2
Problem of Equine Strangles in India
Mona
Segregation. At this depot the segregation area
covers about 200 acres and is separated from the
depot proper by a railway track. As the young
stock are received, they are grouped in lots of
10-15 and are kept for the first three days in
mud-wall enclosures (Plate I, fig. 1), containing a
chappar or shelter and situated within the re-
ception paddock which itself covers about two
acres. The object of this incarceration is that
the animals may get thoroughly used to one
another and quieten down. After this, they are
allowed into the paddock to 'get used to wire'.
If, as sometimes happens, paddocks with walled
enclosures are not available, the animals are
turned into paddocks which have simply a central
railed-off chappar, this being a more open ar-
rangement. Each unit of 10-15 animals is kept
entirely separate from other similar units, e.g.,
they go separately for grazing. Most of the
young stock horses bought are colts, because (a)
they are more useful for army work, and (b) the
fillies are mostly required for replacement pur-
poses in the breeding area. The fact, however,
that some fillies are bought causes some difficulty
in distribution while in segregation, since they
have to be kept separate from the colts. It may
finally be noted that, when owing to depletion in
numbers by strangles not more than three or four
animals are left in a reception paddock, the re-
mainder may be mixed to form a fresh unit.
As soon as animal develops a typical attack of
strangles, it is removed to a hospital set apart
for this disease. For the more severe cases, the
accommodation is of the 'open-stall' type, the
stalls being about ten feet square, with earth
floors and iron roofing (Plate I, fig. 2). Mild cases
may have to run loose, owing to shortage of stall
accommodation (Plate I, fig. 3). On discharge,
the animals go to grazing convalescent paddocks,
specially allotted for such cases, each paddock
being wire-fenced and about two acres in extent,
intended for ten animals and containing a 'dry'
enclosure for feeding and sheltering at night
(Plate I, fig, 4). Animals discharged from
hospital do not go back to their original reception
paddocks but remain in the convalescent paddocks
until May. Any animal that may happen to
develop strangles after transfer to the depot
proper is likewise treated in the strangles hospital.
It may also be noted that simple catarrh or fever
cases may be treated not in hospital but under
isolation in the convalescent paddocks.
It is understood that up to about 1927 the
segregation procedure at Mona was essentially
the same. The segregation camp was located in
a more or less confined area and consisted of 30
paddocks. In 1927 the paddocks were changed
from an unsatisfactory 'inter-communicating'
type to a 'multiple dispersion' type which aimed
at reducing the chances of contact among the
young stock. At the same time, there was in-
troduced a secondary segregation or 'semi-
segregation' for stock which had recovered from
strangles two or three months before. For this
purpose, areas consisting of both dry and grazing
paddocks were used, an excellent arrangement for
convalescent animals. Since 1931, the amount of
grazing has been increased, and this is now pro-
vided for all incoming young stock as soon as
possible after their arrival.
Post-segregation. The system, which is at
present in operation and which is similar in
principle to that adopted in earlier years, is in
outline as follows: Young stock horses coming-
out of segregation are first moved into a certain
area of the depot proper where they remain for 12
months, assembled in groups of up to 40 animals.
At the beginning of the next year, by which time
they are two and a half to three years old, they
are moved to another part of the same area into
paddocks capable of holding as many as 50 or 60
animals (Plate I, fig. 5). (There are now some
35 paddocks of this type in the primary post-
segregation area at Mona). At this time they are
castrated, and they remain in this area until they
are approximately four years old. The paddocks
here are dry ones and are often separated by a
single fence of wire. At the centre of each is a
square mud-brick enclosure (for food, etc.,
storage), provided on the outer side with mangers
and usually situated near trees for shade. The
size of the paddocks is variable, from 6 or 8 to 15
acres, and close by are grazing lands (berseem,
lucerne) where the horses are allowed to remain
for several hours daily. At night they remain
free in the dry paddocks. After the animals have
reached four years of age, they are brought into
the 'Home Lines' where they are given some
training (riding, lungeing) prior to issue. By this
system of movement horses purchased in one year
are kept separate from those of another year.
The above account refers to young stock horses.
Mules purchased as above in the breeding areas
are treated similarly, but they are kept in larger
groups during their period in segregation, partly
for administrative reasons and partly because
they are more hardy. After their first year they
are moved into the depot proper where they re-
main till two-and-a-half to three years old; they
are then distributed anywhere in the depot
proper for work until they are issued.
argodha
The situation at this depot has been similar
on the whole to that at Mona, and it is only
necessary to call attention to certain differences.