17
At Choti Zerin 9 or 10 horses were offered for sale as Cavalry remounts. Their average age was 2½ years
and height about 14-1½. Two out of the above number 1 wished to buy—one a dark grey mare, and the other a dark
grey gelding. The mare-was 3½ years old and about 14-3 in height, the gelding was 2 years and 7 months old accord-
ing to its certificate and about 14-2 in height. I offered Rs. 550 for the two but the owners would not part for less
than Rs. 700.
At Dera Ghazi Khan nothing was brought for sale.
At Taunsa nothing was brought for sale.
104. The Officer Commanding, 5th Punjab Cavalry, forwarding the report
from the Remount Officer of his regiment, states :—
Some time ago I was informed that the Officer Commanding, 2nd Punjab Cavalry, had written to say that
owing to paucity of Officers he would be unable to carry out this engagement. I would observe that three British
Officers have been withdrawn from this regiment in connection with the Frontier disturbances, but I was unwill-
ing to abandon the experiment which you were anxious to test once more ; so, shorthanded as we were, I spared an
Officer for the purpose with the result shown. I would like to add, as stated in the concluding paragraph of my
former letter, that I was sure the quest would be a hopeless one. One reason, I think, is that the owners look upon
the Dera Ghazi Khan Horse Fair, held in March, as their great yearly Show. They look forward to it, live up to it so
to speak, and make all their preparations both in fattening up their stock for sale and in other respects, against
the great occasion. I have no doubt whatever that, as far as the Deputy Commissioner of this district is concerned,
every effort has been made, by written orders to Tehsildars. &c., for a decent collection of horse flesh. It appears to
me clear that the zemindars do not care to rise to the occasion.
105. I greatly regret this failure. I had hoped that the collection of locally
bred horses might be made in districts, and that closer contact between Remount
Officer and breeder would have been obtained, still I feel that regiments can help
themselves greatly in this matter, especially such regiments as recruit from good
breeding centres, and any assistance that this Department can give them, either
through my own exertions, or by placing at their disposal the Zilladars of the
districts, in order to give them information regarding stock, will be most willingly
afforded them, as I am most anxious to see remounts bought from breeders
Purchase of young
stock by Remount
Department
direct from
breeders.
106. To endeavour to bring about this much to be desired end, I issued a
Circular to all Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Department, in charge of horse-
breeding circles, to the effect that in future the Zilladars at every Horse Fair or
Show were to make themselves acquainted with all horse stock over 18 months of
age, the owners of which were willing to sell them, in order that when applied to
they would be in a position to afford information and assistance to the purchasing
Officers of the Remount Department. I am glad to hear from Major Goad that this
order has been instrumental in affording him that assistance which is necessary to
bring the breeder and the purchasing Officer together.
107. The system under which Remount Officers were directed to report to
me the date of their arrival at the various Shows to enable me to communicate
with the District Officers and to inform them, not only of the dates on which the
Officers would arrive, but also of the number of young stock which they would be
prepared to buy, has not been productive of the good which I anticipated. This is
due to the fact that it is found difficult to notify this information sufficiently long
before the date of their arrival to allow of notices being circulated amongst the
breeders. I trust, however, that some way out of the difficulty will be found in
consultation with the Director, Army Remount Department, as I feel convinced
that it would be the means of causing breeders to keep many head of stock which
now fall into the hands of dealers.
Absence of Native
Cavalry Officers
at Fairs.
108. The absence of purchasing Officers, at the various Fairs and Shows held
during the past year, has been most marked. It has, no doubt, been in a great
measure due to operations on the Frontier, still, at a time when horses are greatly
wanted, it is to be regetted that some Officers could not have been spared to visit
the Shows at which no remounts were bought.
109. This fact has been very forcibly alluded to by the Judging Committee,
and by the various Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Department, as will be seen
from the following extracts from their reports :—
Makanpur Horse Fair. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department,
states :—
No British Officer was attending for purchase of horses but one from the Commissariat Department was
present for purchasing bullocks. One Native Officer from the 7th Bengal Cavalry, Lucknow, attended.
The falling off in attendance of British Officers is probably due to the fact that most of the Cavalry Regiments
are away engaged in the present operations on the N.-W. Frontier.
The quality of the horse stock attending was decidedly poor. I saw only 15 horses which I considered fit for
Native Cavalry.
Meerut (Nauchandi) Horse Show. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, states:—
I would bring to your notice the very meagre attendance of purchasing Officers from Native Cavalry Regiments
at the various Fairs in the North-Western Provinces during the current year. I do this as I think it is a great pity
that breeders should not be given greater encouragement, as many of them have to return to their homes discouraged
at not having any offers for their animals offered for sale at these Shows, and also that many valuable animals