MUSTANGS. 77 



in their wide nostrils and fine manes and tails. They have 

 consi(iei'able spirit and fire, and, are sometimes vicious at 

 first, but when resolutely combated lack persevering pluck, 

 and easily give up the contest. It is said, also, that 

 although when first mounted they display much life, vigor 

 and showy action, they lack hardihood and endurance. It 

 is well proved that, in a wild state, they can be ridden 

 down and captured without much difficulty by good 

 trained domestic horses, even carrying the weight of a 

 rider, whenever they can be approached sufficiently close 

 to allow anything approaching to an equality in the start. 

 They are, however, the cavalry horses of the Camanche 

 and Apache Indians ; and although they are confessedly 

 uuable to stand the shock of a charge of American troop- 

 horses, it does not appear to us, from the facility with 

 which they evade or frustrate the pursuit of our mounted 

 regiments, and the extreme difficulty of bringing them to 

 engagement, that they can be so deficient in endurance or 

 power of sustaining fatigue as they have been represented. 

 It is clear, however, that they are in all respects so far 

 inferior to the American horse that they can never sustain 

 any comparison with him. Nothing is to be gained by 

 crossing them with our horses, and the only utility which, 

 they can ever subserve is as the riding animals of children 

 or very young ladies. They do not generally run, so far 

 as we can judge from the specimens which we have seen 

 in the Northern States, to above 13| or 14 hands ; and, 

 though some of them are certainly pretty, graceful, elegant 

 creatures, and some of them easy and light-going natural 

 pacers, they have not impressed us favorably, as compared 

 either with any of the imported European ponies, or with 

 that of the northern Indians. It is, however, not only 

 probable, but nearly certain, that we have not seen the 

 best specimens of the breed, as they are not in very high 



