out. You
will notice that all good judges of road and trotting horses like to see
a good strong bone in the leg. This is actually necessary. The mule, you
will notice, is very deficient in leg, and generally have poor muscle.
And many of them are what is called cat-hammed.

_Working Condition of Mules_.--Most persons, when they see a good, fat,
slick mule, are apt to exclaim: "What a fine mule there is!" He takes it
for granted that because the animal is fat, tall, and heavy, he must be
a good work animal. This, however, is no criterion to judge by. A mule,
to be in good condition for work, should never be any fatter than what
is known as good working condition. One of fourteen and a half hands
high, to be in good working condition, should not weigh over nine
hundred and fifty pounds. One of fifteen hands high should not weigh
over one thousand pounds. If he does, his legs will in a very short time
give out, and he will have to go to the hospital. In working a mule with
too much flesh, it will produce curbs, spavin, ringbone, or crooked
hocks. The muscles and tendons of their small legs are not capable of
carrying a heavy weight of body for any length of time. He may not, as I
have said before, show his blemishes in lameness, but it is only because
he lacks that fine feeling common to the horse. I have, singular as it
may seem, known mules that have been spavined, curbed, and ringboned,
and yet have been worked for years without exhibiting lameness.

Avoid spotted, or dapple mules; they are the very poorest animal you can
get. They cannot stand hard work, and once they get diseased and begin
to lose strength, there is no saving them. The Mexicans call them
pintos, or painted mules. We call them calico Arabians or Chickasaws.
They have generally bad eyes, which get very sore during the heat and
dust of summer, when many of them go blind. Many of the snow-white mules
are of the same description, and about as useless. Mules with the white
muzzle, or, as some term it, white-nore white, and with white rings
round the eyes, are also of but little account as work mules. They can
stand no hardship of any kind. Government, at least, should never
purchase them. In purchasing mules, you must look well to the age, form,
height, eyes, size of bone and muscle, and disposition; for these are of
more importance than his color. Get these right and you will have a good
animal.

If any gentleman wants to purchase a mule for the saddle,