The experience of the last American war has shown that the Hispano-Mexican mules are a most hardy and valuable strain. Speaking of these animals, the superintendent of the Government mule corral at Washington says:—“There is in Old as well as New Mexico a class of mules that are known to us as Spanish-Mexican mules. These mules are not large, but for endurance they are very superior, and, in my opinion, cannot be excelled. I am not saying too much when I assert that I have seen nothing in the United States that could compare with them. They can apparently stand any amount of starvation and abuse. I have had these Spanish mules in a train of twenty-five six mule teams, and starting from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on Colonel (since General) Sumner’s expedition in 1857, have travelled to Walnut Creek, on the Santa Fé route, a distance of 300 miles in nine days, and this in the month of August. The usual effects of hard driving, I noticed, showed but very little on them. I noticed, also, along the march, that with a halt of less than three hours, feeding on grass that was only tolerably thick, they will fill up better and look in better condition for resuming the march than one of our American mules that had rested five hours and had the same forage. The breed, of course, has something to do with this; but the animal is smaller, more compact than our mules, and, of course, it takes less to fill him up. It stands to reason that a mule with a body half as large as a hogshead cannot satisfy his hunger in the time it would take a small one. This is the secret of small mules outlasting large ones on the prairies. It takes a large one so long to find enough to eat when grass is scanty that he has not time enough for rest or recuperation. I often found them leaving camp in the morning quite as hungry and discouraged as they were when we halted the previous evening. With the small mule it is different. He gets enough to eat quickly, and has time to rest and refresh himself. The Spanish or Mexican mules, however, are better as pack animals than for a team. They are vicious, hard to break, and two-thirds of them kick.”
These observations of the superintendent are highly practical, and well worth bearing in mind in the purchase of pack mules. We are of opinion, however, that there are other qualities to be found in small well-formed animals, apart from the comparatively small amount of food required to support them.
Activity, endurance, and muscular power do not, so far as our experience has enabled us to judge, increase in the ratio of size; and the great majority of noteworthy and remarkably clever performances under saddle or pack related by hunters and explorers have been achieved by animals of comparatively small size. We do not think that even the English hunter will be found an exception to the rule. Often have we devoutly wished that it might be our good fortune to possess a 16-hand horse with going and staying qualities, equal in proportion, size for size, to those of a sturdy, but very tiny cob we were once ’cute enough to select from a drove fresh from the wilds of Bulgaria. We conceive that a well-formed mule—that is to say with clear bright eyes, hocks not inclined to give in like those of a cow, stout muscular haunches, a short back, and dark small compact feet—should, for average service, be about 14 hands high, and weigh about 8cwt. Avoid all spotted, dappled, or white mules. These are, among the packers, known as “painted” or calico mules, and are by no means as hardy as those of dark uniform colours. Mares are always to be preferred to horse mules. They are more tractable, and follow the bell mare better on the march.
Hints on mule equipment.
About 140lb. is as much as a mule of average power can travel well with from day to day. Never start a mule train without looking carefully at each mule as he passes; and if you see one of them raising his lips and twitching his mouth and nose depend upon it he is getting galled, and requires looking to. Particular care should be taken that the halter heads fit easily across the back of the head, and that, in putting the halter on, the ears of the mules are not injured or roughly handled. Nothing makes a mule so shy and disposed to be vicious as sore ears. The halters used for pack mules are just such as we use in this country. We, however, prefer leather head collars with ropes attached to them.
Hobbling cattle.
There are many ways of preventing horses and mules from straying from the spot at which they are intended to remain. The Indian method of picketing horses by the use of head and heel ropes is by far the best and most convenient we have ever had recourse to. The heel hobbles—the subject of the accompanying illustration—are best made of stout tanned leather; the inside surface should be lined, and have a slight stuffing of curled hair put in to prevent friction; one hobble end terminates in a leather loop; the other, in a leather toggle. The heel ropes themselves should be made from soft flexible rope (cotton is often spun into heel ropes); the strands are opened and untwisted to a short distance, in order that they may be securely stitched fast to each hobble. At about 6ft. from the hobbles the two heel ropes are spliced together and form one tail rope, which is secured round a peg driven into the earth. Two ropes attached to the head collar are also secured to pegs, as shown in the illustration on p. 471. When on the march each horse should carry his own head and heel ropes secured in a leather wrapper behind the saddle.