2 9 



13.3? with slightly higher withers, which gives the 

 appearance of a somewhat low back." 



" Bearing in mind the character of mail-men's duty, 

 it becomes evident that of necessity their horses must 

 possess combined stamina, high courage and speed. 

 The stamp described have these qualities in a marked 

 degree, and, in addition, their natural paces of jog 

 not an amble and daisy-cutting canter not only 

 enable them to get over the ground with great ease 

 to themselves but also to their riders. Moreover, 

 these small animals are not readily knocked up, but 

 when they do get stale and leg- weary through extra 

 hard work on little food, a few days on good grass 

 is sufficient for them to regain their vitality. In 

 Australian parlance, they are " cut-and-come-again 

 customers," and unlike big horses, which, when they 

 knock up, knock up for an indefinitely long period. 



" The smartest stock horses, those in use for drafting 

 cattle, are also small, handy and well up to 12 stone, 

 and as their prices are the same as mailmen's nags, 

 from ^"4 to & per head, the evidence in favour of 

 small horses for utilitarian purposes, and also on the 

 score of economy, preponderates. Would such small 

 animals, withal tough and wiry, be suitable for light 

 cavalry ? " 



The answer to the concluding query is 

 undoubtedly " Yes." 



PONIES IN AMERICA AND TEXAS. 



The ponies of North-West America are 

 famed for their powers of endurance, which 

 are the more remarkable in view of their 

 make and shape. These animals are with- 

 out doubt the descendants of stock intro- 

 duced by the Spaniards when they invaded 



