Description
Silhouetted against an ominous sky, their burnouses billowing out of control, the men brace themselves against the simoun (the hot, dry, sand-laden windstorms of the North African and Arabian deserts) with well-practiced determination. The wild eyes of the two bay horses indicate their fear, as they seek solace in whatever source they can. The grey Arab, with his powerful hindquarters and muscular, arched neck, appears more assured; his head is bowed in order to protect his eyes from the unforgiving winds, and his hooves are firmly planted. The earthward stare of both horse and rider seems also to ground them, and imparts on the pyramidal group a sense of reassuring stoicism. They will successfully brave this storm – and probably many more.
