86 Stable Management and the Prevention of Disease 



their livelihood, to a great extent, by carrying salt and grain 

 from one part of the country to another. 



In districts where there are no roads suitable for carts, 

 great use might be made of bullocks for pack purposes. If in 

 mountains, it would be necessary to shoe them. 



The pack-saddles used by the native carriers are fairly 

 efficient — better certainly for bullocks than any of the saddles 

 now used by Government for pack purposes. 



Mules and Ponies. 



Mules and ponies, especially the former, are faster walkers 

 than camels or oxen. 



The most serviceable height for a pack mule is from 

 thirteen to about fourteen hands. Under thirteen hands he 

 has not sufficient muscular power to carry a heavy load ; and 

 if much over fourteen hands, it is difficult to lift a heavy load 

 on him when packing. 



When large numbers of mules are suddenly required in 

 India, it is sometimes impossible to procure the majority of 

 them over four years old ; and, like horses, they are not full- 

 grown until five. Provided they are not more than this, it is 

 not of great consequence if they show signs of age in their 

 teeth ; for mules can work to a much greater age than horses. 



Although Indian ponies are very hardy, mules are still 

 more so, and they have the further advantage of being able 

 to work well without shoes, even over rocky roads. Por 

 instance, they will carry loads for weeks at a time in the 

 Himalayas, doing the usual daily marches of ten or twelve 

 miles without showing the slightest tenderness in their feet. 

 I believe, however, that for a long campaign over rocky 

 ground shoeing might be advantageous. Americans say that 

 they find shod mules carry loads with more ease than unshod. 



Indian mules are usually very sound. They frequently 

 have toes badly turned out, weak fetlocks, and similar 

 deformities, caused chiefly by starvation, neglect, or by being 

 worked at too early an age; but unsoundnesses — such as 

 spavins, splints, sprains, or ringbones — are extremely rare. 



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