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be bought from the zemindars, should be reared in this Depôt. Already this
suggestion is being acted on and Colonel Loch informs me that he hopes to get
between 300 and 400 mares fit to breed from.
It will be seen that this can all be done without increasing expenditure
in the State, in fact by reducing the number of stallions, as has been done, the
expenditure is lessened; it is in this direction, as I have before said, that by
acting as professional adviser to these States, that I hope to make horse and
mule breeding a success.
Bhopal and
Gwalior.
499. During the year under review, enquiries were made, through the
Political Agent of Bhopal and the Resident at Gwalior, as to whether anything
was done in the way of horse breeding in either of these States and whether I
could help them in any way. Both States replied that nothing was done in
this direction, but they both accompanied this information by a cordial invita-
tion to me to visit their respective States. As, however, I felt that but little
advantage could be gained, and as my time was so fully occupied, I did not
visit them.
From Remount Rolls, however, received from the Inspector General,
Imperial Service Troops, I find that the Inspecting Officer, Central India
States Cavalry, bought 16 remounts at a fair held at Gwalior, and makes the
following remarks:—
" The class of remount has improved since last year. The fair should be included in the list circulated by
the Civil Veterinary Department."
This has been communicated to the Resident at Gwalior who has been
asked to kindly afford this Department all information with reference to this
fair which, as recommended by Captain Edwards, will be included in the list
published by this Department.
COORG.
Mysore.
500. Pony-breeding is carried on in this State, but hitherto the stallions
employed have not been of the best.
Much correspondence has passed, during the past year, between the Ins-
pector-General of Forests, under whom the pony breeding operations are placed,
and myself, and at his request I drew up the following memorandum, being the
recommendations which I considered would best suit the State.
I visited Mysore in December last when a certain number of village mares
were collected for my inspection; their average height was 12 hands. Much
of course cannot be expected, but still, if crossed with good small Arab ponies,
the produce would add to the Transport of the country.
Memorandum regarding pony-breeding in Mysore.
It is presumed that the general run of mares in Mysore are small and that
the faults to be corrected are those commonly found in India, viz., narrow-
chested, flat-sided, drooping quarters, with badly shaped fore legs, therefore
the stallion selected for breeding should not exceed 13-2 in height, and should
on no account possess any of the faults abovementioned.
I propose retaining the 7 stallions employed in Mysore in the districts of this
State, with the exception of that of Mysore, where special arrangements should
be made. The Deputy Commissioners and Amildars of the districts in which
these 7 stallions are located, should be enjoined to so interest themselves that at
least 60 mares should be covered annually by each stallion; there should be no
difficulty in doing this.
The reason that the employment of the stallions in other districts than that
of Mysore is advocated is, that although much attention will not be paid to these
districts at first, still when operations have been well started in the district of
Mysore and have proved a success and that operations are extended to each
district in succession, we would find that a certain improvement had taken place
and that we had a better class of mare to work on.