156 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



tail has no long hair excepting at its lower part, which has a 

 brush of hair. The body is often covered with long hair, in some 

 cases showing remarkable length, while in other cases it is fairly 

 short. The body is very compact, the quarters lacking deep 

 muscling, while the legs are very strong of bone, often heavy of 

 joint, with small, narrow feet. The ass makes a peculiar noise 

 called a bray. The standard color in America is black, with a 

 light creamy or mealy shade about the muzzle and along the 

 belly. Gray occurs in this country, but does not meet with favor, 



and is not approved by the 

 American Breeders' Associ- 

 ation of Jacks and Jennets. 

 The Andalusian jack is 

 native to Andalusia in south- 

 ern Spain, where it is an 

 ancient breed. The color 

 is gray, with rare cases of 

 black. This breed has con- 

 siderable size and stands 

 14^ to 15^ hands high. The 

 bone is excellent and the 

 breed possesses much sub- 

 stance. Sessions refers to 

 one 1 5i hands high having 

 a girth of 67 inches with 

 the bone below the knee 

 measuring 85 inches around. 

 The head and neck are said to be very good. This breed and 

 color have never been popular in America, although well scattered 

 over the country. 



The Maltese jack comes from the island of Malta in the 

 Mediterranean Sea. This breed is either black or brown in color, 

 and is of the smaller type, rarely exceeding 14^ hands. The 

 head is of excellent form, with sharp, upright ears. The Maltese 

 possesses much life and vigor, but is objected to on account 

 of too fine a bone and too much refinement, with not enough 

 substance. A larger type is in demand in the American trade, 

 which restricts the importation of this breed. 



Fig. 59. Antar Jr. 217. First-prize two-year- 

 old jack at the World's Columbian Expo- 

 sition, Chicago, in 1893, a ^ so ^ rst m d ass 

 in 1897 at Illinois State Fair. Photograph 

 by the author 



