The horse : with a treatise on draught / by William Youatt.

  • William Youatt
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The horse : with a treatise on draught / by William Youatt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    not doubt must have been chosen from the best in the nation to exhibit the perfection of its breed before the sovereign. The rival horses were divided into three sets, in order to lengthen the amusement. They had been in training for several weeks, going over the ground very often during that time; and when I did see them, I found so much pains had been taken to sweat and reduce their weight, that their bones were nearly cutting the skin. The distance marked for the race was a stretch of four-and-twenty miles, and, that his majesty might not have to wait when he had reached the field, the horses had set forward long before, by three divisions, from the starting point, (a short interval of time passing between each set,) so that they might begin to come in a few minutes after the king had taken his seat. The different divisions arrived in regular order at the goal, but all so fatigued and exhausted that their former boasted fleetness hardly exceeded a moderate canter when they passed before the royal eyes.” The plains of Persepolis, Media, Ardebil and Derbane, rear annually a great number of valuable horses, but those bred in Kurdistan are accounted the best both in beauty and strength. THE CIRCASSIAN HORSE. The Circassian horse, although inferior to the Persian, does not often find his equal among the predatory hordes with which this part of Asia abounds. Vast numbers of horses and sheep are reared in the plains of Circassia, and they and the slaves which are made in their excursions form the principal articles of the commerce of the natives. Almost every family of distinction aims at possessing a peculiar breed of horses, excell- ing, in their estimation, that of any other tribe. Each breed is distin- guished by its peculiar mark, to forge or to place which on an inferior breed would be punished with death. The most valuable breed of all is in the possession of the reigning family, and its distinguishing mark is a full horse-shoe. These horses possess considerable strength and speed. THE EAST INDIAN HORSE. We will now travel farther eastward, and examine the breeds of horses in our Indian possessions. They are small, and, although some have considerable endurance and courage, they wear the general character of degeneracy from a nobler stock. First in value is the Toorky, originally frdn a Toorkoman and a Persian, beautiful in his form, graceful in his action, and docile in his temper. When skilfully managed his carriage is stately and grand. His spirit rising as his exertions are required, he exhibits to his beholders an appearance of fury in the performance of his task, yet preserving to his rider the utmost playfulness and gentleness. They are usually from fourteen to fifteen hands high, and have the common defect of the East India horse — smallness and length of bone below the knees and about the hocks. Next comes the Iranee, well limbed, and his joints closely knit, and particularly powerful in the quarters, but with large head, and hanging ears, ahd deficiency of spirit. The gentle and docile Cozakee is deep in the girth, powerful in the fore-arm, but with large head and cat-hammed; hardy, and calculated for long journeys and severe service. The Mojinniss have spirit, beauty, speed, and perseverance. The Tazsee is slight, hollow-backed, and, for that reason perhaps, de- ficient in strength. His hind legs are ill placed, and dragged as it were behind him, and he is stubborn and irritable, yet this horse is sought after on account of the peculiar easiness of his paces, a matter of no
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