60
good class of horse which owes its superiority to a large admix-
ture of Arab blood. These are expensive and difficult to obtain
and the dealers can make but little profit when sold at Native
Cavalry remount prices. The Khorasan horse which comes to
India is mostly obtained from the breeder direct. Those intend-
ed for the Bombay market are marched to Bunder Abas where
they are shipped. Those for the Fairs in Sindh are marched,
viá Herat and Kandahar. They are collected in the Quetta-
Pishin Valley and are got into condition for sale.
They are quick active horses, showing a certain amount of quality, with
a good rein and shoulders, and vary from 14-2 to 15-2 in height. Some few
are inclined to be long in the back with upright joints, this no doubt being
due to bad Turkoman blood. They are docile and easily broken, stand heat
well, and less liable to skin disease than Cabulis. The Native Cavalry Regi-
ments in Sindh are mounted almost entirely on horses of this class and they
speak very highly of them for the particular country in which these Regiments
are stationed. That they are fast enough for Native Cavalry, was proved by
the late Inspector-General of Cavalry, who galloped a squadron of the 5th
Bombay Cavalry, composed entirely of these horses, over a measured quarter
of a mile in 36 seconds. That Officer also tested their marching capabilities
very highly and was more than satisfied with the results. The best are bought
by the Regiments in Sindh, the Lahore dealers who supply them to Regiments
in Bengal and Bombay, and the Calcutta and Bombay Tramway Companies.
The Managers of the various Tramway Companies like this class of horses,
saying that they are easily kept in condition, that they do better and live
longer than the Walers, also that they are less liable to sickness and sunstroke;
further, that the mortality is less, under conditions of hard work, than any
other class of horse. The Calcutta Tramways have 900, the Bombay Tramways
20 per cent., and Karachi 90 per cent.
Reports received from Native Cavalry Regiments may be classified as
follows:—
Bengal Cavalry ...
Bombay Cavalry ...
...
...
...
...
4 unfavourable.
6 favourable.
2 unfavourable.
4 favourable.
3rd Turkomans.—Little need be said of this class of horse as few are
imported and these are not good ones. The price of good ones
is prohibitive, as far as Native Cavalry Regiments are con-
cerned.
4th Country-breds.—The horses referred to are bred on and along the
North West Frontier and are got by Government stallions out
of mares the property of various tribes which inhabit the districts.
Large numbers of mares, many of which have two or three
strains of English and Arab blood, are annually brought over
the Border, covered by Government stallions, and are taken
back to their villages to foal; many of these are bought annually
and are classed either as Cabulis, Khorasans, or Turkomans, but
by those who are accustomed to the different frontier breeds, no
difficulty is experienced in distinguishing this class of country-
bred from the other Northern breeds.
379. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Bombay, then dis-
cusses the question as to the advisability of each Native Cavalry Regiment rearing
a certain amount of young stock; this question I have, however, already dealt
with. (vide page 10, paragraphs 57 and 58).
380. He places the country-bred, as above described, in the foremost rank,
as far as troopers are concerned, and I would draw special attention to his remarks
on the Khorasan horse; although he may not be a typical trooper, still, in him