AMERICAN HORSES 239 



more common. The head is often large and bony, the 

 barrel short and closely ribbed, the legs strong and cordy, 

 and the feet excellent. The disposition has been much 

 criticized, but this is largely a matter of training. As a 

 rule, the tame ponies range the South, and the wild ones 

 the North. 



The Mexican pony. — This strain of pony was de- 

 veloped in Mexico, where it has ranged in a wild and 

 semi-wild state for many generations. The Mexican 

 pony is similar to the Indian pony in all important re- 

 spects. In size the Mexican is perhaps the smaller, aver- 

 aging 12 to 13 hands in height, and weighing 500 to 800 

 pounds. The color, conformation and quality are much 

 the same in the two strains. In recent years the Mexican 

 pony has been improved by crossing with the Thorough- 

 bred, the Arabian, and the American trotter with a view 

 to increasing the usefulness as cow ponies. The best 

 of both types are sometimes used as polo ponies, which 

 usually requires more than one cross. 



