Part 23

The Black: "He must be black as a night without moon and stars."

The Bay: He must be nearly black, or streaked with gold. "The dark red one said to the dispute, 'Stop there.'"

The Chestnut: "Desire a dark shade. When he flees beneath the sun, it is the wind. The Prophet was partial to chestnuts."

The Dark Dappled-Gray, called "the grey of the wild pigeon," if resembling the stone of the river.

He will fill the douar When it is empty, And will preserve us from the combat, On the day when the muzzles of the guns touch each other.

The Grays are generally esteemed when the head is of a lighter colour than the body.

The Green, or rather the yellow dun, which must be dark, with black tail and mane.

White is the colour for princes, but does not stand heat. The black brings good fortune, but fears rocky ground. The chestnut is the most active. "If one tells you that he has seen a horse fly in the air, ask of what colour he was; and if he replies: 'Chestnut,'—believe him." "In a combat against a chestnut, you must have a chestnut." The bay is the hardiest and most sober. "If one tells you that a horse has leaped to the bottom of a precipice without hurting himself, ask of what colour he was; and if he replies: 'Bay,'—believe him."

Ben Dyab, a renowned chief of the desert, who flourished in the year of the Hijra 955, happening one day to be pursued by Saad-el-Zenaty, sheikh of the Oulad-Yagoub, turned to his son and asked: "What horses are in the front of the enemy?" "White horses," replied his son. "It is well; let us make for the sunny side, and they will melt away like butter." Some time afterwards Ben Dyab again turned to his son and said: "What horses are in the front of the enemy?" "Black horses," cried his son. "It is well; let us make for stony ground, and we shall have nothing to fear—they are the negroes of the Soudan, who cannot walk with bare feet upon the flints." He changed his course, and the black horses were speedily distanced. A third time Ben Dyab asked: "And now, what horses are in the front of the enemy?" "Dark chestnuts and dark bays." "In that case," exclaimed Ben Dyab, "strike out, my children, strike out, and give your horses the heel, for these might perchance overtake us had we not given barley to ours all the summer through."

The coats despised are:

The Piebald: "Flee him like the pestilence, for he is own brother to the cow."

The kouskoussou arrives when he is gone, And he finds the dispute as soon as he arrives.

The Isabel, with white mane and tail; no chief would condescend to mount such a horse. There are some tribes even that would not consent to allow him to remain a single night with them. They call such a one sefeur el ihoudy, "the Jew's yellow." It is a colour that brings ill luck.

The iron gray And the Jew's yellow, If his rider returns from the fight Cut off my hand.

The Roan; this is called meghedeur-el-deum, "a pool of blood." The rider is sure to be overtaken, but will never overtake.

The horse is to be valued that has no white spots except a star on the forehead, or a simple white stripe down the face. The latter must descend to the lips, and then the owner will never be in want of milk. It is a fortunate mark. It is the image of the dawn. If the star is truncated or has jagged edges, it is universally disliked, and if the animal adds to that a white spot in front of the saddle no man in his senses would mount it, nor would any judge of horse-flesh deign to possess it. Such a horse is as fatal as a subtile poison. If a horse has several white spots, three is the preferable number—one of the right feet should be exempt, but it matters not whether it be behind or before. It is a good sign to have stockings on both the off forefoot and the near hindfoot. It is called,

The hand of the writer And the foot of the horseman.

The master of such a horse cannot fail to be fortunate, for he mounts and dismounts over white. The Arabs, it must be remembered, generally mount on the off side and alight on the near side. Two hind stockings are a sign of good fortune;

The horse with the white hind-feet, His master will never be ruined.

It is the same with white forefeet—his master's face will never turn yellow. Never buy a horse with a white face and four stockings, for he carries his winding-sheet with him. The prejudices of the Arabs on the subject of white spots are summed up in the following little story:

"An Arab had a blood mare. There was a dispute beforehand as to what her foal would be. So when she was on the point of foaling he invited all his friends to be present. The head first of all came in sight—it bore a star. The Arab rejoiced. His horse would one day, outstrip the dawn, for he had the mark on his forehead. Next appeared the near forefoot, when the owner in ecstasy demanded one hundred douros for the foal. The off forefoot then showed itself with a stocking, and the price was reduced to fifty douros. After that came the near hindfoot. It also had a stocking, and the Arab overjoyed, swore that he would not part with his foal for the whole world. But lo! the fourth foot presents itself likewise with a stocking, when the dweller in the Sahara cast the animal out, in his fury, on the refuse-heap, unable to bring himself to keep such a brute."

A horse has forty white Tufts, of which twenty eight are generally considered as being of neither good nor bad omen, while to the remaining twelve a certain influence is attributed. It is agreed on all hands to regard six of these as augmenting riches and bringing good fortune, and the other six as causing ruin and adversity.

The tufts of good omen are:

The tuft that is between the two ears, nekhlet el aâdar, "the tuft of the head stall": such a horse is swift in the race.

The tuft that grows on the lateral surface of the neck, sebâa enneby, "the finger of the Prophet": the owner will die like a good Mussulman in his bed.

The tuft of the Sultan, nekhlet essoultan. It runs along the whole length of the neck, following the tracheal artery: love, riches, and prosperity. The horse that bear this offers up three prayers every day:

"Allah grant that my master may look upon me as the most precious possession he has in the world!"

"May Allah give unto him a happy lot, so that mine may benefit by it!"