Articles of History: Excerpted from: POINTS OF THE HORSE |
We
learn from General Tweedie that although Arabs pay great attention to preserving
purity of blood in their horses, they have no written pedigrees of their
animals, because they are illiterate. They apply the general term, Kuhailan,
to their pure-bred horses in a manner somewhat similar to our use of the
word "thorough-bred." We read in The Arabian Horse, that
the parent trunk of Kuhailan, has produced four great branches (Saklavi,
U'baiyan, Hamdani, and Hadban); and that they, and it, are known in Arabic
as al Khamsa (The Five).
Palgrave (Encyclopedia Britannica) tries to make out that pure-bred Najdi horses are not exported. Tweedie shows that this idea is entirely wrong, and that a large trade is done with India via Kuwait (Grane). As the Najdi Arabs ride only mares, they are naturally glad to get rid of their surplus entries at a remunerative price. although they have a strong prejudice against selling mares for export, liberal payment enables them to occasionally overcome that feeling. Experienced Arab dealers whose friendship I have enjoyed, have often assured me that many of the best and highest caste horses bred in the Desert are to be found among the Arabs sent to India for racing... "We do not know of an easier method by which a European might see and buy Najdi horses prior to export that by stationing himself from June to September in the well-oasis of Barjasia, a three day's journey out of Kuwait. He would then be on the caravan route which leads from Najd to the sea coast" (Tweedie). The port of Kuwait is about 150 miles south of Bussorah.
"blood and stride in the desert which has never been seen out of it" (Skene). |
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Articles of History |
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