"Rustam Captures Rakhsh", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)

Abu'l Qasim Firdausi

When he came of age, Zal promised his son, the hero Rustam, the pick of the wild horses that roamed Zabulistan and Kabulistan. Rustam chose a horse that was notoriously difficult to catch; for three years, it had resisted the attempts of the warriors who tried to tame him. Rustam, however, was able to capture the horse with his lasso and climb on its back.