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74. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, South Punjab,
"when discussing this subject in his Annual Report, states:—
The stallions which produce the most suitable stock for the Army are the Thoroughbred Australians and the
English.
As yet the stock of the Australian stallions is not numerous, but those 1 have seen, have been remarkably
well grown, and a great improvement in every way on their dams.
Of the stallions now obtained the Thoroughbred Australians are by far the most suitable for breeding
remounts. They have more bone and substance than those of any other class, even, speaking generally, of the Norfolk
Trotter and Hackney ; they are better able to stand the trying climate and inferior forage of India than the Thorough-
bred English, and are sounder in their legs, feet and constitution. They are also less likely to become roarers. Nor-
folk Trotters and Hackney stallions are not liked by zemindars and breeders in the best breeding districts, because
they have found their stock to be inferior. So far as my experience goes at present, the only stallions of this
class in the South Punjab, which I am able to call first class stock getters, are 'Pluenomenon' and 'Sir George,' while,
' Grapeshot,''' Generalissimo,' 'Westminster' and ' Colony Boy' are good.
75. The one point in the above extract which appears to me to call for
special notice is, the opinion expressed by this Officer on the value of the
Australian as a sire in this country. There can be no doubt that this class of horse
stands the heat and climate generally better than the Thoroughbred English, and
the points in which he excels are his feet and legs, two most essential points when
we are endeavouring to breed remounts.
76. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, North Punjab,
remarks:—
The Thoroughbred English is many points above anything else in producing prize winners. Amongst
1st prizes, he has gained almost treble the number of any other stallion ; add his total winnings with Thoroughbred
Australians and they are more than double anything else.
In the average per sire (leaving out the only one Stud-bred whose progeny competed) the Thoroughbred
English holds a good lead of 7.96 against the 5.60 and 5.41 Half-bred English and Hackneys. The total
prizes won by Thoroughbred English and Australians is 272 against 185 last year, and Norfolk Trotters'
produce have gone further off successes by showing a total number of winnings of 117 against 143 of last year
and he has the lowest average per sire but one; this more or less proving their stock is not admired by the
Judging Committee, or if their numbers competing are less, that he is not sought after much as a sire.
The Arab has again a good average. Amongst the most successful stallions are ' Villeguste,' 'Childebent,'
''Vermeil,' 'Alaric' Thoroughbred English 'Nulquine' Australian (now dead), ' Delight' Norfolk Trotter, 'Remeo'
Half-bred English, ' Behri, ' Bally,' ' Cowasji' Arabs,' Red Rose' and ' Walton Squire' Hackneys.
He further adds :—
I should mention some of Mr. Turnbull's reasons for preferring the Thoroughbred Australian to Thorough-
bred English. The Walers received during the last 2 years are a much better stamp of animals as Walers
than the English Thoroughbreds are of their kind, because it is impossible to get the best English horses at the
price we pay for them. The Waler stands the climate of India better than the latter, and keeps condition, and
apparently fills his mares with equal certainty. He is all through a fine horse, has the same blood, with more
bone and the great qualities of possessing substance, a better constitution and better feet than our English
horses. He says nothing in favor of the Norfolk Trotters, but as stated above, the small compact half-bred
or Hackney is useful in places. Arabs are getting very fine foals in several localities, but as most of them are
used in frontier districts where mares run small or where people refuse Norfolk Trotters, and there are no
Thoroughbreds to send, they do not have an equal chance. Still, if they had, Mr. Turnbull gives his
opinion that their stock would, generally speakiug, not be quite big enough, though mares by Arab sires throw
very good foals to a Thoroughbred English or Australian.
77. This Officer, whom I have before described as one of our best judges of
horse flesh, agrees with the Superintendent, South Punjab, as to the value of the
Australian as a sire for this country.
78. On this subject the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department,
Bombay, remarks as follows. The extract is a long one and I at first hesitated to
insert it in extenso, but, bearing as it does on a most important question, I deem
it advisable to do so :—
Of 47 head of stock inspected by me and issued from the Ahmednagar Depot, 18 were issued to
British Cavalry, 19 to Native Cavalry, 2 selected as chargers, 1 to Royal Artillery and 7 rejected ; 64 per cent.
got by Thoroughbreds, 50 per cent. by Norfolk Trotters, 9 per cent. by Arabs, 45 per cent. unknown and 16
per cent. by Australian Thoroughbreds, were issued to British Cavalry. 14 per cent. by Thoroughbreds, 25 per
cent. by Norfolk Trotters 72 per cent. by Arabs, 27 per cent. unknown, 100 per cent. by Country-breds, and
66 per cent. by Australian Thoroughbreds to Native Cavalry. Of the rejections, 27 per cent. were unknown, 14
per cent. by Thoroughbreds, 25 per cent. by Norfolk Trotters and 9 per cent. by Arabs. The chargers were got
by Thoroughbreds, one English and one Australian. The above table again bears out my statement of last
year that the 1st cross of the Arab is seldom big enough for British Cavalry, but that produce again crossed
by the Thoroughbred (which is without doubt the stallion for the Deccan) produces a powerful, compact
horse, full of quality, that is fit and capable of carrying Medium British Cavalry. The average height of
those issued to British Cavalry was 15-1 and to Native Cavalry nearly 14.3. No exception was taken to a single
Country-bred issued from this Depot during the year, and the Officer Commanding, the 20th Hussars, remarks
that all round they are the best I have ever had. The above speaks volumes for the Deccan Country-bred.
The horse issued to Royal Artillery was one bred under the old system in the Depot, and was by an Arab out
of a rather well bred Australian mare. He stood 15-3¼, a quick, active horse, with great bone and power, and was
a fair example of what can be produced in these paddocks. I still maintain that there is no part of India which
can compare with the Deccan in producing horses with that perfect symmetry, bone, soundness and general
beauty, which stock got in this district possess. Several noticeable examples have occurred within the last few
years of Thoroughbreds which have been standing here, and have been transferred to Sind. It is difficult to
find fault with the stock got by them here as they have the best of legs and feet, short backs, well ribbed up
and all the flowing lines of the good Arab. These horses transferred to Sind and mated with mares, as far as
one can trace, bred on identically the same lines as the Deccan mares, produce an animal as different as it is
possible for the get of one horse to be. They are high on the leg. flat sided, upright on their joints, in many
case s unsound, and whose hind legs, though perfectly straight when bought, gradually get crooked as they grow
older. I have taken very careful notes of these facts and find that it has not occurred with one horse only, but
with all the best Thoroughbreds that have been in the Deccan long enough to have left their mark behind, and