8
"The Nausbahro and Tando Divisions of Hyderabad are the next most promising centres, but here I
consider that at present there is practically little to work on beyond the indigenous stock of the country, as
testified to by the very large percentage of skewbalds, piebalds and every possible odd color, by the weedy
appearance, lightness of bone, bent hind legs and narrow chest of the great majority of all the horse stock.
Shikarpur promises well for mules, but a very large portion of Sind contains practically no mares, and is
absolutely unsuited for either horse or mule-breeding.
THAR AND PARKAR.
"This district, so far as I have seen and been able to learn at present, is, I think, valueless for both horse
and mule breeding. There has been no horse stallion in the district, but one donkey was there last year
which, however, I removed as he only covered 22 mares during the year.
CHARGE OF STALLIONS.
"Previous to this year many of the Imperial stallions have been in charge of Zemindars, and this arrange-
ment has, I think, proved most unsatisfactory. The stabling used for them has been bad and insufficient;
many of the stallions have been kept tied up with head and heel ropes and not properly exercised. The
syces appear to be the veriest coolies, probably due to the insufficient pay allowed to them. The horses
have been badly done, ill-groomed and supplied with very indifferent gear, and altogether there was wanting
about nearly every stand that element of smartness which goes so far to popularise Government stallions in the
eyes of the Zemindars. I quite agree with the Collector of Hyderabad that it is hardly advisable to remove all
horses from Zemindars at once, but what I do recommend is that as Government stables are built they should
always be placed where there is a Government official who can be made responsible, and then by degrees the
stallions can be moved into them.
"In spite of orders having been issued that no unbranded mare was to be covered by an Imperial stallion,
the covering certificates which came into my hands at Talhar Show, proved that Government stallions had been
allowed to cover any and all sorts of unbranded mares and ponies that were brought. The Thoroughbred
English horse 'Spero' has been put to a tato under 13 hands, to a mare branded D., and in one case to a pony
mare with mule foal at foot. All this, of course, depreciates the value of a stallion in the eyes of the owners
of good mares, and tends very materially to make them unpopular. Under more immediate official supervision,
and with the appointment of Zilladars in thearious districts, all these matters should, however, soon be rectified.
STABLING.
"The stabling in Sind requires a good deal doing to it to meet requirements:—
UPPER SIND FRONTIER.
"Jacobabad.—Covering yard urgently required with additions, alterations and repairs to existing building.
Stabling for three donkeys in the district.
SHIKARPUR.
"Kambar.—Stable for donkey required; at present tied up.
"Dokri.—Stable for donkey required; at present tied up.
"Rawat Khan.-Stable for donkey required; at present tied up.
"Sukkur.—Stable for horse and donkey required.
HYDERABAD.
"Naushahro.—Stabling for six stallions required.
"Matli.—Stabling for six stallions required.
CASTRATION.
"Throughout Sind the operation of emasculation is practically nil, and if horse-breeding is to be
developed it is essential that Salutris for this work be early appointed to the various districts. At the two
Shows held in the Hyderabad District, 424 stallions of four years old and upwards were exhibited, and these it
must be remembered were not dealer's horses but the property of the local Zemindars. With these animals at
large it is quite hopeless to expect any good to follow the placing of expensive imperial stallions in their
neighbourhood; the only result that can ensue is the hopeless waste of Government money. Only 24 cases of
castration are reported for the year as the combined work of four Veterinary Graduates, and as 15 of these
were done in Hyderabad, where there is no horse-breeding, it is probable that not more than four or five Zemin-
dars' colts can be included in that number. As not more than a very small percentage of the 424 horses
mentioned above were suitable as remounts, some calculation of the immense loss of horse power in the Province
can be made."
Number of stallions
at stud work.
40. The number of stallions at stud work is shown in Table IV.
Sixty seven stallions were employed in North-Western Provinces out of
78 on the Register. The number shown on the Register is 101, but of these 23
were under acclimatization, and were unallotted; 79 were employed in North
Punjab out of 97 on the register; 71 in South Punjab out of 85; 15 in Sind
out of 17; and 46 in Baluchistan out of 40.
This latter, which would appear to be anomalous, is accounted for by the
fact that the Thoroughbred English horses from Jacobabad go to Quetta for
the hot weather and are accounted for there. It will therefore be seen that
278 were actually at stud work against 252 last year. If, for the sake of
comparison, we do not take Sind into our calculation, as it was not included
last year, the numbers stand as follows:—263 against 252.
Average number of
mares covered per
stallion.
41. Table IV also shows the number of mares covered per stallion
employed. The following is a summary for the past four years:—
North-Western Provinces
North Punjab . .
South Punjab ..
Baluchistan . .
Sind . . .
Deccan . ..
Guzerat . . .
1895-96.
45.3
48.27
54.48
55.54
1896-97.
51.00
52.11
52.07
58.43
1897-98.
48.2
49.76
48.95
60.34
Cannot be given as the returns for these
three years were combined with Cutch.
33.68
28.52
32.29
29 70
23.33
29.41
1898-99.
49.10
53.31
50.92
57.86
27.45
36.06
33.23