ARTHRITIS— ASIATIC HORSES AND PONIES 



Arthritis.— See >/«/ ///, Navel III. 



Artillery Horse.— The class of horse required for artillery 

 purposes should be a short-legged, heavy-boned animal, with 

 plenty of substance about him, especially in the case of the 

 wheelers, as the work of stopping the guns falls upon them. 

 In addition to their strength the artillery horses should also 

 be capable of getting over the ground quickly, a cross-bred 

 hackney being as useful an animal for the purposes of the 

 Service as any. 



Asiatic Horses and Ponies. — There are several breeds 

 of horses found in Asia, amongst which the Burma and 

 Manipuri ponies rank high. The former average from 13- 

 13.2 hands in height, are very hardy, and can carry a con- 

 siderable weight for their size, but they are not very fast. 

 The Manipuri breed is chiefly used for Indian polo work, and 

 is a very fast, handy, and smart little animal, smaller than 

 the Burmese type, and better-looking, though the latter make 

 good saddle horses, having very fair shoulders. 



The Indian type will be found referred to under a 

 separate heading. The Japanese have a breed of inferior 

 ponies that are rather weedy and weak. Mongolian ponies 

 do most of the work in Japan : they are short, strong, sturdy 

 animals, about 13.1 hands in height; and are used as saddle- 

 horses, have moderately good shoulders, good legs, excellent 

 feet, and are remarkably hardy and sure-footed. They are 

 much used in China for racing purposes. 



The Persian polo pony is a useful little animal, averaging 

 from 13.2 to 14.2 hands in height; it has very good bone, 

 and is a very willing worker, once its strong antipathy to 

 the bit has been overcome. The harness horse of Persia is of 

 the Karabagh breed, which has good shoulders, a wide chest, 

 strong hind-quarters : it is well ribbed up, and has plenty of 

 bone below the knee. This horse will do a long day's work 

 on a very small allowance of food, and he is docile and 

 clever, carrying a very intelligent head 



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