68
421. The following remarks by the Judging Committee on the various
classes, will prove of interest:—
Brood mares.—A most excellent class. Many most suitable for breeding valuable
and powerful stock, and some rather smaller, especially suitable.
for breeding the Native Cavalry remount class.
Branded fillies.—An extremely good class. Very promising and powerful.
Fillies 2 and 3 years of age.—Very large classes showing plenty of bone and
quality. Well developed and cared for.
Yearling colts and fillies.—A numerous and most promising class. Very forward
and well-grown and turned out. The first five prizes were
awarded to the colts purchased by the Government Remount
Agent. The Committee were much struck with the development
attained by both the yearling colts and fillies, also the good whole
colors of the young stock.
422. This fully confirms the opinion I have previously expressed, that
in Baluchistan, owing to climate and soil, we have a centre in which to breed
and rear animals such as can be produced in no other part of India. Other
districts may, perhaps, surpass Baluchistan in quality, for horse-breeding in this
Province is still young, but for bone, good development, and generally speaking
for all such qualities as are required to make good Cavalry remounts,
Baluchistan has no rival in my opinion.
423. The Remount Agent purchased 12 head of young stock. He
makes the following remarks in his Remount Roll:—
I have not been at this Fair before, but the stock are better grown, and have better bone than any I have
seen before in India. A certain proportion I am sorry to say still have the stamp of inferior Norfolk Trotter stallions,
and crooked fore legs even here show how very necessary it is that stallions should never have the defect almost
the worst point possible for a remount.
This sandy and rocky district with its dry climate is undoubtedly far more suitable for rearing stock than
the North-Western Provinces, and I only hope the Army Remount Department may in a few years have a Rearing
Depôt up here.
The show of brood mares was far and away the finest as regards quality, I have ever seen in India. No one
who did not go to see the judging could have formed the least idea of what a show there would be.
The above remarks are made by Major Goad, I am glad to see he fully
confirms my opinion of the capabilities of Baluchistan as a horse-breeding
centre.
424. I know full well that Hackneys should no longer be used in this
Province, and I would like to entirely remove them, but I am sorry to say
that if I did I could not replace them either by Thoroughbreds or Arabs, still,
as no new ones are being sent, the fault will I hope soon be rectified. During
the past year:—
3
1
2
Arabs
Thoroughbred English
Thoroughbred Australians
together with one small Arab for covering small unbranded mares, have been
allotted for work in Bluchistan.
425. Eighteen remounts were purchased by Native Cavalry Officers, all
of them being locally bred animals. This is the largest batch ever purchased
at this Show.
426. Major Willes, 15th Bengal Lancers, reports as follows on his
batch of 8:—
Up to the average but rather small and young, average height being 14-2½, and very few animals obtainable
over 3 years of age.
As, however, these remounts were only 3 years of age, they are likely,
with good feeding, to grow at least one inch and to become horses of 14-3½ to
15 hands, which I would consider should suit most Native Cavalry Regiments.
427. In addition to the 18 mentioned above as having been bought by
Native Cavalry, a Lahore dealer took down 3 truck loads, the majority of
which will no doubt find their way into the ranks.
RAJPUTANA.
428. The two Fairs held annually in Ajmere-Merwara were not held this
year owing to the prevalence of Bubonic Plague in Bombay. For this reason also
the Fairs held annually in the Native States of Jeypore and Ulwar were abolished.