| Abidean |
A Macedonian breed. |
| Accarnanian |
A large war-like Greek horse. |
| Achin |
A small, spirited, skewbald
horse found on the island of Sumatra. It is better suited for draught
than the saddle. |
| Aetolian |
A Greek horse nursed in
solitary plains. |
| Aghubolak (Turkoman) |
Reared on the Oxus river, it
was remarkable for the whorl which always appeared on some part of the neck
or body. These marks were an object of wonder and still more of good
or evil omen. |
| Agrigentine |
A bay or chestnut with white
markings derived from breeding local horses with Phoenician and Carthaginian
horses. |
| Ahmar |
The wild ass of North Africa
was also known as the Djaar of Arabia. The theme of glowing imagery in
the inspired language of the Hebrew prophets, the animal was extolled as
delicious food for the tables of Roman epicures. The species was said
to have once been found in the Canary Islands. Equal in size to a
mule, white in colour, but silvery grey on the ridge of the back and nose,
with the forehead, neck and sides of a beautiful pale ash, with a tinge of
purple. The mane and tail were black. |
| Aiguilillas |
No less vigorous and active
than the Peruvian Parameros, this Peruvian breed was prized for its most
rapid mode of moving, resembling an amble, but so fast that, according to
Don Juan de Ulloa, the best gallop could not keep up with it.
|
| Alan |
An elegant, low, hardy and
rapid horse from the northern Cantons of Germany. |
| Alfaras |
A Moorish horse now more
commonly known as the Andalus. They were a cross-breed of Arab blood
upon the black Vandal and other Gothic races, themselves crossed with Roman
and the ancient Spanish Calpe studs. |
| Andalusian |
A Spanish horse, flexible,
graceful and active. Makes an excellent riding school steed and a good
charger. They vary in colour, but bays predominate. The morcillo,
a black with a white star on the forehead, was esteemed to be the highest
bred, while the isabella variety was an albino with a roseate skin.
This breed was derived from the Xeres-breed of the Chartreuse. The
Andalusian breed suffered during Napoleon's invasion of Spain.
|
| Apulian |
A Roman horse of Greek origin.
|
| Arcadian |
A cream-coloured Greek Ionian
breed, much used for breeding mules. |
| Ardean |
A breed described by the
ancient poet, Virgil. |
| Argolic |
A Greek breed, having a good
head and fine limbs, hollow-backed but cat-hammed. |
| Ashoo (Turkoman) |
So renowned that it is
mentioned in the legends of India. |
| Barb |
Ancient and renowned, Barbary
horses, particularly from Morocco, Fez, and the interior of Tripoli, are
reported to be remarkably fine and graceful in their action, but somewhat
lower than Arab, seldom being more than 14 hands high. The head is
particularly beautiful. They are claimed by some to be superior to the
Arab in form, but inferior in spirit, speed and countenance. Early
nineteenth century authors described the Godolphin Arabian as being a Barb;
but in a manuscript note it was found that this celebrated horse was one of
the Guelfe blood of Yemen. On a journey, the Barb starts unfed and
without water; at the end of his day's work he is picketed, unbridled,
never unsaddled. He then receives as much water as he will drink, then
barley and broken straw is thrown before him as far as he can stretch his
neck; hence he rarely or never lies down, nor gets sleep, and yet he
is high spirited. |
| Bashkir |
A short, compact horse with a
heavy head and small eyes. It has black hair, which undulates with an
indication of curling. They do not exceed 13 hands.
|
| Batta |
A small, spirited, mouse-grey
horse found on the island of Sumatra. It is better suited for draught
than the saddle. They are often eaten by the natives, who call them
Kuda. |
| Bhooteah |
A beautiful, shaggy grey pony,
similar to the Siberian. Their strength, courage, prudence and surety
of footing in the precipitous paths of the highest mountains are highly
extolled. |
| Bidet |
A native horse of Brittany.
|
| Bima |
A breed of horse found on the
island of Sambawa. It is exported to Timor, but no further to the
east, being unknown in the Moluccas and New Guinea. |
| Bornou |
The Bornou horse breed from
the Gambia region of Africa; 15 hands high, a robust horse with beautiful
limbs and feet. |
| British Islands |
Caesar found a race of
indigenous ponies, which had been subdued by the natives but had roamed for
ages in a wild state in every part of the islands. Their original
colour was sooty or dun; they are now still imperfectly represented by
the Scottish, Welsh, New Forest and Dartmoor breeds, having the same
character of hardiness and a long, low form with bushy manes and tails.
|
| Burmese Tat |
Small working pony found in
the jungles and mountains of Burma in the early nineteenth century. |
| Calimbrian |
A breed of bay Horse in Libya.
|
| Calpe |
A bay Horse with white
markings conveyed to Spain by Phoenician and Carthaginian ships. |
| Cape Horse |
Bred by early Dutch settlers
at the Cape of Good Hope on the tip of the African continent, these hardy
horses were a mixed breed of the Black Dutch and Arabian Kadeschi.
They were often exported to India where they became chargers in the cavalry
of the British Raj. |
| Cattywarr |
A horse bred in India, known
for its superior blood. The rare dun-coloured version, with black
stripes like a tiger, was particularly valued. The method of feeding
this horse was peculiar: they were often fed at night on boiled peas,
or small beans boiled with a sheep's head, or wheat flour mixed with
molasses, or balls composed of pepper, garlic and coriander. They were
even given opium, marijuana or hemp seed, mixed with molasses. These
horses were often undersized and wanted bone. |
| Celebes |
A wild horse found on this
island. |
| Chactaws |
A North American Indian horse,
it was larger and less lively than the Seminole. These animals were
reputedly introduced by Spanish settlers coming from New Spain.
|
| Chalcedonian |
A Greek Ionian breed, carried
across the Euxine by the colonists from Europe. |
| Chaonian |
A Greek Ionian breed. |
| Chuprastee (Turkoman) |
Known as the "swift breed," it
was raised between Meshed and Herat. |
| Cilicia |
An ancient breed of white or
grey horses bred on the Steppes north of the Euxine river.
|
| Collatorii |
A Roman horse trained to trot.
|
| Colophonian |
A Greek Ionian breed, carried
across the Euxine by the colonists from Europe. |
| Conestoga |
An American horse bred in
Pennsylvania, it was long in the leg and light in carcass. It often
reached 17 hands at the shoulder and made splendid gig horses, while those
of less stature were much sought for riding. |
| Corsican |
An indigenous horse, one
apparently not imported by man, and resembling the smallest Shelties of the
Scottish islands. Though small, this horse was full of fire and
thought little larger than great dogs, were so vicious that it was necessary
to hoodwink them to be mounted; their feet were like asses', the manes
short and the tails long: in the early 19th century these horses were
still wild in Sardinia and Corsica. |
| Cretan |
Derived from the best breeds
of Asia and Egypt. |
| Crisp |
This horse was known in Europe
as the cheval ŕ poil frisé, a curly-haired horse which resembled the
Bashkir curly-haired horse of Persia. A specimen found in the
stables of the Emperor of Austria had been plundered by the French at the
capture of Vienna. According to local authorities, this cross-bred
curly-haired Crisp horse was the result of mating a Bashkir horse and a
French Black. A powerful roan with a similar coat had been
purchased in the early nineteenth century from a drove of horses said to
have come from the mountains above the Magdalena in Columbia.
|
| Cyrenian |
A handsome and fleet breed. |
| Dauw |
Like the zebra, the Dauw is
about 13 hands high, and there were different varieties of this animal,
including the Cape Dauw and the Congo Dauw. Unlike the horse, the
female Dauw has an udder of four mammae. |
| Djiggetai |
A wild equine found in Persia
that has a neighing voice and lacks the dark cross on the shoulders
usually found on the Tibetan Koulan. Like the wild ass, it is provided
with longer ears than the horse. In size, the animal is little
inferior to the wild horse, in general shape resembling a mule, in
gracefulness of action a horse, and in the mixed colours of its livery like
the wild Kiang. The mane is erect, short and dark. The fur is
long in winter and smooth in summer, with a variety of whorls in the hair.
It is silvery-grey, with white legs. The species extends to the north
into southern Siberia, spreads over the deserts of Gobi, frequents the salt
marshes of Tartary, is abundant in Tibet, found in the Himalayas, and is not
unknown in India. From the testimonies of Herodotus, it appears that
the Djiggetai was found at that time in Syria. In the early nineteenth
century it was still abundant in Turkestan beyond the Oxus, and travellers
described it as prodigiously fleet and cautious. They live in small
herds and neigh with a deeper and louder voice than a horse. It is
much hunted by the Mongols for its flesh. |
| Dongola |
Raised on the sandy desert in
Ethiopia, this 16 hand high horse with ample mane and tail is often black.
Remarkably handsome, tall, powerful, active, very supple, capable of great
fatigue and attached to its master. By the early nineteenth
century these prized war-horses were considered rare. |
| Duckanee |
Bred in the Deccan area of
India, these horses were a cross between a native mare and imported Arab
sire. Those known as the Bhemra were the most highly prized.
Other classes included Mecundase, Chunddase and the Najpore. |
| Dunnee |
An Indian horse, raised
between the Indus and Jhelum rivers. |
| Eginetan |
A Greek breed mentioned in a
proverb. |
| English Draught Horse |
This class of horse, if it was
not already imported in the Saxon era, was certainly introduced by the
Flemish associates of William the Norman. |
| Ericthonius |
A slatey-ash coloured breed
belonging to Mycenae, also supposedly descended from a gift of Neptune.
|
| Erscheck |
A Persian breed known for its
beauty. |
| Etruscan |
Sometimes known as the
Tyrrhenian, this breed had a small nose, a very thick mane and hard hooves.
|
| Ferrant |
A French horse derived from a
mixture of Barbary blood crossed with the Gothic. It formed one of the
first well-bred horses in Christian Europe. Celebrated by troubadours
who praised the destrier or charger. It was led by a groom or squire
until wanted for battle. It became synonymous with the great horse and
was noted for its quality, not colour. |
| Friesland |
Commonly called the Dutch, or
fast-trotter, they are from 14 to 16 hands high, with good necks and
shoulders, full bodies, the tail attached rather low, and limbs sufficiently
fine, fringed a considerable way up the tendon above the pasterns with
longish hair: they have fire and temper, but generally want bottom.
|
| Gaetulian |
Used for lion-hunting in North
Africa. |
| Gallaican |
An indigenous Spanish horse,
residing in the northern mountains of Asturia. It was small, hardy,
daring and had excellent feet and was trained to amble. |
| Galloway |
The Galloway was a small
Celtic riding horse found in the British Isles. It shared the
same character as the Swedish Śland, but was somewhat higher at the
shoulder. In colour, the breed was bay with black extremities, mane
and tail, but by the early nineteenth century the horse had disappeared,
only its name remained as a reference to small riding horses and ponies. |
| Gelonian |
A celebrated breed from Mysia,
the present Serbia, this horse was favoured by the Roman emperor, Hadrian.
It was white or grey. |
| Ghoonts |
A species of Galloway,
originally from Bokhara. |
| Gorgum (Turkoman) |
Raised in the desert east of
Asterabad, 16 hands high and remarkably sinewy. Their long journeys
are always performed in a lengthened jog-trot. |
| Greek Horse |
The common horse of early
nineteenth century Greece, it had a coarse and jowl, scraggy neck, knotty
joints, and possessed a temper. Generally chestnut. |
| Grenada |
A Spanish horse akin to the
Andalusian. |
| Guelfe |
Originally from Yemen,
patient, indefatigable, and gentle. Were held to be extremely
valuable. |
| Guttonarii |
A Roman horse trained to step
in cadence with their feet high. |
| Hamar |
Known as the Chamor by the
Hebrews, this animal differed from the great wild ass, being smaller, with a
large ugly head. It had a dirty bay livery and appears to have been
solitary. This is no doubt the animal Xenophon mentions having been
seen by him in the company of ostriches. |
| Helvetian Algoici |
The general breed of Gaul.
Noted for their durability, these black horses were long backed, high
hipped, heavy maned with small eyes and thick lips covered with bristles. |
| Hippotigris |
An early name created by
travellers to describe various types of zebras ("horse-tigers").
|
| Hirpinic |
A horse bred in the Alps.
|
| Hun |
According to the Roman
historian, Vegetius, the horses of Attilla's horde were large, with a
hawk's-billed head, prominent eyes, broad jaws, a strong neck, an immense
mane, round ribs, straight back, sound legs and a bushy tail; their
figure was low and long, but they were gentle and sober. |
| Hungarian |
A small, angular horse with
large eyes, small mouth, slender neck; broad-chested with firm legs,
hard hooves and the tail rather low. This horse is evidently a
descendant of the animals brought by the mounted tribes which invaded the
Roman empire. |
| Iceland Pony |
A descendant of the
Scandinavian Śland horse, these horses are renowned for enduring the
excessive cold of an Arctic winter without the least protection of man.
|
| Iranee |
A horse of Persian origin,
used in India, it was strong and well-jointed but deficient in spirit.
|
| Ishepatan |
A Persian horse of high
reputation favoured by Russian officers along the frontier.
|
| Jamaican Horse |
A breed of blood horses
introduced by the English. These horses were reared in what were
called breeding pens in the western parishes of the island. They are
lighter and smaller than thoroughbred English horses, but produce a noble
race, elegant in form, fleet on the race course and equally serviceable for
the saddle and light carriage. |
| Jungle Tazzee |
Sprung from the common mare of
India and the Eraun Tazzee stallion. These horses had a bold and
commanding appearance, and made excellent racers. Their spirit
requires good riders to mount them. The neck is stiff and their eyes
betray a viciousness of disposition, which not uncommonly requires the
rider, while mounting, to have his horse blindfolded. They are of all
colours, mostly bays, and a few betray their Tangum intermixture by being
piebald. They bear fast fatigue and were used by the Mahrattas tribe
of India. |
| Kaqthi |
A Tibetan mountain pony.
|
| Karabeer |
Bred by the Uzbeks near
Samarkand and held in the highest esteem. |
| Karooghle (Turkoman) |
Known as the war breed, it was
raised in the vicinity of Shurukhs. |
| Kataghan |
An Afghan horse, bred near
Kunduz, who was hardy though undersized. |
| Katschenstzi |
A remarkable horse of Eastern
Tartary, its body was shining black while its mane, tail and feet were white
or grey. |
| Kauserooni |
A Persian horse obtained by
crossing the Arab and Turkoman races. It is from this that the best
road horses are derived, combining the speed of the one with the strength of
the other. |
| Khoten |
A small, hardy horse of 14
hands, they are driven in great droves by the Kalmuks for export into India.
|
| Kolaree |
A horse of India of good
height but devoid of vigour. |
| Koomrah |
Believed by the Mograbians,
the people of modern Morocco, to be the offspring of a bull and a mare, this
animal was later discovered to be a rare distinct species of Equus found in
Northern Africa. One such animal was imported into England in
the early nineteenth century. About 10 hands high, it was of a reddish
bay colour without any marks or white about the limbs. Its voice
differed from both horse and ass. It was believed to inhabit the
mountains of Africa. |
| Koulan |
The wild ass of Central Asia.
Known by a variety of names, including Ghoor-Khur in Afghanistan, the Ghur
in Western Persia, the Baja Mural in Tartary, and the Koulan of the Kyrgyz.
The animal stood 13 hands high. The head was large, the ears pointed,
nearly 10 inches long, very erect and movable. It had an upright mane.
The general colour of the fur is a silvery-grey. The species inhabited
the dry mountainous parts of Greater Tartary. They herd in droves, fly
at a trot, stop, look back, and then fly off with wonderful speed, being
never taken alive. This species is noted in the Book of Job and
described with the same manners. No attempt has ever been made to
break this animal for riding. |
| Kuningam |
A small, very handsome horse,
found on the island of Java, more used for drawing than riding.
|
| Kutch |
Sometimes known as the
Kahteawar, Kutch is the portion of India where the native mares are bred
with imported Arab stallions. These horses were light duns and have
zebra marks on the arms and a stripe down the back. They were
remarkable for the structure of their withers, which dropped three or four
inches so suddenly that there appeared to be a part of the vertical ridge of
the spine taken away. This required specially made saddles;
nevertheless they were much valued by native riders. |
| Lower Oxus (Turkoman) |
Large, spirited and much
valued in Bokhara and Kabul. |
| Lucanian |
A horse bred in the Alps.
|
| Lusitanian |
A breed derived from a cross
between a native horse of Spain and horses imported by Phoenicians and
Carthaginians. It was well known for fleetness because of a
fable which stated that the mares had been impregnated by the Favonian wind.
The race was handsome but timid, and had hollow backs and soft hooves.
It was chiefly bred in the south-west of Spain, usually a dark Bay.
|
| Lydian |
Valued for stature and the
strength to carry heavy armed riders in the time of Croesus.
|
| Maegarian |
A Greek breed mentioned in a
proverb. |
| Maginnee |
These Indian horses were noted
for their beauty, speed, spirit and endurance. |
| Majinis |
An Indian cross between the
Eraun Tauzi and a Bokhara mare. The Majinis is the battle horse of the
Rajputs. |
| Manni |
A Roman pony obtained from the
Asturian and British provinces of Rome which served for boys to ride.
|
| Mauritanian |
Used for lion-hunting in North
Africa. |
| Menapian |
Bred in Guelderland, this
black horse was tall and clean about the limbs, but hairy heeled.
|
| Meros |
Small sized horses bred near
Balkh, Afghanistan. They were strong and hardy. |
| Mexican horse |
The common horse of that
country known to be derived chiefly from Andalusian progenitors.
|
| Moldavian |
15 hands, large head, tail set
low, a noble race, in colour bay or chestnut. |
| Monaki |
A Yemen breed, held in very
high estimation. |
| Morea |
A small, unshorn Greek horse,
with a small head, slender neck, broad, deep chest, and longish hooves.
They are exceedingly wild and vicious, running at dogs and fighting with
their teeth and forefeet. It is likely that their origin is linked to
the early ages of Greece. |
| Murcia |
A small Spanish horse.
|
| Musjeed |
A horse found on the coast of
the Persian Gulf, it was coloured white, naturally speckled with deep brown
or black spots. During the Middle Ages it was considered a highly
desirable parade horse. |
| Myautze |
A Chinese piebald mountain
pony known for galloping down declivities at an angle of 45 degrees without
losing their footing. Highly prized by Chinese officers. |
| Netherlands Marsh Horse |
This black horse is believed
to have been introduced with the first Gallow-Belgic colony that ascended
the Danube. It was so fierce that it was held to be untamable.
It had a large head, pale blue eyes, an abundant mane and tail which,
according to legend, when rubbed in the night emitted sparks of fire.
The hips were high, the feet broad and hidden in an immense quantity of long
bristly hairs about the fetlock. The electrical phenomenon and pale
eyes were ingredients of superstition connecting this horse with Pagan
divinities. |
| Nicean |
During the time of King Darius
of Persia, the ill-fated monarch maintained an enormous hippobaton in the
plain about Mount Corone. There Darius drew 100,000 horses to oppose
the Macedonian invasion, and still left 50,000 in the pastures, which
Alexander the Great saw in his march through that country; they were
all of a dun or cream colour. |
| Norman |
The small, hardy breed of
Scandinavia carried on the ships of Norman pirates and still found in
perfection in Iceland. |
| Numidian |
Used for lion-hunting in North
Africa. |
| Oel-Nagdi |
Reared in the vicinity of
Basra. Beautiful, docile, swift, either dark bay or dabble grey, and
known for their remarkable attachment to their owners. |
| Oel-Mefki |
Found in the Damascus
district. Stately and superb in aspect, but not always durable and
chiefly used by Turkish grandees. |
| Oel-Sabi |
Resemble the Oel-Mefki but are
not so highly valued. |
| Oel-Tredi |
Very handsome, but with less
courage and more inclined to restiveness. |
| Śland |
A small, 12 hand high horse,
found in Sweden and Norway. These animals are handsome, docile and
intelligent, though bred in the woods. The head is rather large, the
eyes prominent, ears small, tail and mane abundant. Their colours are
bay and brown. These horses may be safely regarded as the parent stock
of the Iceland pony. |
| Pamir |
A white woolly animal found in
the Karakorum mountains, ridden by the Kyrgyz and Kalmucks. It
is 14 hands high, with a large head, small eyes and ears, a thick muzzle and
a short neck. The mane is short and ragged, the tail not very
abundant. The limbs are long, and the hooves wide; all the
proportions hidden by heavy bear-like fur, particularly under the jaws,
where there is a considerable beard. The hair on the outside is
shining and hard, within soft and downy. The English traveller, Dr.
Gerrard, met great droves of these wild horses in the high plateaux of
the Pamir mountains. |
| Parameros |
A Peruvian horse whose name
derives from Paramos (mountains) because they gallop down steep precipices
and leap across ravines with equal rapidity and safety. |
| Pegasidae |
A fleet Roman horse, ridden by
young men of fashion who sought notoriety. |
| Peleian |
A dark bay horse associated
with the ancient city of Epirus. |
| Pellan |
A chestnut-coloured Macedonian
horse. |
| Persian |
Persian horses exhibit a
superiority over the Turkish horses owing to their greater bone, enabling
them to bear armour on man and beast. These horses seldom exceed 14
hands, have a slender neck, handsome ears, narrow chest, fine legs and hard
hooves. Nearly as beautiful as the Arabian, the frame is more
developed and their spirit is war-like. Many of these horses
were amblers, and were used by messengers of the Persian Shah. One
such animal covered 700 miles in ten days. A hardy breed, they are
usually fed and watered an hour after sunrise, and again at sunset, when
they are given barley and chopped straw, as hay is unknown. |
| Phrygian |
A horse bred in Asia Minor.
Because of its light ash colour, its origin was ascribed to Neptune. |
| Pickarrow |
A pony in India much favoured
for riding by British colonials. |
| Prussian |
At the beginning of the
nineteenth century, this wild horse was maintained in a special preserve by
the Prince of Prussia. It was mouse-coloured with a dark streak on the
spine and the mane and tail dark; this horse was believed to be the
original eel-back dun of the West. |
| Pyrenees |
A small mountain horse, found
in Spain and France. |
| Quagga |
More like a true horse, the
hooves considerably broader than in the zebra, the head somewhat heavy and
the muzzle black. The name of this species is derived from its voice,
which is a kind of cry somewhat resembling the sounds Qua-Cha. Quaggas
were found at the Cape of Good Hope. It is this species that is
reputed to be the boldest of all equine animals, attacking hyenas and wild
dogs without hesitation. For this reason, they were frequently
domesticated by Dutch farmers for the purpose of protecting their horses at
night while both were turned out to grass. Now extinct. |
| Rahwal |
An Indian ambler. |
| Rosean |
A Roman horse of Greek origin.
It was praised by the poet Varro and known in the early 19th century by the
name of Calabrese. |
| Rugian |
A German breed esteemed for
war. |
| Saklawye |
Bred in the eastern desert,
with more speed and a hardy constitution. It is believed that the
Darley Arab was a Saklawye: he was purchased at Aleppo by Mr. Darley's
brother, from an Arab tribe near Palmyra. |
| Samogitian |
A small, compact, hardy
animal, rather short-legged. |
| Sarans |
A collective term for horses
imported into Malaysia, the Philippines, Java, Sumatra etc., spreading
eastwards as far as Timor. These horses have dwindled to the size of
small ponies, and are allowed to run feral through the islands.
|
| Sardinian (wild) |
An indigenous horse, one
apparently not imported by man, and resembling the smallest Shelties of the
Scottish islands. Though small, this horse was full of fire and though
little larger than great dogs, were so vicious that it was necessary to
hoodwink them to be mounted; their feet were like asses', the manes
short and the tails long: in the early nineteenth century these horses
were still wild in Sardinia and Corsica. They were found
most abundantly in the territory of Bultei, with the best of the breed
located in the woods of Canai. According to the ancient historian,
Cetti, the Sardinian wild horse resembled the wild horses of Africa
described by Leo Africanus. "By nature the horses are so vicious
that no domestication is possible; they perish in their desperate
resistance," wrote Cetti. In the early nineteenth century these horses
were still wild "never having been reclaimed at any period." |
| Sardinian (domestic) |
The Sardinian domestic horse
is based upon descendants of Spanish blood introduced in 1565. These
were handsome, 14 hand high horses, natural amblers, sure-footed and capable
of travelling 120 miles in 30 hours. These horses featured in local
races; the aim, however, was not speed but secure flexibility, in
going fast through a winding course and passing into a narrow gate at an
acute angle. |
| Scottish Pony |
Often known as the Shetland
Pony, some of which scarcely exceed in size the stature of a large dog, yet
there are among them many handsome, shaggy little animals, with huge manes
and abundance of tail. They are of all colours. |
| Seminole |
A native American horse, whose
name in the local language was "Echoclucco", or big deer. These horses
were a beautiful and sprightly race of small stature and delicately formed
like roebucks, with handsome heads, the nose being slightly aquiline.
It is believed that this horse was introduced by Spanish settlers in east
Florida. These horses were raised in breeding quarters called
stamps, where the animals, reared almost wholly in a state of independence,
acquired nevertheless an affection for mankind by being occasionally enticed
into his presence by means of handfuls of salt being offered, a dainty so
much relished, that the older mares gallop up to the giver at the first
sight of him, and the fillies and colts, after a little coyness, are easily
reconciled to his presence. |
| Serissahs |
A horse found in Northern
Bahar, India. |
| Shaduhi |
A horse of Yemen held in high
respect. |
| Shrubat-Ur-Reech |
Known as "drinkers of the
wind," these horses were reared by the Mograbins. They are either
brown or grey, shaped like greyhounds; their spirit is high and
endurance of fatigue prodigious. These horses are not mounted until
they are seven years old, and until then are allowed to follow the
she-camels, whose udders they suck for a long time. After training,
they are fed only once in three days, when they receive a large jar of
camels' milk as their only food; but they sometimes also have a
handful of crushed dates. Yet even with such scanty sustenance, they
retain a vigour which allows them to hunt the ostrich with unceasing speed.
|
| Siberian |
Observed by the ancient
historian, Pontus, as residing in unknown regions, these horses are
described as being white and having hair five or six inches long.
They are never known to enter a stable. In the severest weather they
are occasionally sheltered from the storm by their owners, who raise a bank
of snow in a circle, with a fire in the middle to warm them.
|
| Stremadura |
A large, robust Spanish horse.
|
| Taenarian |
A white breed, supposedly
descended from Castor's horse. |
| Takan |
The Takan of India was
remarkable for its strong back, and was a natural ambler. |
| Tamboro |
A breed of horse found on the
island of Sambawa. It is reckoned the handsomest horse in the
archipelago and is extensively exported. |
| Tangun |
A piebald horse from the
Tangustan Mountains of Bhutan. Described as 10 or 11 hands high,
tolerably well proportioned, active, fiery, with the hair between four and
five inches long, coloured in corresponding spots. A true mountain
animal, very sure-footed, active and bold. |
| Tarentine |
A Roman horse of Greek origin.
|
| Tarpan |
The Tarpan of Central Asia is
a tan coloured equine, during the cold season its coat becomes long,
heavy and soft, lying so close as to feel like a bear's fur. The head
is small, the forehead greatly arched, the ears far back, the eyes small and
malignant, the chin and muzzle beset with bristles, the neck rather thin,
crested with a thick rugged mane, which, like the tail, is black. The
pasterns are long, the hooves are narrow, high and rather pointed. The
voice of the Tarpan is loud and shriller than that of a domestic horse.
A genuine wild species, it was migratory, proceeding northward in summer to
a considerable distance, and returning early in autumn. If captured,
the Tarpan always dies of ennui in a short time, if they do not break their
own necks in resisting the will of man.
According to nineteenth century eye-witnesses, the Tarpans form herds of
several hundred, subdivided into smaller troops, each headed by a stallion.
They prefer the wide-open elevated Steppes, and always proceed in lines with
the head to windward, moving slowly forward while grazing. They
have a remarkable piercing sight. The point of a Cossack's spear
at a great distance on the horizon, seen behind a bush, being sufficient to
make the whole troop halt; but this is not a token of alarm. It
soon resumes its march till some young stallion on the skirts begins to blow
with his nostrils, moves his ears in all directions with rapidity, and trots
or scampers forward to reconnoitre, bearing the head very high and the tail
out: if his curiosity is satisfied he stops and begins to graze;
but if he takes alarm, he flings up his croup, turns round, and with a
peculiarly shrill neighing, warns the herd, which immediately turns round
and gallops off at an amazing rate, with the stallions in the rear, stopping
and looking back repeatedly, while the mares and foals disappear as if by
enchantment, because with unerring tact they select the first swell of
ground to conceal them until they appear at a great distance, generally in a
direction to preserve the lee side of the apprehended danger. Although
bears and wolves occasionally prowl after a herd, they will not venture to
attack it, for the Sultan-stallion will instantly meet the enemy, and,
rising on his haunches, strike him down with the forefeet; and should
he be worsted, which is seldom the case, another stallion becomes the
champion: and in the case of a troop of wolves, the herd forms a close
mass, with the foals within, and the stallions charge in a body which no
troop of wolves will venture to encounter. |
| Tatoo |
Indian working pony. |
| Tazee |
Bred in Bengal, India, these
horses reached 16 hands, had Roman noses, narrow foreheads, ill-shaped eyes,
lank bodies, and were very vicious. |
| Tekeh (Turkoman) |
The tallest, hardiest and most
war-like of the Turkoman horses. |
| Thessalian |
Homer made a note of its
speed. |
| Thieldones |
A Roman ambler. |
| Thracian |
Alexander the Great's
celebrated charger, Bucephalus, was of this breed. The Parthians
valued this race above every other and believed that different-coloured eyes
in the same animal enabled it to see better by night. |
| Transylvanian |
A 15 hand high horse with a
slender body, fine head, high withers, the tail set on level with the back,
and fine limbs. Often bay or grey, its mane and tail were long and
silky. |
| Turan |
"Clouded" horses, described by
the Persian poet Firdausi. According to the Persian historian Mickhoud,
the Caliph Motassem used 130,000 clouded horses in his army. These
noted piebald horses were used by the invading Tartar army under Peta Khan
when in 1241 he broke through Russia and Poland and slew Duke Henry of
Silesia. They continue at present to exist in small breeds in
Moldavia, Wallachia, Poland and Pomerania, but are now only used to mount
trumpeters and the bands of Hussar regiments. |
| Turkish |
Derived from the ancient
Turkoman blood, they are delicate and have very tender and irritable skin,
making it necessary to use the brush and sponge alone in cleaning them.
But they are docile and graceful like gazelles. |
| Turkoman |
Larger than the Persian,
standing 16 hands high, capable of immense fatigue and privation. Some
are said to have travelled 900 miles in eleven days. There are
several sub-groups of this breed. |
| Wallachian |
An exceedingly hardy horse
with a small head and huge mane and tail. This race was the first to
be emasculated, on account of its fierceness, and hence geldings, in
Germany, are still called Wallachs. |
| Yaboo |
A common horse of Afghanistan,
often piebald and believed to be descended from the Parthian breed.
|
| Yo-to-tze |
A diminutive horse located in
the Chinese frontier north-east of Calcutta. It was a yellowish-red
clay colour, excepting the black tips of the ears, the mane, and long hair
in the tail, a well-defined line along the back extending down the middle of
the tail, crossed by a broad bar of the same colour over the shoulders.
The head had a very straight profile, with a small mouth, delicate nostrils
and a deer-like aspect, resembling that of a noble Arab; excepting
that the eyes display less fire and more cunning; the ears were only 4
inches long. It had a coarse abundant mane which stood upright.
Its voice was a kind of horse neigh; terminating with a roar like the
lower tones of an ass's braying. |