8
40. From the above it will be seen that we have been able to purchase
no less than 8 thoroughbred Australians in this country during the past year,
and amongst them, are some of the best horses on our strength. The average
price paid was R2,5l8 or about £160, landed in this country, and it must be
remembered that of the 8, 6 were acclimatized horses; this means that we
were able to put them to work at once instead of keeping them idle for nearly
a year; and in this connection I would also point out that we do not run the
risk of acclimatization.
41. The procedure of purchasing horses of this kind has proved so success-
ful that I purpose always reporting to the Government of India any good
horses that may be in the market, asking, at the same time, that if they ac-
cord their sanction for their purchase, that a corresponding reduction be made
in the number imported from England. The indent for the following year
has to be submitted in August, but Sir John Watson does not generally com-
mence buying until the following April; it is during the cold weather that
purchases can be made in this country, and intimation can easily reach
England before the purchases commence.
Arab stallions.
42. During the year under review, I paid great attention to the Arab
market, visiting it in October, again in December, and again in February, and
came to the conclusion that, not only was it a market giving very little selec-
tion, but that it was also one in which horses showing any quality were diffi-
cult to find. Roughly speaking, only half the number of horses and ponies
that are landed annually arrived this year, and well it was for the importers,
for, owing to the prevalence of the plague in Bombay, up-country purchasers
were very scarce, This, it might have been thought, would have reduced
prices, but the Arab dealer is very headstrong; he knew that few good horses
were landed, and in addition to this, a rumour went through the stables
that exportation from Bussorah had been prohibited by the Turkish
Authorities and was not likely to be re-opened for a year; this had the
result of making the market tight: in fact I have never known it
tighter than it was this year. As instances of this, I might mention one
chesnut, a very high caste horse, with great bone; combinations not
often met. I was particularly anxious to obtain him, and although
the amount sanctioned was an average of R2,000 for each Arab, I offered the
large sum of R4,200, but my offer was refused. This horse was afterwards
purchased for His Highness the Maharaja Holkar, G.C.S.I., of Indore, at
R6,000. Again, I offered R2,500 for another horse in December, and felt
sure that as the market was getting worse, owing to the increase of the plague,
I would be certain to get him, but I had to leave Bombay without him; on
my return in February, I found that R2,800 had been offered by his Highness
the Maharaja Sindhia of Gwalior, and it was with the greatest difficulty that
I bought him for R3,000.
43. I do not purpose now to enter fully into the merits of this class of
horse for stud purposes, but will content myself by saying that we cannot do
without Arabs, and, in my opinion, the more we get the better. Roughly
speaking, the cost of the English and Australian thoroughbred horses landed
in this country, is R6,000, and I have already shown that the average price
paid for Australians bought in India, that have raced and are no longer fit
for the turf, was R2,518. I shall therefore ask the sanction of the Govern-
ment of India to raise the price of the Arab to R2,500 instead of R2,000.
The majority will be purchasable at the latter figure, but this increase will
enable me to secure such horses as the one mentioned as having been bought
by Indore.
44. Taken as a whole, I am satisfied with the Arabs purchased this year.
In some instances, I would have liked them to have possessed more bone,
but it must be remembered that the higher the caste the lighter in bone Arabs
are; still, when we take the average measurements as being 14-3½ in height,
67½ inches girth, and 7½ inches shank, I think it must be owned that there is
not much cause for complaint.
45. The Arab market was worse than I ever remember it for Galloways
and Ponies—the class of animal required by District Boards. Not only were
the numbers very small, but I can never remember so much rubbish being
brought over; this led to the prices being prohibitive, as far as I was con-