6G THE MULK 



the result must l)e. No ; you will be perfectly safe iu 

 getting your mule as large-legged as you can. And by 

 all means let the mare you breed from have a good, 

 sound, health}' block of a foot. Then the colt will 

 stand some chance of inheriting a portion of it. It is 

 natural that the larger you get his feet the steadier he 

 will travel. Some persons will tell you that these 

 small feet are natural, and are best adapted to the ani- 

 mal. But they forget that the mule is not a natural 

 animal, only an invention of man. Let your mare and 

 jack be each of the average size, the jack well marked, 

 and ISTo. 1 of his kind, and I will take the product and 

 wear out any other style of breed. Indeed, you have 

 only to appeal to your better judgment to convince 

 you as to what would result from putting a jack, seven 

 or eight hands high, to a mare of sixteen or more. 



I have witnessed some curious results in mule breed- 

 ing, and which it may be well enough to mention here. 

 I have seen frequent instances where one of the very 

 best jacks in the country had been put to mares of good 

 quality and spirit. Putting them to such contemptible 

 animals seemed to degrade them, to destroy their 

 natural will and temper. The result was a sort of bas- 

 tard mule, a small-legged, small-footed, cowardly ani- 

 mal, inheriting all the vices of the mule and none of 

 the horse's virtues — the very meanest of his kind. 



