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coolies get eight and ten annas a day. The horses have been badly done, ill-groomed, and supplied with very
indifferent gear, and altogether there is wanting about every stand that element of smartness which goes so far
to popularise Government stallions in the eyes of the zemindars. I quite agree with Mr. Steele, the
Collector of Hyderabad, that it is hardly advisable to remove all horses from the zemindars at once, but what
I do recommend is that good stables, I do not mean expensive ones, but large airy loose boxes, should gradually
be built where there is a Government official that can be made responsible, and then by degrees it may be found
advisable to place the stallions at such places. The covering certificates that came into my hands at the 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' having been put to tatoos under thirteen
hands high, and even to pony mares branded for mule breeding. All this of course depreciates the value of a
sire in the eyes of the owner of good mares and tends to make them unpopular. Under more immediate
supervision and with the appointment of zilladars to the various districts, all these matters will, however, soon
be rectified, and I see no reason why good horses and mules should not be bred in this Division.
"The Collector is anxious that the Imperial grant to this Show should be increased from R400 to R600, the
same as is given for Moro.
"I shall be glad if you can see your way to providing the extra two hundred rupees."
343. I would now offer a few remarks on Veterinary Captain Maxwell's
report. It will be seen that whilst 111 mares competed in the class for such
as had been covered by Government stallions, 485 competed in that class,
viz., "all mares four years old fit for breeding purposes." As, however, 91
of the latter were branded, a good beginning has been made towards selection
of mares. The majority of these 485 were simply fit for mule breeding,
but amongst them there were many that, if mated with good Jacks, would
throw good Ordnance mules.
344. Another important point brought to notice in the tabular statement
is that no castration has been attempted in this district. Two hundred and
ninety-nine entries competed against six geldings shown.
345. No reliable information could be obtained owing to the total absence
of covering certificates, and it will be noticed that of 111 mares said to
have been covered by Government stallions, only 20 were in possession of
covering certificates.
346. I am able to confirm Veterinary Captain Maxwell's opinion with
regard to the class of mares to be found in the district, but it is evident that
although this is the 5th Annual Horse Show during which time something
should have been done, we have to commence from the very beginning. For
this reason, I considered it advisable to remove the Thoroughbred English
stallion "Spero," and to direct that none but good Arabs should be used in
future. Nicking so well as they do with the indigenous breeds they should,
in a few years, leave a decided impression on the mares of this part of Sind.
347. I agree with Veterinary Captain Maxwell in his remarks regarding
the prospectus of prizes; numerous alterations are required to bring about the
desired end. I have therefore directed him to settle the Jacobabad prospectus
first in consultation with the Deputy Commissioner, and then to endeavour to
introduce the same prospectus at Moro and Talhar in the Hyderabad district.
348. I would draw special attention to the condition of the Government
stallions. Had I not seen them myself I would scarcely have imagined that
horses could have been kept so badly. I was really not surprised that the
natives preferred their own stallions, for, in many cases, they were better
done and better turned out than ours were. All this will, however, be
changed, but it will necessitate an extra allotment to Sind to allow Veteri-
nary Captain Maxwell to equip them with proper gear and clothing, and to
employ better syces. Stabling is urgently required, but by the new arrange-
ment come to between the Imperial and Bombay Governments, local funds
will in future provide these, in lieu of contributing, as they have hitherto
done, towards the feed and keep of the stallions.
349. Seeing what had been done in this district, mere tats under 13 hands
in height having been covered by Thoroughbred English horses, I deemed it
advisable to issue strict orders that none but branded mares were to be covered
by the Government stallions.
350. I agree with the Collector that it would be advisable to increase the
allotment for prizes, and I shall endeavour to do so.