INDIAN BK! 



LIVE STOCK 



coat \ar\niL- m every shade of dun. It i- Mippoited to posses* a strong strain 

 <>f Arab hi.. 0,1. an opution -u [.ported l>\ the known frequent intercourse between 

 the t wo countries, l i,.- tn ares are most esteemed, a* the horses are noted acreamars. 

 The Bhavnagar and I'ahtana 1'nnce, take the greatest posiiible interact r 

 preservation m,l improv ement of tin, peculiar and special breed. 



_. Bombay. The li,.r>e-i ,,f Kaeh and Smd do M ot materially differ from 

 >i Katln.iu.ii . They are usually a littleover fourteen I lands, are well made, 



bpirited, ..how \ in ai-tion, with clean limbs. ^ 1 l.on, , i |,m |..nj neck, large head, 



outstanding r.nn like I, row, and small ears. Their great defect is their bad 

 temper. Hut there may be said to he three other type- in the P reside n \ ;n the 

 hardy Maratha pony, tht> little Gujarat i. and the Mimthadi of the Deccan. The 

 last mentioned is one of the best breeds in India. 



3. Waiiri and Baluchi. A fine breed of hardy and active animals. They 

 u'ood shoulders, very deep and moderately broad chests and angular dl 

 Barters, very broad across the hips. They make excellent troopers on 

 account ,,f their speed and endurance, and, crossed with Arabs and thoroughbred 

 Kndish horses, become good cavalry remom 



l Panjab. There are many special race-, such as those reared about Rawal- 

 pindi, .ihelam. Cujrat. Cugaira and Lahore. In the Sikh times the greatest 

 care was bestowed on them, and stallions from Kathiawar, Kach, Baluchistan and 

 mistan were regularly imported and used to improve the stock. The average 

 Panjabi country- bred to-day is small, but possesses great powers of endurance. 

 It used to be a by no means uncommon occurrence to hear of an ekka pony 

 dragging a cart and three passengers from Simla to Kalka, thus covering 58 

 miles in one day, without, as the saying goes, " turning a hair." This is repre- 

 sentative of the hardy little animals found on the plains adjoining the North- 

 West Himalaya. In former times the Sikh cavalry were horsed from Dhanni, 

 north of the Salt Range, and even now large numbers of remounts are drawn from 

 that country. 



5. Burma and Manipur. The ponies of Burma, which are small, hardy and 

 exceedingly tractable, are said to be all importations from the Shan States and 

 Manipur. Their characteristic pace is an unbroken run, in which the shoulders 

 seem to roll from side to side. The pure Manipur is generally considered the 

 best of all Indian ponies. It is well under thirteen hands, is mostly dun-coloured, 

 and is possessed of wonderful powers of endurance and weight-carrying capabilities. 



6. Himalayan Ponies. The Ghunt or Khund breed is met with in Lahoul and 

 Spiti, and is employed almost entirely for saddle purposes. It is never over 

 twelve hands, is strongly built, exceptionally surefooted and hardy, but is often 

 very hard-mouthed and stubborn. A similar animal is the Bhutia pony, which 

 often attains a height of fourteen hands. A larger and more valuable breed la 

 that known as the Yarkand pony. It much resembles the Y6bu of Afghanistan ; 

 has a short round body, deep chest, full quarters, and thick limbs a miniature 

 English cart-horse. It is an admirable pack-horse, and inured to heavy loads. 

 It moves at about five miles an hour, and if allowed to preserve that pace 

 has great powers of endurance. Closely allied is the pack and riding pony of 

 Baltistan and Kashmir. 



7. Asses and Mules. The ass exists in all parts of India and is largely used 

 as a beast of burden, especially by the dhobis or washermen, potters, tinkers, etc. 

 As a rule it is badly cared for, its only redeeming feature being its cheapness. 

 In Kathiawar there is a specially good breed of donkeys, of which the Halar or 

 Jhalavad white variety is specially deserving of notice. The people of the 

 interior Himalaya have also a peculiar breed a very small black animal with 

 long shaggy hair. This they bring with them when they come down in the winter 

 months to seek work at Simla and other outer hill stations. Mules seem to 

 have been known from the most ancient times in India, .^lian says that the 

 mares are often covered by the wild asses, red-coloured mules being the 

 result. These are very fleet and impatient of the yoke. They are caught with 

 foot-traps, and when only two years old may be tamed and domesticated. 

 They are then taken to the King of Persia. Blanford gives full particulars of 

 the Asiatic Wild Ass. It is found throughout Central and Western Asia, a few 

 being occasionally seen in Baluchistan, the Panjab frontier, and even east of the 

 Indus in Bikanir and the Rann of Kach. 



For many years past the Government of India have made strenuous efforts 

 to improve the breed of the plains donkeys, and to secure the rearing of a good 

 quality of mules. They have accordingly supplied donkey stallions and offered 



751 



I'anjibl. 



Uuanni Hones, 



Burin* and 



' L IL..J. .T;. 



(Jhunt. 



Bhutia. 



Yah*. 



Asses and 

 Mules. 



Halar. 



Himalayan. 



Mule*. 



Wild AM. 



.K . -. 



