268 REMARKS ON VARIOUS BREEDS OF HORSES 



13 St. 7 lbs. Although they are not as strong or as good- 

 looking as Arabs, they are probably hardier and better suited 

 to endure hunger and thirst. Many of them, especially if 

 they have a dash of English or Arab blood, have a fair 

 turn of speed, and consequently make good pig-stickers 

 and polo ponies. Indian racing ponies, which have a 

 strong infusion of English blood, are, speaking generally, 

 about 14 lbs. worse than Arabs of the same height, and 

 particularly so over long distances. At fourteen hands 

 it would be difficult to '' bring them together " "with 

 English ponies in a race for, say, a mile. Without the 

 constant importation of fresh blood from England, it is 

 impossible In India to breed horses fit for racing, or for the 

 requirements of English cavalry and artillery : even then, 

 the results are very poor. Good as Tangri, Minden 

 (Fig. 269), Engadine, and others of General " Ben " Parrott's 

 breeding have been in their own class and against Arabs, 

 their form has been but little better than that of fourteen- 

 hand English ponies. 



Minden (Fig. 269) was a famous ** country-bred " race- 

 horse in India, among his own class, which is not within 

 '^measureable distance" of that of English ^50 selling 

 platers. Viewed as a smart saddle-nag, I must say that 

 Minden looks a nice-shaped horse He has capital 

 shoulders and a good ** middle-piece " I may add that 

 he was in training when I took his photograph. The fact 

 of his being longer in the body than he is high at the 

 withers or at the croup, points to deficiency of speed. 



Fig. 377 shows us a typical Kathiawar mare. She is 

 a '' three-cornered" animal, but having been brought up 

 among rough surroundings, is capable of enduring much 

 privation and hard work ; though necessarily slow on 

 account of her body being much longer than she is high 

 at withers or croup. Her body is also very long com- 

 pared to its depth. She is '' calf-kneed," '* sickle-hocked," 

 and slightly tied-in below the hocks. As compensations, 

 her shoulders are fairly well shaped , her fore arms and 



