150 HORSE AND MAN. 



It is scarcely possible to imagine a stronger testi- 

 mony to the endurance and sure-footedness of the un- 

 shod horse. That speed should be a characteristic 

 of such an animal could not reasonably be expected. 

 At all events, no one would suppose that the pony 

 so nurtured could equal in that respect the pedigree 

 horses of civilised man, who not only selects the 

 parents from families renowned for speed and power, 

 but carefully trains the offspring for racing. 



Yet, that an animal so neglected according to our 

 ideas as the Indian pony can not only equal but 

 surpass the trained horse of the white man, is shown 

 by a most amusing account of a race between a pony 

 and blood horses, written by Lieut.-Col. R. J. Dodge 

 in another part of his valuable work : 



' It is exceedingly difficult to hit on a fair distance 

 between the Indian and American horse. The start 

 being always from a halt, the small, quick pony is almost 

 sure to win at from one to three hundred yards, while 

 the long stride of the American horse is equally sure 

 of carrying him in winner at from six hundred yards 

 to two miles. A mile or two is then doubtful, after 

 which it is safe to back the endurance of the pony. 



' A band of Comanches under Mu-la-que-top once 

 camped near Fort Chadbourne, in Texas, and were fre- 

 quent visitors and great nuisances as beggars at that 

 post. Some of the officers were decidedly " horsey," 



