JUDGING THE MULE 191 



heavy and coarse bone, and coarseness about the head, are 

 features that frequently prevail with draft mules, and the 

 judge should discriminate against them. 



The temperament of the mule should be active and en- 

 ergetic. The natural tendency is to be quiet and dull. 

 The patience for which this animal is famous is simply 

 an expression of its quiet temperament and docile habits. 

 The disposition of the mule has been much misrepresented, 

 for, in fact, it is not naturally vicious, though often 

 obstinate. Men used to handling both mules and horses 

 regard the former as having the more steady and reliable 

 disposition of the two. 



The head of the mule should be of good size yet not 

 coarse, free of fleshiness, clean-cut and giving evidence 

 of quality. A Roman nose is a characteristic feature, 

 though it should not be too pronounced. Such a nose indi- 

 cates strength of character. The ears should be longer and 

 larger than on the horse, pointed, and more nearly resem- 

 bling those of the sire, the jack, than those of the mother, 

 the mare. The ears should show refinement and not be 

 set too wide apart at the corners of the head, thus giving a 

 neat, shapely top. "The ears should be long, thin and tap- 

 ering to the points, ' ' says Mr. J. W. Jones,^ a well-known 

 judge, "presenting a rather folding appearance about the 

 middle, and should be set on the head erect." 



The hindquarters of the mule frequently lack good con- 

 formation. The hips may be too low set, the croup steep, the 

 thighs thin and the hocks crooked. A steep croup and 

 crooked legs are familiar sights, and judges will find it 

 necessary to discriminate sharply against this sort. The 

 muscular thigh is a necessity if draft power is to be ob- 

 tained, while the same argument obtains for the mule as 

 for the horse, in a correct placing and carriage of the 

 limbs. As bone is highly valued in the mule, the hind legs 

 should show this in superior degree. The feet of the mule 

 are peculiar in being relatively small, the hoofs tending 



> American Jack Stock Stud Book, Vol. 6, 1906, p. 10. 



