138 THE HORSES OF PREHISTORIC [CH. 



world for general use. The head and shoulders will be too heavy 

 for elegance, the eyes none too full, the muzzle and crest coarse, 

 and the manners too often objectionable, but the quarters, loins, 

 and legs are good, the barrel deep and long, and there is no 

 deficiency of bone 1 ." Reared on the open steppes, with little or 

 no human care, they are accustomed to great extremes of weather 

 and thrive on the coarsest forage. For mounted infantry purposes 

 in a wild country there is no more useful animal. " The size and 

 character vary with the locality. The commonest colour is grey, 

 chestnut follows, and then come bay and sorrel 2 . Stallions are 

 selected animals, especially in North Mongolia, but the mares 

 are not, and no special pains are taken anywhere to improve a 

 breed. Along the China border the ponies are undersized, 12 

 to 13 hands, the result of the incessant demands of the China 

 markets for all the larger beasts. As one travels northwards, 

 and the China markets become more remote, the horse-flesh 

 improves (12 to 14 hands), and the best specimens of the 

 Mongol pony are found in the valley of the Kerulon." There 

 are said to be about five millions of ponies in Mongolia. 



Racing is the national pastime of the Mongols, and from 

 May to August pony races (Fig. 54) are the attraction at the 

 temple festivals (Fig. 55) and fairs, and most of the wealthy 

 owners train some of their best ponies for the local meetings. 

 "A racing-stud of dimensions commensurate with rank and 

 wealth is the proper appanage of a prince or jassak, and his 

 ' string ' usually includes some of the fastest beasts of the 

 district. The stud of the Tsetsen Khan is the most renowned in 

 Mongolia." "This national sport is as little affected by money 

 indelicacies, as any that I know of. I constantly heard of matches 

 between rival owners proud of the reputation of their stock, but 

 seldom of serious betting on the result. There are prizes to 

 winners, rarely of tempting value. In the Chahar country the 

 stakes are usually an ounce or two of silver (say 2s. Qd. or 5s.) 



1 Report by Mr C. W. Campbell, H.M. Consul at Wuchow, on a journey in 

 Mongolia (with a map) presented to both Houses of Parliament (January 1904), 

 p. 35. 



2 In a Chinese hymn known as The Emperor's horses as many as thirteen 

 colours are referred to, a proof that already the Mongolian pony had been crossed 

 with a stock from the West, known to the Chinese from 2nd cent. B.C. (p. 186). 



