TO ENGLISH NEEDS. 157 



extremely vicious. In height he is generally 

 from fourteen hands to fourteen-two, of great 

 girth and immense bone, frequently as much 

 as eight and a half inches below the knee, 

 the measurement of a big English thorough- 

 bred horse " likely to get hunters." The 

 American-bred Jacks are often higher than 

 the Spanish or Poitevin, some attaining to 

 sixteen hands ; but this is no advantage, 

 since increase of height means generally 

 only length of leg, which is not desirable 

 either in horse or ass. The tallest Jacks 

 it is considered (and it is just as one would 

 imagine) do not as a rule get the best 

 mules. The favourite colour for a Poitou 

 Jack is a dark brown, generally Avith a 

 white or mealy coloured belly and muzzle ; 

 a grey-coated one, which is the most usual 

 colour of the ass in this country, being 

 less valued, though with no very apparent 

 reason. 



Like the Arab with his mare, the Poitevin 



