The horses in highest estimation are chiefly imported from the Punjab, and from Persia, by regular dealers, who come down to our north-west frontier annually, after the rains, accompanied by many camels, generally of an excellent breed, which, besides conveying the tents, &c., of the party, bear heavy burthens of shawls, dried fruits, and, occasionally, cats of the most beautiful description. Such gentlemen as wish for horses of great strength, ordinarily purchase toorkies; which, being extremely stout, and phlegmatic, answer well for persons of great weight, and of timid disposition.
The Persian horses have generally a finer shoulder, and attain a better standard, than the toorky, which rarely measures fifteen hands, and, in general, may be about fourteen: both kinds are remarkable for heavy, lob-ears, and are always well advanced in years before they are brought for sale. Even under that great drawback, they commonly sell for eight hundred, or a thousand, rupees, and, when of a handsome color, well formed, and of a good size, will produce from fifteen hundred, to three thousand, rupees.
The jungle-tazee, which is bred in the Punjab, or Seik country, is, in general, handsome, and spirited. These come at an earlier age, as does the majennis, which is bred in the same quarter, and is usually the offspring of a jungle-tazee horse, with a Persian or toorky mare; or vice versâ. Both these kinds may be rated as rising to full fifteen hands; and their prices are usually on a par with the toorky.
It is highly necessary, when purchasing of a native dealer, to look very accurately into every matter relating to soundness, and quietness. Those gentry are admirable jockies, and commonly administer such doses of opium to their vicious cattle, as cause them for a while to appear pre-eminently passive; a circumstance easily detected, by insisting on the animal being left under charge of the purchaser’s own syce, (i.e. groom,) for a day or two, before the money is paid.
When making bargains with European gentlemen, the whole of the transactions are generally overt, and free from disguise, but, when native is opposed to native, the affair is conducted with much assumed mystery. A cloth is laid over the knees of the seller and purchaser, as they squat vis a vis on the ground close together; the hookah is introduced, and resorted to, whenever any little difference takes place: at other times, the parties have each one hand, generally the right, under the cloth, when, by means of pressures on the palms, which denote hundreds, and of the fingers, which denote, in their due order, 20, 40, 60, and 80, speedily understand each other very fully. This affectation is carried to such an extent, that I have seen nearly a whole day passed in keeping up the farce, though afterwards it was divulged to me, as a great secret, that the bargain had been made during the first five minutes; but the seller was desirous to uphold a character for being very tenacious of the sum originally demanded!
Almost every light-colored horse, such as a grey, or a dun, has its tail stained for many inches near the tip with mindy, (i.e. hinna,) as used by the ladies of Hindostan: generally, a ring of the same is added about two inches above, and of about two inches in depth. On account of the inconvenience and heat attendant upon the retention of full manes, which are considered indispensable towards the beauty of a horse, it is usual to braid them with silk, or thread ties, of various colors, chiefly red, or yellow: the practice certainly has the intended effect, but causes a large portion of the mane to fall off. The hair of the tail is never cut by a native, and but rarely by an European; on account of the millions of gad-flies, which, but for such a defence, would irritate the animal greatly, and occasion him to fall off, both from his condition, and his food.
The stables for horses should be amply spacious, and covered with thatch, in preference to tiles, which throw too great heat into the interior. The head-ropes, which commonly branch out from the head-stall in different directions angularly forward, ought to be substantial, and rather long than limitted. The heel-ropes ought to be full twenty feet in length, and kept a little off the ground, by a small bar, or prop, to prevent their being rotted by the wet. One end of each heel-rope is furnished with a loop of rather thinner and softer rope, plaited flat, so as not to injure the pastern, round which it loops on. But for such preventives, the syces dare not rub down their cattle; which would, besides, fight desperately, unless thus restrained.
Stalls of plank are by no means suited to the climate, nor would they offer any defence against the horses of India, very few of which are castrated. The best, but, at the same time, very insufficient, device, is the placing of swinging bars between the horses severally; even these are no restraint, further than limitting a horse in case he should get loose; a circumstance instantly announced by the tremendous uproar occasioned by such an accident, which but rarely occurs.
On account of the extreme danger to which horses are subjected by the frequency of fires, it is advisable that every stable, especially if thatched, should have a range of water-pots placed along the ridge. These should always be kept full of water, to be at the disposal of men sent up to sprinkle the thatch, and to extinguish whatever flakes may fall upon it; but, in case the thatch itself should accidentally take fire, before any person can mount to distribute the water, then the pots should be broken, by means of clods, poles, or whatever means may offer under such emergency.
The horse-dealers from the Punjab, and from Persia, may be said to lay the Company’s provinces under annual contribution; since it is ascertained, that, one year with another, they take back bills, cash, or goods, (generally the former,) to the full amount of four lacs of rupees (£50,000). For this they deliver from five to six hundred horses, of which nine in ten are aged, some dried fruits, Persian cats, and shawls, the whole intrinsic value of which, or at least the prime cost and duties payable on the way, cannot exceed one-fourth of that sum. In truth, the duties, which are rigorously exacted by various petty princes, &c., through whose territories they must pass, form the greater portion even of that share of the booty. Yet do the venerable dealers in horse-flesh always plead poverty, and that they have made so very bad a trip, that, on their return home, their affairs must go to ruin: however, they make a shift to come down, year after year, though buying and selling to so much loss!