without one of these clubs.
The spurs have only one spike, and are clumsy, solid, and long. They are
kept in their place by a simple leather strap crossed, and are attached
very loosely.
Every Arab carries as a complement of his equipment, suspended from the
_kerbouss_ of his saddle, a kind of sabretache called _djebira_ or
_guerab_. It contains several compartments, for the purpose of carrying
bread, biscuit, a mirror, soap, cartridges, shoes, a flint, writing
materials, etc., etc., according to the calling of the owner. Some
_djebiras_ are extraordinary rich. I am convinced that the sabretaches
of our Hussars must have come to us from the East. The common people on
an expedition carry also suspended from the troussequin of their saddle
a kind of wallet, which they call _semmâte_. They are shorter than ours,
so as not to irritate the animal's flanks.
With the exception of the great chiefs, the Arabs have no holsters to
their saddles. They carry their pistols in their girdles, or in a
heart-shaped case that rests on the left side, and is held in its place
by a leather strap over the shoulder and another round the body. They
prefer this latter mode, because they are sure of having them on their
person if they chance to be separated from their horse.
Those who do not put a throat-band to their bridle generally adorn their
horses with boar's tusks or lion's teeth, or with talismans which they
attach to their necks by means of silk or woollen cords.
To our taste, the less covered a thoroughbred horse may be, the better
are the beauty and elegance of his form displayed. The Arabs think
differently. They say:
Kohol[51] embellishes the bearer of babes,
A tribe embellishes a defile,
And the saddle embellishes horses.
During my residence in Africa, I have seen so many horses that it was
impossible to dispose of when girt with an English saddle, bought up
with avidity when caparisoned with an Arab one, that I am much inclined
to adopt the native prejudice. Many a time also I have observed that
when an Arab, who had purchased a horse from an European, had covered
its back with his own saddle, the vendor was seized with regret, being
struck with a beauty he had never before noticed. It is true, the only
extravagance indulged in by the Arabs is in their harness; for the
Prophet, while proscribing the use of gold in their garments, authorised
and even enjoined it, in respect of arms and horses. He said: "Whoso
fears not to spend money on the maintenance of horses for the holy war,
shall be considered, after his death, as the equal of him who has always
been open-handed." It is therefore no uncommon sight to see, even in
these times of trouble and misery, an Arab chief treat himself to a
saddle worth from £80 to £120, and on days of feasting or on solemn
occasions, cover the croup of his horse with _shelil_, a silken stuff of
brilliant hues.
MAXIMS OF THE ARAB CAVALIER.
When thou mountest a horse, first pronounce these words: _Bi es-sem
Allah_, "in the name of Allah." The grave of the horseman is always
open.
The cavalier of Truth should eat little, and, above all, drink little.
If he cannot endure thirst, he will never make a warrior—he is nothing
but a frog of the marshes.
Purchase a good horse. If thou pursuest, thou attainest: if thou art
pursued, the eye presently knoweth not where thou hast passed.
Prefer a horse from the mountain to a horse from the plain, and the
latter to one from the marshland, which is only fit to carry the
pack-saddle.
For the combat mount a horse with a trailing tail [that is, one at least
eight years old]. In the day when the horsemen shall be so crowded
together that the stirrups knock against one another, he will save thee
from the thick of the fight and bear thee back to thy tent, though he
were pierced by a ball.
When thou hast purchased a horse, study him carefully, and give him
barley more and more every day until thou hast ascertained the quantity
demanded by his appetite. A good horseman ought to know the measure of
barley suited to his horse, as exactly as the measure of powder suited
to his gun.
Suffer neither dogs nor donkeys to lie down upon the straw or barley you
intend to give to your horses.
The Prophet has said: "Every grain of barley given to your horses shall
secure you an indulgence in the other world."
Give barley to your horses; deprive yourself to give them still more;
for Sidi-Hamed-ben-Youssouf has remarked; "Had I not seen the mare
produce the foal, I should have said it was the barley." He has also
said: "Superior to spurs there is nothing but barley."
Do not water your horses more than once a day, at one or two in the
afternoon; and give barley only in the evening, at sunset. It is a good
practice in wartime, and, besides, it is the way to make their flesh
firm and hard.
To train a horse that is too fat for the fatigues of war, reduce him by
exercise, but never by lowering his keep.
So long as your horse, when at work, sweats over his whole body, you may
say that he is not in good wind. But you may count upon him as soon as
he sweats only on the ears and chest.
Leave not thy horse near others that are eating barley, without he has
some likewise, for otherwise he will fall ill.
Never water your horse after having given him barley. It would be the
death of the animal.
Never give water to a horse after a rapid gallop, for here is danger of
checked perspiration.
After a rapid gallop, water him with the bridle on, and feed him with
the saddle-girth on, and thou wilt not repent of it.
Be clean, and perform your ablutions before mounting your horse, and the
Prophet will love you.
Whoso is guilty of an impropriety on the back of his horse is not worthy
to own him. Moreover, he will suffer for it, for his horse will do
himself a hurt.
Never fall asleep upon thy horse. The sleep of the rider wounds or
wearies the animal.
When you put a horse to his speed, husband his strength for the time of
need. He must be treated like a goat-skin water-bag, which if you open
gradually, keeping the neck nearly closed, you will easily preserve the
water. But if you open it hastily, the water will rush out all at once,
and not a drop will remain to quench your thirst.
A horseman should never urge his horse to full speed, while going up or
down hill, unless he is forced to do so. He ought, on the contrary, to
hold him in.
"Which dost thou prefer?" the horse was asked one day, "The getting on,
or the getting off thy back?" And he made answer: "Allah curse the point
where they meet!"
When you have a long journey to accomplish, relieve your horse by
changing his pace, to enable him to recover his wind. Repeat this until
he has sweated and dried three times, then shift his girth, and
afterwards do what you will with him. He will never fail you in a
difficulty.
If, on a march, you have a strong wind right in your teeth, contrive if
possible to save your horse from facing it—you will spare him various
diseases.
If at the bivouac your horse is so placed that he cannot move out of the
wind that is blowing violently into his nostrils, do not hesitate to
leave the nose-bag suspended from his nose—you will preserve him from
serious mischief.
If you have put your horse to the gallop and other mounted men are
following behind, soothe him, do not urge him on, for he will be
sufficiently excited of himself.
If you are chasing an enemy and he commits the error of pushing his
horse on, hold in your own—you are sure to overtake the fugitive.
Never strike a thoroughbred. It humiliates him, and his pride will
revolt and urge him to resistance. It is quite sufficient to correct or
animate him by word or gesture.
If, after having wandered a long time in the mountains and by narrow
path-ways, the horseman descends into the plain, it is good to give the
animal a gallop over a short distance.
At starting the rider should not scruple to play with his horse for a
few minutes, as he will thereby relax his joints, and assure himself
peace for the rest of the day. In like manner, after a painful and
fatiguing excursion, at the moment he reaches his tent let him perform
the fantasia for a while. The women of the _douar_ will applaud, saying:
"Look at so-and-so, son of so-and-so!" and he will find out, besides,
what his horse is really worth.
The rider who does not teach his horse a good pace is no true horseman,
but an object of pity.
If, in war time or in hunting, your horse is in a lather, and you happen
to come across a stream, have no fear of allowing him to swallow half a
dozen mouthfuls with the bridle on. So far from doing him any harm it
will enable him to continue his course.
When you dismount think of your horse before thinking of yourself. It is
he who has carried you, and is to carry you again.
After a long journey, either unsaddle your horse immediately and throw
cold water over his back, at the same time leading him up and down; or
else leave the saddle on until he is perfectly dry and has eaten his
barley. There is no middle path between these two courses.
When after a long journey in winter, through rain and cold, you at
length regain your tent, cover your horse well, and give him parched
barley and warmed milk, but do not let him have any water that day.
Suffer not your horse to have anything to eat or drink directly after a
journey of unusual length, or you will produce inflammation.
Put not your horses to speed, unless positively compelled to do so,
during the great heats of summer. The animal himself says:
Put me not to speed in the summer,
If thou would'st that I should one day save thee from the sabre.
In a case of life or death if you feel your horse's wind failing, take
off the bridle if only for an instant, and strike him on the croup with
a spur sharply enough to draw blood.
If after a rapid gallop you are able to give a little respite to your
horse, you will know when to start again by the drying up of the mucus
that issues from his nostrils.
If you would know, at the end of a day of excessive fatigue and hard
riding, how far you can yet depend upon your horse, get off his back and
pull him strongly towards you by the tail. If he remains unmoved as if
rooted to the ground, you may still rely upon him.
On an expedition when, after great fatigue, you have only a moment for
repose, take for your pillow some of the bridles of your brethren, and
you will not be abandoned or forgotten, happen what may.
A horseman ought to study the habits of his horse and obtain a thorough
knowledge of his character. He will then know whether, when he alights,
he can have any confidence in him and can leave him in the midst of
other animals, or whether he must keep an eye upon him and hobble him.
Not one of these details is a matter of indifference in the presence of
an enemy.
The proper season for calling on a horse to do great things, is the
spring, before the great heats; or the autumn, before the intense cold.
The horse is what his work is.
Yes, give the heel to your steeds,
Learn and teach them what will be of service to you.
In this world it is certain that, one day or another,
Every man has to face him who demands his life.
REMARKS BY THE EMIR ABD-EL-KADER.
The Arabs have preserved the practice of racing their horses against one
another, in which they indulged so far back as in the times of idolatry,
prior to Mohammed. The new law has in no way altered this usage. On the
contrary it has consecrated its lawfulness, and, by impressing it with
the seal of religion, has attached additional importance to it.
For racing, the Arabs subject their horses to a preparatory regimen,
which is called _tadmir_, or training. Thank to this treatment, a horse
acquires a wonderful speed. The _tadmir_ is in this wise.