20 MANUAL OF PACK TRANSPORTATION. 



is of sufficient length, it will be noticed that in cinching, the aparejo 

 is lifted by the cincha until the proper base line is formed from the 

 center of the animal's belly each way. If the aparejo is too short or 

 too long, its lifting power is lost, as is also the case when there is not 

 sufficient padding in the boots, which should not be permitted to hug 

 the body of the mule (a serious defect in the English pack saddle). 

 The weight of the load being practically what is termed a dead weight, 

 the lift or spring of the sticks is lost in the travel of the animal. 



As pack trains were numerous in the early days (1850-1870) on the 

 Pacific coast and in the Territories of the Northwest, the information 

 spread rapidly from train to train and a system of ribbing the 

 aparejo from front to rear became general. Each owner of a pack 

 outfit, known as the "padrone," adopted a method of his own as his 

 understanding of conditions prompted. 



The eagerness to save the animal's backbone caused many pack 

 masters to rib the aparejo too stiff — that is, by using sticks of too 

 large diameter, giving rise to many body bunches and belly sores; 

 and to save the loins from what are termed "kidney sores" sticks 

 of too small diameter were employed, without regard to proportion 

 from front to rear, causing the aparejo to flare out at front, giving 

 opportunity for the aparejo to work forward and causing sore tails. 

 To relieve this condition the reverse method of ribbing was used, with 

 no better results. 



The conformation of the mule was not considered in those days in 

 ribbing the aparejo. The California mule being a cross between the 

 burro and cayuse (pony), with large and deep belly, short in stature, 

 was a great climber and hardy packer. 



This conformation of mule afforded ample cause for sore tails, the 

 difference in girth back of the elbow and at point of greatest swell 

 of the barrel or belly varying from 8 to 16 inches. As ribbing by 

 the mule's conformation as a guide was neither understood or at- 

 tempted, mules of the above description always had sore tails, devel- 

 oping a double lip or growth above and below the sore. The mule 

 having the reverse of this conformation — that is, of greater or equal 

 girth back of the elbow as at center of barrel — will never have a sore 

 tail, but mules of this description are not suited for pack service. 



The success attending the introduction of sticks of full length in 

 protecting the backbone led to a general application of their uses; 

 the "round" collar gave way to the "square" collar to give oppor- 

 tunity to supply more ribs to protect the withers. 



In trial of the square collar (6 by 6 inches) it was found that the 

 aparejo often pinched the withers, and an offset of 2 by 2 inches was 

 provided; this provision opened the collar with satisfactory results. 

 (See i, fig. 1.) 



In 1886 Mr. Moore supervised the construction of 100 or more 

 aparejos at the military prison. Fort Leavenworth, Kans., in which 

 a second offset was provided, and resulted in contracting the collar 

 in a manner similar to the action of the square collar. This led to 

 the return of the first offset, which has been used ever since. 



The saddlery company of Messrs. Main & Winchester, 216 Battery 

 street, San Francisco, Cal., furnished the Government the first regu- 

 lar stitched (wax end) aparejo some time during the early seventies. 



The old aparejo of Mexican manufacture was of whitish tan or 

 rawhide color of long life, a few of these being still in use during 



