NATIVE HORSES AND 
CATTLE IN THE ORIENT 
Future of the Livestock Industries of China Outlined—Possibilities for Development 
of Great Meat and Dairy Resources if Modern Methods of Care 
and Breeding Are Introduced 
C. O. LEVINE 
Associate Professor of Animal Husbandry, Canton Christian College 
ORSES, donkeys and mules have 
H been little used in China, except 
in the northern and western 
provinces where they are used 
almost solely as pack animals and for 
riding. The southwest and western 
border of China, and Tibet, is the native 
home of the Chinese pony, which in 
literature is referred to as the Tibetan 
pony. Up to the present time no horses 
have been raisedin Kwangtung. Horses 
from the western provinces are shipped 
to Kwangtung chiefly from Yunnan. 
The Chinese, or Tibetan pony, is an 
excellent pony for this region. It 
thrives well in this climate, and its size— 
it usually weighs about 500 pounds— 
is well suited to the narrow roads and 
“coffin-board”’ bridges. It is a beauti- 
ful animal, and the better ones are 
intelligent and easily trained by one who 
understands horses, provided the horses 
have not been previously spoiled by 
improper handling. They have good 
enduring powers, and seem quite free 
from diseases and unsoundnesses. They 
have colors common among other 
horses—black, white, sorrel, bay, pie- 
bald, gray, white, iron gray, with bay 
predominating. 
THE MONGOLIAN HORSE 
The Mongolian horse is quite common 
in the north of China. Itisconsiderably 
larger than the Chinese pony, weighing 
about 700 to 800 or more pounds. It is 
of interest to students of horse breeding 
because of the fact that it is supposed 
to be the ancestor of most of our modern 
breeds of horses. It is raised in Mon- 
golia in a semi-wild manner, much as 
the mustangs or Indian ponies were 
raised in the United States on the west- 
ern plains up to recent years. It is a 
strong and swift horse, and is said to 
be fairly free from diseases, but does not 
do well in the south. As a rule those 
observed by the writer have not appeared 
as handsome as the Chinese ponies. 
It is the horse that is used in the annual 
races of Shanghai and Hongkong. It 
is not very popular in Canton, where 
there are only about 50 Mongolian 
horses as compared with about 250 
Chinese ponies. 
HORSES IN CANTON 
While the number of horses in Canton 
is at present small the demand for horses 
for riding and carriage use in Canton is 
rapidly increasing. Some of the livery 
barns recently have imported mares 
from the western part of China and have 
begun to raise ponies in Canton. There 
are few mares in Canton other than those 
recently imported for breeding purposes. 
The males are seldom castrated. 
As a rule the Cantonese take good 
care of their horses, keeping their animals 
in good condition. 
The usual concentrated feed for horses 
in Canton is corn, rice chop, and wheat 
bran, Green grass and rice straw are fed 
as roughage. The grass and straw are 
usually cut into short lengths before 
feeding. Rice is always cooked for the 
horses, as well as for other classes of 
livestock. 
CHINESE CATTLE 
Shantung, Chihli, and Honan _ pro- 
vinees in the north, and Szechwan, 
Yunnan and Kwangsi provinces in the 
southwest, produce cattle in largest 
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