THE BREEDS OF HORSES 161 



ency to the carriage type. The head should not be too fine, 

 and should have a broad forehead, and a nice, open, clear 

 eye, showing the pleasant disposition usual with ponies of 

 this breed. There are different colors, but bay, brown, and 

 black are most frequent. Shetland ponies are common all 

 over eastern America, and are great favorites with children. 

 They are very patientand are safe pets for children of com- 

 paratively early age. In England, large numbers have been 

 used in the coal mines to haul cars loaded with coal. 



The ass is commonly referred to in America as the 

 jack, this being the male, while the female is known as the 

 jennet. This animal is descended from the wild ass of 

 Africa and Asia. There are several breeds of the domestic 

 ass, most of which were introduced to America from Spain. 

 During the Revolutionary War, George Washington was 

 presented with a male and female ass by the King of Spain. 

 The American parent stock has largely come from Anda- 

 lusia and Catalonia, Spain, and from Poitou, France. The 

 jack usually stands about 15 hands high, and the jennets 

 14^. A weight of about 1,000 pounds is desirable for the 

 jack. The hair is usually brown or black and sometimes 

 gray, with a creamy shade around the muzzle or along the 

 underside of the body. The ass has long, large ears, rather 

 a large head for the body, a short, stubby mane, a round but 

 not very large body, rather large legs, and small feet. The 

 tail is fine, with simply a brush at the end. This animal is 

 slow of movement, very patient, and is a beast of burden 

 used mostly among poor people of southern Europe and 

 parts of Africa and Asia. In America it is but little used 

 excepting for breeding, and it is principally promoted and 

 kept in Kentucky, Missouri, and the southern states. 



The mule is the offspring of an ass and a mare. Mules 

 differ much in size and value, and have features of both 

 parents. The head, mane, tail, and feet resemble those of 

 the ass. The mules also bray like the ass. Mules show more 



