China Ponies. 1 6 1 



and other dangers, is flight, As the Manchu Tartars do not 

 catch them until they think they are fit for hard work, they are, 

 when first taken in hand, extremely impatient of control (a 

 term which is more applicable to them than that of ' vicious '), 

 and are consequently difficult to break. 



With their natural advantages of great bone and muscle, 

 and hardy bringing-up, these Tartar ponies are grand animals 

 for carrying weight, going long distances, and enduring hard- 

 ships in a cold climate. I can see no difference between 

 them, as far as type is concerned, and the ponies of the 

 Himalayas, Tibet, and Yarkund. I remember, many years 

 ago at Nainee Tal, winning flat and hurdle races on a Bhootiah 

 pony, called Trooper, who was the ' dead image ' of Teen 

 Kwang (the Eclipse of the Celestial Empire), and who I feel 

 certain was quite as good for his size. These Mongolians 

 have, of course, no pretensions to racing form ; neither have 

 the Arab horses about which Bombay sportsmen are en- 

 thusiastic, if we are to judge them by a Newmarket, or even 

 an Alexandra Park standard. Yet the China and Bombay 

 men get large fields, close finishes, and excellent sport, all of 

 which most desirable objects would have to be sacrificed, were 

 speed alone sought for, by throwing open the races to faster 

 classes of animals. 



The ' griffens ' are brought down in the spring of the year 

 from Manchuria in large droves, thoroughly in the rough, fresh 

 from their native snows, and wild as the metaphorical hawk. 

 The Tartar importers, keen about their own interests, abstain, 

 unless tempted beyond endurance, from selling any of their 

 crowd on their way down, say, at Tientsin ; and shortly after 

 arrival at Shanghai, put the ponies up to auction, at which 

 the likely ones fetch prices varying from about £\o to ^"ioo. 

 Were trials given, and the supposed pick of the basket taken 

 out before the raising of the hammer, the remainder would 

 fetch such small prices that the average would be much 

 below that which would be obtained by putting up the entire 

 lot. On rare occasions, some very 'fancy' prices are given, 



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