Toy Camel from Dubai

My toy camel comes from Dubai.  We were on a school break and decided to go to Dubai.  The tag on the camel says Dubai 2003.  Another tag says this camel is a Limited Edition Collectible exclusively for Hard Rock Cafe.

I like the details on this toy camel.  There are patches on each leg to represent the camel’s knees and it is possible to bend the legs so the camel can kneel down and rest on his lower legs.  

Camels are even-toed hoofed mammals.  Their hooves are not fully formed and are more like toenails since they do not fully cover the toe.  I like how each foot of my toy camel has two toes and the toenails are black in colour.  You can see that the ‘hoof’ does not fully cover the toe.

Camels walk in a rocking motion called pacing.  Both the front and back leg on the same side move forward together.  

Camels have leather-like, thick fur pads on the knees and elbows to protect their skin when laying down on the hot desert sand.  Each leg has two knees that the camel can manoeuvre in order to sit down.  This makes it easier for riders to climb up and down.

When a camel sits down, the front legs bend back and the camel goes to the ground.  If you are sitting on the camel you have to be careful not to fall forward.  The back legs go to the ground next.  Again the rider has to be careful not to fall backwards.  When a camel gets up they stand up with their back legs first.  Riders must be careful or they’ll be thrown face first onto the camel’s neck.  The rider must hold onto the saddle and lean back to counteract the camel’s motion.  

Learning the skill of staying in the saddle while the camel gets up and down is one of the first things a new rider must master.  I am sure every beginner has a story to tell of when they fell off a camel’s back.  

# living life abundantly    # published author