u6 THE HORSE AND ITS RELATIVES 



Mongolian blood. Stripes, it is said, are not infre- 

 quent on the legs of horses in the Waziri districts of 

 Afghanistan, as they certainly are on those of many 

 of the ponies in the Punjab. 



When the origin of Punjabi and other Indian 

 ponies is considered, we are, however, at once con- 

 fronted by great difficulties. For during the Pleis- 

 tocene period the Narbada district of Central India, 

 and doubtless other parts of the country, were the 

 home of a wild horse (Equus namadicus) with long 

 grinding surfaces to the anterior pillars of the upper 

 cheek-teeth. And this horse if indeed it is entitled 

 to that name in the more restricted sense may 

 quite probably have had a share in the origin of 

 the Indian country-bred and pony stock previous to 

 the introduction of Arab and Mongolian blood. 

 On the other hand, there is no proof that the 

 extinct Narbada horse was not nearer to the onager 

 than to the typical horse. 



In concluding this chapter reference may be 

 made to the diet of Asiatic horses. In the work 

 quoted on page 69 Colonel Phillott observes that : 

 " Indian country-breds will eat and thrive on food 

 that would probably kill English horses. In the 

 Persian Gulf and elsewhere locusts, fish, and dates 

 are regarded as legitimate food for horses and 

 cattle ; in Tibet the tanghans are given pig's blood 

 and raw liver ; and in the cold regions of Central 

 Asia meat is regarded as a necessity for horses." 



