The Washington herald., 1907-11-10
HORSES ARE USED IN CHINA
But They Are Not Numerous Save
in the Principal Cities.
Native Ponies stand Climate Best,
but Australian and American
Specimens Are Seen There.

The only places in China where horses
are used TO any great extent are Shang-
hai Tsingtau, and Tien-Tsin. says a con-
sular report Australians, 'walers," so
called because they originate in New
South Wales. are the most popular. These
horses are imported into Shanghai in
patches Of from twenty TO fifty, are well
taken care Of on the voyage, and arrive
in excellent condition, and are put into
use within a couple Of weeks after ar
rival They retail in Shanghai at prices
varying from SO United States currency
TO 500. or even more In cases OF special
breeds. They appear 10 stand the eli
mate fairly Well, but are not considered
10 Se as strong or SIS useful as the China
ponies which are native 10 the plains OF
Manchuria and Tibet
Very few American horses are seen on
the Shanghai market. the reasons given
being that the long ocean voyage is eX-
ceedIngly trying on the animals. that
they are not as well cared for on the Pa
cific voyage from America as from Aus
tralia, and that they do not appear 70
stand the enormous changes in climate in
cident to the East A certain number Of
American horses have gone 10 China from
Manila. but by far the largest number OF
horses in Shanghai and Tien-Tsin are OF
Australian origin. Tien-Tsin has also a
considerable number Of horses imported
from Germany, many being brought there
for use by the German troops in 1900 Al
the time OF the Boxer troubles and aft
erward sold for general use, and most Of
the horses in use at Tsingtau are either
OF this kind or Australians brought from
Shanghai
In Shanghai. Tien-Tsin, and Tsingtau
horses are used mostly for carriages. but
there is also a call for good Australian
or American saddle horses Tor use In Pc
kin, Hongkong. and other places where
the roads are not sufficiently good TO al
low OF the use Of carriages. The animal
generally in use among foreigners in Chi
ma and the better class of Chinese for
driving and riding purposes is the China
pony. These come from the north over
land, and can be bought ar $50 or even
less, IN the northern ports. TO $50 or more
in the southern ones. depending upon the
demand and the distance from their orr
ginal homes. They are usually captured
in a more OF less wild state and tanned
by the Chinese, most Of those used by for
eigners having first gone through the
hands OF the mountaineers for use as pack
animals.
In Shanghai they are used singly in har-
ness, and a very good China pony, broken
to carriage. will occasionally command as
high a price as 500 United States cur
rency In Tsingtau they are somewhat
more expensive than in Shanghai; are
driven in pairs. owing TO the billy coun-
try. anu good pair occasionally costs as
much as a pair Of Australians-say 500
though the majority of ponies would sci
for about 500 or sl25 for a pair.
These ponies stand usually about thir-
teen hands or under. and are very stock
lily built stand the hot weather well, eat
barley, bran, and soft foods (never OATS
and can be fed on very much less thar
Australian or American horses. Ii is gen.
orally said that an Australian or Amer
lean horse must not be used in the Chi
nese climates for more than two or three
hours driving each day, with an occa-
sional days rest. when they remain ii
THE stables, while the China pony Is
available at all times and seems 10 thrive
on what would be an excess Of work for
the foreign-bred animals.