446 THE HORSE. 



lighter and more delicate breeds, as the Andalusian, or the 

 heavier and larger breeds, suited to the labour of draught. 

 By employing large mares, as those of Friesland and Nor- 

 mandy, mules can be produced nearly equal in stature to the 

 tallest horses : these are suited to the plough and the draught 

 of any kind : when the mare is finer bred, the mule is best 

 fitted for the saddle. Not only in Spain, but in other parts 

 of the South of Europe, we meet with fine and graceful mules 

 whenever due attention has been paid to the qualities of the 

 parents. The Mule differs in this from the parent Ass, that 

 he can be reared in the colder countries equally well as in 

 the warmer ; nay, he seems to be more robust when the cli- 

 mate is not too warm. The Mule is greatly less nice with 

 respect to the choice of food than the Horse, is more easily 

 maintained, more free from diseases, and less subject to ac- 

 cidents. He is soon fit for labour, but is long in arriving at 

 maturity. He is very long-lived, and preserves his vigour 

 to the last. 



The expedience of extending the cultivation of the Mule in 

 Great Britain is in a high degree worthy of consideration. 

 Our means of doing so are equal to those of any country ; 

 for, though we must have recourse to other countries for the 

 male asses, our intercourse with the countries of the Medi- 

 terranean would now render this peculiarly easy ; and in the 

 variety of our fine mares, we should have the readiest means 

 of producing mules adapted to any kind of work. The Cleve- 

 land Bays, the Suffolk Punches, and other breeds of the larger 

 horses, would afford us materials for producing mules of a 

 size which would fit them for the dray, or for any kind of 

 work to which the largest horses of the country are applied ; 

 while, should we require lighter mules for the road, our 

 thoroughbred mares and hunters would give us the finest 

 that any country has produced. It is the larger class of 

 mules, however, that would probably be the most calculated 

 to produce national benefit and private profit. The advan- 

 tages to be derived from the use of the Mule in labour might 



