PONIES. 143 



KoHAT-KuRRAM, 1879-80. " The animals were not on the 

 whole satisfactory. Every description of pony was sent to the 

 Force, from the diminutive grass cutter's tattu, flat sided, 

 narrow chested, rubbing his hocks together, to the big ragged, 

 sharp spined, high withered ekka pony. They had not the same 

 digestive powers as mules — required more attention in the 

 preparation of their grain and selection of fodder, and their 

 different shaped backs demanded greater care in the fitting of 

 pack saddles. Compact, round barrelled animals kept their 

 condition and did well, a number of small ones from the 

 Bombay Presidency performed excellent service." 



Chitral Eblibp Force, 1895. " Ponies did not do well, 

 excepting those of Jeypore State Transport. They were used 

 as draught from Nowshera to Durgai, and were sent as pack 

 over the Malakand. They failed as pack over the rough and 

 difficult roads." 



TiEAH Expeditionary Force 1897-98. " There were 10707 

 Government ponies employed, and report states that they were 

 not as satisfactory or efficient as they might have been, two 

 reasons being that they were physically unfitted for army pack 

 animals, also that they fell away after purchase. Hired ponies 

 did better, the reason being that owners looked after them well. 

 Of the Jeypor and Gwalior Transport Trains, report again states 

 that "no ponies could have done better or worked harder than 

 did the ponies of these two trains." They were properly 

 ■organized, their equipment was perfect, -and they worked both 

 as pack and draught. 



The Kashmir ponies with their own Sunka equipment also 

 did good work, and 400 of them were eventually purchased by 

 •Government. 



They were accustomed to Hill work and it is therefore unfair 

 to compare them with Plains ponies. 



Tibet Mission 1904. ■' Four Ekka trains were organised, 

 the ponies being drawn from various parts of India. They 

 were a very mixed lot, and suffered severely from excessive 

 cold, many died, and it was only by building high turf walls 

 .that mortality was reduced. 



