THE POITOU ASS. 97 



horse breeding at least, the longer the body the better 

 mules he is thought to produce. The bray of the Poitou 

 ass is peculiarly loud and sonorous, totally different from 

 that of the Spanish or Maltese breeds. The height of the 

 Poitou ass varies from 13^ to 15 hands, and the colour is 

 always black or dark brown. Greys are sometimes pro- 

 duced, but they are always rejected for breeding purposes. 

 Height in the ass is not nearly so much looked for by 

 breeders as the other properties of head, ears, limbs, 

 feet, and barrel. Height is got from the dam, the mule- 

 producing mares generally standing from 15 to 16 hands, 

 and sometimes higher. 



Perhaps the most extraordinary part of the Poitou jack is 

 the coat, with which he is blessed or cursed, as the case 

 may be. From the day he is born to the day of his death 

 no brush or comb is ever allowed to be used on him ; and, 

 as from the unnatural condition in which he is kept, he is 

 prevented in a great measure from shedding his coat, the 

 functions of the skin become suspended, and the animal 

 gradually assumes year after year an accumulation of coats 

 all matted together with stable filth, till at length they 

 almost trail on the ground ! When he has assumed this 

 extraordinary and bear-like appearance, he is pointed 

 to with no little pride by his owner, and is termed 

 Bouraillonx or sometimes Guenilloux. Such is ignorance 

 and 23i*ejudice ! Suffice it to say that this state of 

 things almost invariably produces cutaneous affections 

 of the Avorst description. This power to retain in a great 

 measure coat after coat is not possessed (happily for them) 

 in an equal degree by all Poitou asses. It appears to be a 

 peculiarity of a small minority only, and is considered by 

 M. Ayrault to be of no practical utility whatever. In fact, 

 he looks upon the variety Bourailloux as quite an inferior 



H 



