National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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The breed of the country, which is so often spoken of as " the Yarkand pony," presents quite a different type : this is a short horse so to speak, the larger animals approaching what we know as the " cob." This nag is an excellent roadster, but his qualities are distinctly those of the pack-animal. He must be separated from the Kazzak horse alluded to by Burnes, and from the Kalmak pony whose home lies to the north-east in the direction of Kuldja, but which is met with frequently in the provinces of Kashghar; these ponies are exceedingly hardy; they are peculiarly vicious in stable and resent grooming, but if a bridle is held out to them, they readily allow it to be put on and are quiet when mounted.

The Yarkand pony, with his long mane and tail, seems more nearly allied to the Kazzak horse.

Both breeds are not usually shod, if they are only used in the plain country, but all ponies that have to cross the mountains are regularly shod. Nearly all the Yarkandees who travel are familiar with the art of putting on shoes. Both ponies of the Yarkand and of the Kalmak breed resist being shod ; they have either to be slung or thrown for the purpose. In Kashghar and elsewhere, there are regular slinging arrangements in front of the smithies.

The stable treatment, diet, and rearing of the Toorkmans horse alluded to by Burnes is in force throughout Kash ;har; remedies for sickness are few, and veterinary treatment appears to be of Chinese introduction, and to be rather of Kalmak origin than to have come from the west ; the horse doctor's wallet, however, commonly contains, salamoniac which is administered for retention of urine, Kwang Chia, a Chinese compound, applied for healing wounds, Kwang Chi, a medicine for fever, and a mixture of alum, lime, and vermilion which serves as a second healing application, together with the instruments necessary for bleeding and for cutting out ossification, and an iron tube for administering medicine.

In gelding, the entire testicle is extracted and the wound is washed with salt and water, the horse being put on low diet, and kept constantly moving.

Well-bred ponies are constantly relieved of surfeit or during heat by the bursting of small veins near the surface of the body. Burnes refers to the bursting of a vein in the neck of the Toorkman horse as a special provision of nature under similar circumstances.

The best Yarkand ponies are purchased at Yarkand itself, where they are cheaper than at Kashghar and elsewhere. The prices range from 120 tangas = Rupees 25 to 400 tangas = Rupees 80. Kalmâk ponies are not so common in the market, as they are preferred for riding.

The load placed on the Yarkand pony by the trader is rarely under 2i maunds = 2001bs., and is usually 3 maunds or 24,0Ibs • this in addition to a heavy felt and pad (palan). It is customary for the Yarkandee to balance the load by taking a seat on the top, so that, if the weight of a mau be added to the above, the limit of endurance is probably reached.

At extreme altitudes the baggage animals often suffer from congestion—the remedy usually adopted is to throw the su$erer, pierce a hole through the cartilage of the nostril, pass a few hairs of the tail through this, which are tied in a knot, give a sharp cut with the whip, and the animal rising tears out the cartilage. The long mane and tail of the Yarkandee pony have already been noticed ; when crossing streams and frequently in stable the tail is tied in one or two knots and kept from trailing.

Stabling lighted by a single hole in the roof is referred to by Burnes as a possible means of causing a horse to acquire an erect carriage by teaching him to look up. The ordinary method of lighting and ventilating, not only stabling, but dwelling-houses in Turkestan, is by a hole in the roof, and does not appear to bave its origin iu any idea of affecting the carriage of the horse. The practice of confining animals in very dark stabling seems, however, to act injuriously and make them addicted to shying.

The very large number of ponies in Eastern Turkestan might appear a matter of great surprise, but from the earliest time this animal seems to have been applied to every possible use ; the climate is favorable to him and he is well cared for as a matter of course. The limited number of old ponies in work and in the market is striking in comparison with other countries : the fact is that the Yarkandee gets as much as he possibly can out of his