96 MUSTANGS INDIAN PONIES. 



mens of the "bucking" or "pitching" type. While the tendency of 

 running wild is always toward wildness, if not viciousness, yet we 

 believe the notorious Mustang disposition is largely a product of very 

 poor methods of breaking and handling. 



Before leaving this subject, it may be of interest to note a remark- 

 able case of prolonged gestation, reported by Mr. Z. T. Moore, of 

 Traer, la., in the Breeder's Gazette of Chicago. The mare is said to be 

 a Mustang; in 1887 she carried her foal 377 days, and in 1888 her foal 

 was retained 389 days foals in both instances doing well. The average 

 period of gestation for mares under domestication rarely exceeds 350 to 

 360 days ; but it is commonly observed that mares of any breed, as a 

 rule, carry their foals longer when allowed to breed and range in pasture 

 without care or restraint, than when kept up and favored with extra care 

 and attention. We have no doubt that, if statistics could be as care- 

 fully kept of the service and birth dates among semi-wild horses as is 

 done among careful breeders of improved stock, we should find a 

 marked difference in the average length of gestation. 



The illustration was engraved expressly for our use, from a photo- 

 graph taken at Laredo, Texas, and is a fair representation of the 

 modern Mexican Pony. Mr. E. H. Sauvignet, of Laredo, has our 

 thanks for assistance in securing the photograph. 



Chapter XX. 



INDIAN PONIES. 



As noted in the preceding chapter, Indian Ponies doubtless trace 

 in direct line to a more or less remote Mexican ancestry. Indeed, the 

 horse stock of the tribes of Western Texas, New' Mexico and Arizona 

 is nothing if not Mexican; but of the more northern tribes, it is probable 

 that another factor has been potent in forming the breed. That the 

 other factor must be sought in northern latitudes is beyond question, 

 and we are convinced after careful, continued observation of the ponies 

 belonging to the various "Reservation" tribes that the Canadian 

 Pony, a descendant of the small horse stock of France, imported to 

 Canada at an early date, is the animal that must bear the responsibility. 

 We adopt this conclusion for several reasons, chief among them being 

 the fact that Mustang colors are rarely found among Indian Ponies 

 proper the latter showing a great predominance of dark bay, brown 

 and spotted (bay and white or brown and white), and the further fact 

 that their conformation is decidedly different. The spotted marking is 



