MULES. 259 



States are, in my humble opinion, places where the indigenous and 

 flourishing horse-breeding industry should be encouraged by Govern- 

 ment as much as is compatible with retention of private zeal in this 

 direction. The Government Department of Horse-Breeding Opera- 

 tions strives to develop to the utmost all the horse-producing resources 

 of the country, recognises that the ways and places of mule-breeding 

 are not those of horse-breeding in the majority of cases, and subor- 

 dinates in all cases mule-breeding to hor.se and pony-breeding In 

 many places donkeys are placed for use where the mares are below 

 the horse standard, and in other places where mares are of low class 

 donkeys only are placed ; a man must have his mare branded as good 

 enough if he wants to use her for horse-breeding ; but there is, I 

 believe, no regulation under which a mare must be branded as bad 

 enough for mule-breeding, surely a necessary precaution where mule 

 foals will sell for more than horse or pony foals ! 



Fortunately, many a mare unsuitable to ordinary horse duties 

 has qualities which suit her well for mule-breeding. Mules are 

 not used for racing or other fast work, not much for heavy draught, 

 and never to draw guns or mount heavy cavalry- But they are 

 needed for light draught and pack purposes, and for these 

 their flat sides, sluggish temperaments, stolidity, endurance, and 

 power of resisting diseases well suit them. A good mule would be a 

 very bad horse in the majority of cases. Thus many very ugly mares 

 are well suited to throw mule foals, and in mule-breeding the question 

 of unsoundness is not so important as in horse-breeding for it seems 

 that unsoundnesses are not readily transmitted to mule offspring, and, 

 further, we know that they will not, even if they reduce the value of 

 the individual, deteriorate the race. 



The qualities of the mule admirably adapt him for his place in 

 life. The French in Algeria, found him very sure-footed, strong of 

 limb, hard of hoof (which does not, like that of the horse, dry up 

 under the influence of heat), with step even and as long as that of 

 the horse, a remarkable power, of ascending and descending steep 

 places and of cleverly turning sharp corners, sure on the worst of 

 roads, quiet, easy to please as regards food, tolerant of heat and 

 thirst, requiring drink less often and less in amount than the horse, 

 more intelligent than we generally consider, and quite susceptible of 



