Positively drowning in cinnamon candles and eggnog lattes as you may be, I’d like to share this with you:
“17th December, 1684. Early in the morning I went into St. James Park to see three Turkish or Asian horses, newly brought over, and now first shown to his Majesty. There were four, but one of them died at sea, being three weeks coming from Hamburg. They were taken from a Bashaw at the siege of Vienna, at the late famous raising that leaguer.
I never beheld so delicate a creature as one of them was, of somewhat a bright bay, two white feet, a blaze; such a head, eyes, ears, neck, breast, belly, haunches, legs, pasterns, and feet; in all regards, beautiful, and proportioned to admiration; spirited, proud, nimble, making halt, turning with that swiftness, and in so small a compass, as was admirable.
With all this so gentle and tractable as called to mind what I remembered Busbequius speaks of them, to the reproach of our grooms in Europe, who bring up their horses so churlishly, as makes most of them retain their ill habits. They trotted like does, as if they did not feel the ground”.
- The Horses of the World: The Development of Man’s Companion in War Camp, on Farm, in the Marts of Trade, and in the Field of Sports, National Geographic Society, (c) 1923
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I have this record to mix but there is too much music in the world.