Part 30

For racing, the Arabs subject their horses to a preparatory regimen, which is called tadmir, or training. Thank to this treatment, a horse acquires a wonderful speed. The tadmir is in this wise.

They begin by increasing the animal's allowance of food, so that he gains fat to a perceptible degree. When this result has been attained, they begin to reduce his condition by gradually diminishing his rations for forty days, until they have reached the minimum of nourishment. During these forty days, they subject him to progressive exercise. At the same time, and from the very first day from lowering his keep, they cover the animal with seven djellale, or horse-cloths, one of which they remove every six days. The sweating disperses all the fat, gets rid of a useless weight, gives tone to the muscles, and leaves nothing but hard flesh. By means of this treatment, a horse attains, according to the stock he comes from, the highest degree of speed. Thus prepared, the horse is brought on to the djalba or race ground.

Horses arriving from all districts are led on to the djalba, and crowds of people likewise flock thither. At no other time, except at the period of the assemblage of pilgrims, is such a concourse of men to be seen, and all the nobles and chiefs are present.

"We have taken part in the races, and, although it was yet early, the crowd was as great as at the period of pilgrimages."

Horses properly trained are never suffered to run against those that are not. They are placed in different classes, to each of which a different goal is assigned. The trained horses have much the longest course to run. The race-course in this case in called el midmar, and upon this the learned Bokhari has remarked:

"The Prophet caused the trained horses to run by themselves, and fixed a distance of seven miles to traverse, while for ordinary horses he fixed a distance of only three miles."

The horses are grouped together by tens, but before allowing them to start and to prevent false starts, the following precaution is taken. A rope is stretched across touching the animals' chests, the two ends of which are held by two men. This rope is called el mikbad, and el mikouas; and in reference to it the Prophet said: "The horse runs according to his race, but placed before the mikouas he runs according to his chance of a rider." Or, in other words: "In ordinary circumstances the speed of horses depends on the qualities of blood with which they are more or less endowed; but in a race success depends greatly on the skill of the rider, and not unfrequently a horse of the purest blood may be outstripped by a less noble animal." To each of the ten horses that have contended, a name is assigned indicative of his degree of swiftness. Thus the one that arrives first at the goal is called Modjalla, "taking away," because he takes away care from the heart of his master. The second is named el Mousalli, from the word salouan, "the extremity of the buttocks," because he follows the first so closely that the point of his nose touches the other's hindquarters. "I must positively be the mousalli, [that is, the second] if I consent to thy carrying off the first prize." The third receives the surname of el Msali, "Consoling," because he consoles his master, who is content that there is only one horse between his own and the winner. The fourth is el Tali, or "the Follower;" the fifth el Mourtah, "the fifth finger of the hand;" the sixth el Aâtif; the seventh el Hadi, "the Lucky one," because he has his share of success with the foremost; the eighth, el Mouhammil, "one who gives hopes," because he caused his master to hope that he might be among the winners; the ninth, el Lathim, or "the Buffeted," because he has been humiliated and rejected on all sides; and the tenth, el Sokeït, "the Taciturn," because his master undergoes the lowest humiliation without uttering a word—shame closing his mouth. Of these ten horses seven gain a prize, but the others obtain nothing. At the further end of the course a vast tent is pitched, into which the seven winners are admitted in order to shelter them, while the three others are ignominiously driven away.

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE CLEMENT AND MERCIFUL.

"We took part in the horse races. Though it was early morning the crowd was as dense as at the season of pilgrimage.

"Horses were brought from every quarter, but no one knows better than ourselves how to rear and train them.

"We arrived at the peep of day with horses whose hoofs were as hollow as cups. The stars had announced good fortune to them.

"They are drawn up according to the purity of their race. The noble is placed by the side of the noble.

"Among them is a black horse with robust limbs and adorned with a white mark on his forehead. When he feels the bit in his mouth, he dashes off, clearing the lines traced to indicate the goal.

"The star that shines on his forehead equals the brilliancy of Mirzam.

"Then a dark bay with a black mane, endowed by nature with admirable qualities, with a sleek skin, bearing also a star on his forehead, and a white mark on the upper lip.

"Next a horse completely black without a white spot anywhere, but participating in the excellent qualities of the preceding.

"They have been brought to excite the admiration of the spectators, impatient to see them appear in the lists.

"Horsemen mount them, hardy as bars of iron and short of stature. Their voice is like the roaring of the lion.

"Seated on their coursers they look like starlings hovering over the table-land of a mountain.

"At last they draw up in line. In the midst of the assembly of spectators, a man, a Mussulman like the others, sits in the capacity of umpire. He has been chosen by common accord as arbiter, and surely his awards will not be tainted with partiality.

"The steeds let loose in the arena disperse immediately like pearls that fall from a necklace, or like a covey of ketâa (gray partridges) discovered by a falcon that swoops down upon them, attacking them with fury.

"The black, with a white mark on the forehead, comes in first.

"The bay with the dark mane is second, and the entirely black is without reproach, for he runs in third.

The Tali is the fourth, and follows the others. But how far is the inhabitant of the Tahama from the inhabitant of Nedjed!

The fifth, el Mourtah, is not to be blamed, for he has done as well as he could do.

The Aâtif is the sixth. He comes in all trembling, and his fear well nigh stopped him in mid-career.

"The seventh is the Hadi. The awarder of prizes will give unto him his due.

"The Mouhammil, who gave such hopes to his master, has come in the eighth. He was mistaken. The unfortunate one encountered on his path the bird of ill omen. He suffered seven horses to pass before him and ran in the eighth—but the eighth horse is not one of the winners.