11
"I think this is undoubtedly two years' old. Yearlings are very hard to judge unloss one has had a special
training that way, but a two-year old is sufficiently developed to enable one to make a very fair guess at what he
ultimately will turn out, and he has hardly had sufficient time to contract the faults induced by the system of
spread-eagling them and which are so apparent in such a large proportion of the three and four-year olds.
"(b) Average price.
"Rs. 150 to Rs. 180 is I think a fair average price for a two-year old.
"(c) Number of young stock to be bought annually.
"This depends on the size of the run and the requirements of the regiment. We calculate our run to provide
half our annual requirements. They are passed into the regiment at four or four and a half years, and into the
ranks at five. The annual requirements are from 40 to 50 remounts, therefore 50 or 60 two-year olds and three-
year olds should, allowing for casualties, keep up that supply. For instance, 30 two-year olds bought in 1895
would pass into the regiment in 1897, leaving 30 bought in 1896 (being then three years' old in 1897) for the 98
supply, and 30 fresh two-year olds to be bought.
"(d) Acreage required per head of young stock maintained?
"I am unable to answer this question of acreago. We have three large paddocks of about 20 acres each, but
when grass operations are not in progress, the stock have the free run of the rukh which is 1,050 acres. I should
think two and a half or three acres per head would probably be sufficient.
"(e) Average cost of maintenance.
"Our average cost is something under Rs. 40 per head per annum. Allowing for casualties we can put the
animals into the regiment at an average of about Rs. 250.
"(f) Best class of stock to purchase.
"We have found the Norfolk Trotter stock on the run very apt to develop splints and we mean to buy as
few of thom as possible in future."
59. I have entered more fully than I intended into this question, and
although it may be urged that it is one which may be said to be somewhat beyond
the province of this Department, still, I would urge that it is my duty to draw the
attention of the Government of India to the large export of young stock from
many of our best breeding districts, and as this would be one of the best means
to check this enormous loss which is occurring annually, I deem it advisable to
bring the matter forward.
Scheme for the
collection
of
horses at con-
venient centres
for purchase as
Cavalry re-
mounts.
60. With a view of endeavouring to bring Remount Officers and breeders
more together and in order to obtain more remounts for the Native Cavalry, I
decided to endeavour to have horses collected in different centres at times other
than those at which the Horse Shows are held. As the district of Dera Ghazi
Khan appeared to afford greater facilities and also to promise greater chances
of success, an attempt was made in this district. The Deputy Commissioner
very kindly undertook to collect as many as possible, and the Officers Com-
manding 2nd and 5th Punjab Cavalry promised to send Officers to the various
centres selected; but I regret to say that the result was a failure.
61. The Officer Commanding 2nd Punjab Cavalry reports as follows:—
"1. Rojhan.—A native officer was sent to this place and he reports that no horses were collected at all.
"2. Rajanpore.—Visited by a British officer. Not a single horse came in. The Tehsildar did not seem to
know anything about the scheme.
"3. Jampur.—Visited by a British officer. A few undersized horses and ponies came in, but none were suit-
able for purchase as remounts."
"4. Hurrund.—Visited by a British officer. About 20 horses came in, of which a large proportion were
branded mares, which their owners were desirous of selling. Only two purchases were made.
"5. Choti.—Visited by a British officer. About 20 animals came, and, as at Hurrund, a number of branded
mares. One purchase only was made.
"6. Dera Ghazi Khan.—No horses came in at all.
"I am informed that a month previous to the collection of horses, a dealer had visited the district and
taken away nearly every animal to the Amritsar Fair."
62. Although this scheme has proved a failure this year, still I am not yet
convinced that it will not ultimately succeed. It will be noticed that district
arrangements were not yet quite complete. At any rate three remounts were
obtained. I shall endeavour to repeat the experiment and if carried out, shall
direct the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, to be present, so that
certificates may be granted to any barren mares.
Purchase
of
young stock by
Bhojpuri
and
other dealers.
63. This leads me to the consideration of a subject which has received my
closest attention during the past year. I allude to the purchase of all our best
stock by dealers and its re-sale to officers of the Army Remount Department
and Native Cavalry. I do not allude now to the Bhojpuri dealers; these men
usually purchase the stock when very young and rear it in Bengal, vide remarks
(page 42) on this subject in the review on the Makanpur Fair. My remarks now
refer to the dealers of Upper India who attend all the Horse Shows and pur-
chase the best of the young stock before the Remount Agent arrives; this was
specially noticeable this year at the Rawal Pindi Fair where Captain
Birdwood was only able to buy one. When it is considered that this is one of