A'inong Horses in India. 87 



Selecting Mules and Ponies for Work. 



In selecting mules or ponies for pack purposes, it is well 

 to remember that the same formation is not desirable as in 

 those required for riding. For instance, the back should be 

 straight, or even convex, as that shape gives extra carrying 

 power, and is less liable than a back hollowed, even gently, to 

 be galled by the fore and rear ends of the pack-saddle. A 

 thick, upright shoulder is better than an oblique one. The 

 elephant, rhinoceros, and other very heavy animals have upright 

 shoulders — a formation in which the scapula, humerus, and 

 radius are placed at obtuse rather than at acute angles, giving 

 them a mechanical advantage for supporting great weights. 



Points of Mules. 



The most essential points to be attended to when buying 

 pack-mules is to select them with short straight backs, broad 

 chests, round barrels, deep back ribs, short legs, and black 

 hoofs. The fetlocks should not be very oblique, and the 

 hocks should stand well apart. "When mules are very cow- 

 hocked they are apt, if worked under heavy loads and half 

 starved, as is frequently the case during campaigns, to knock 

 one hock against the other in walking. Indian mules fre- 

 quently are sickle-hocked, and have the toes of the fore-feet 

 turned very much outwards. The latter defect makes them 

 liable to ' brush' when in low condition, unless they have wide 

 chests. In sickle hocks the tibia and metatarsal bones are 

 working at a mechanical disadvantage. Of course, when 

 buying large numbers it is impossible to procure them free 

 from numerous imperfections, but the less they have of the 

 above-mentioned defects the better will they work. 



There are two other points which should be attended to — 

 they should have good eyes, and should not have parrot- 

 mouths, otherwise they will be unable to graze in places 

 where herbage is short. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



