hundred; one of them always acting as centinel, to give notice of approaching danger: This he does by a kind of snorting noise, upon which they all fly off with astonishing rapidity. The wild Horses of Arabia are esteemed the most beautiful in the world: They are of a brown colour, their mane and tail of black tufted hair, very short; they are smaller than the tame ones, are very active, and of great swiftness. The most usual method of taking them is by snares or pits formed in the sand.—It is probable there were once wild Horses in Europe, which have long since been brought under subjection.—Those found in America were originally of the Spanish breed, sent thither upon its first discovery, which have since become wild, and spread themselves over various parts of that vast continent. They are generally small, not exceeding fourteen hands high; with thick heads, and clumsy joints: Their ears and necks are longer than those of the English Horses. They are easily tamed; and if by accident they should regain their liberty, they seldom become wild again, but know their master, and may be easily caught by him.
At the age of two years,[1] the Horse is in a condition to propagate.—The mare is generally in season from the
- ↑ There are various ways of judging of the age of a Horse. The following are the most general:—The eye-pits of old Horses are commonly hollow; but that mark is equivocal, young Horses, begot by old stallions, having them also hollow.—The teeth afford the best criterion of the age of Horses. The Horse has, in all, forty teeth; viz. twenty-four grinders, four canine teeth or tusks, and twelve fore-teeth: Mares have either no tusks, or very short ones. Five days after birth, the four teeth in front begin to shoot: These are called nippers, and are cast at the age of two years and a half: They are soon renewed: And the next year, he again casts two above, and two below,—one on each side of the nippers. At four years and a half, other four fall out, next those last placed: These last four foal teeth are succeeded by other four, which
