The History of Arabia, Crichton Vol2 - The Search For Mecca

THE HORSE. 403ties of head, neck, and rump, are found combined, the horseis considered as perfect. There are several particular marksor natural signs which the Arabs regard as sinister and unfavourable; while others are esteemed the reverse, and capableof producing happiness to the owner. They reckon abouttwenty evil indications ; but the only bad effect they have onthe animal is that of depreciating its value by two-thirds ormore. The Persian and Turkoman horses, whose figuresare much alike, differ from the Arabian in this, that they aremore corpulent, and their coat is not so soft to the touch. Itis, moreover, an opinion pretty generally received in theEast, that the latter are especially distinguished from theothers by the repugnance they evince towards clear water ;while that which is turbid pleases them to such a degree,that they never fail to prance about in any that happens tocome in their way. The price of Arabian horses is variable,and often depends much on the caprice of the buyer andseller : in Syria, it fluctuates from 10/. to 120Z. A goodmare can scarcely be obtained under 601. ;and even at thatprice it is difficult to purchase one, as the Bedouins alwaysprefer the females to the males for riding, because they arenot accustomed to neigh, and thus expose them in their ambuscadesto the risk of detection. For a celebrated mare asheik has been known to pay 200/. ;sometimes the pricehas amounted to 500/., and even to 800Z. The favouritemare of Saoud, named Koraye, which he constantly rode onhis expeditions, was purchased from a Kahtan Bedouin for1500 Spanish dollars. Kinneir states that 1200/. was refusedfor one at Aleppo. At Bussora, where they form an importantarticle of trade with India, the average price is about 300rupees, though the cost is thrice, or even five times as muchat Bombay or Calcutta. Over all Arabia, as also in Egyptand Syria, horses are possessed by several owners in partnership; each is divided into a number of shares (kerat), ofwhich several may be purchased by a single individual. Ifan Aeneze has a mare of remarkable breed, he seldom ornever consents to sell her without reserving one-half or twothirdsfor himself. The ownership of the progeny is regulatedby special compact : the fillies of the first or secondyear belong to the seller ; those of the subsequent yearsbecome the property of the buyer. This contract is called