10
Reports from Com-
manding Officers
on the class of
stallions that pro-
duce the best stock
for cavalry re-
mounts.
85. Reports have been received during the year from the following regi-
ments:—
3rd, 11th and 20th Hussars.
9th and 16th Lancers.
4th and 5th Dragoon Guards.
1st, 2nd and 3rd Madras Lancers.
86. The following opinions received are given in extenso as they materially
bear on the comparative value of the different classes of sires:—
(a) Which class of country-bred (i.e., by which sire—thorough-bred
English, thorough-bred Australian, Norfolk trotter, hackney or
Arab) has proved most satisfactory in the regiment ?
(b) What form of special disease (such as bony enlargements, spavin,
ringbone, etc.) is each of the above classes most liable to?
3rd Hussars, Lucknow—
(a) "Those by English sires are the most satisfactory, but somewhat too light of bone. Country-breds
by Norfolk trotters and hackneys are in every way unsuitable for troop horses in a Light Cavalry
regiment, as they are heavy in the forehand and cannot gallop. Only two remounts by Arab sires
were received, and of these one by a sire called 'Sun' Arab is narrow chested, leggy and straight
in the shoulder and altogether a bad horse. The other by 'Red Prince' is a very nice horse.
"The worse remounts are among those by 'unknown sires,' most of whom are common and heavy in
the shoulders."
11th Hussars, Meerut—
(a) "There are in the regiment—
"61 horses by English sires, Government stallions; of these, 7 are unsound, or 11.5 per cent.
"88 horses by Norfolk trotters, Government stallions; of these, 11 are unsound, or 12.5 per cent.
"23
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto.
"4 are unsound, or 17 per cent.
"7
do.
do.
"2 are unsound, or 28 per cent.
"These percentages give the unsoundness as found by a veterinary examination, but they do not
show the exact value of each class. The Norfolk trotters are by far the worst; they have
little bone below the knee, and are constantly lame—generally from spavin and over-reaches.
The English sires have proved the best.
(b) "English sires—Spavin.
"Norfolk trotter.—Ringbone and spavin, and sprained ligaments in order named,
"Arabs—2 of them ringbone, 2 sprained ligaments.
"Walers—1 with spavin, 1 sprained ligament."
9th Lancers, Muttra—
(a) "Thorough-bred Australian.
(b) "Through-bred English—Sprained ligaments.
"Norfolk trotter—Sprained ligaments—chiefly ligaments of fetlock, highest percentage.
Bony enlargements, i.e., spavins, ringbone, sidebone, splints are traceable more to the thorough-bred
English than any other sire. The tendency of the produce of all sires, except the thorough-bred
Australian, is to give way in their suspensory ligaments."
4th Dragoon Guards, Rawalpindi—
(a) "Twenty country-bred remounts were sent to the regiment in 1898, none of which have yet been put in
the ranks, so it is hard to report thoroughly on them, but I am of opinion that they are all too light in
bone for M. C. and feel sure they will not last long carrying such a heavy weight. The stock got by Norfolk
trotters are certainly unsuitable for cavalry; they have all very 'pounding' action both at the trot and gallop,
with big heavy carcasses and small weak joints.
(b) "None as yet have developed any of the specified diseases."
5th Dragoon Guards—
(a) "The regiment consists entirely of Walers, with the exception of 1 Arab and 6 country-breds. The
pedigrees are not given on the Descriptive Rolls furnished by Remount Depôts.
(b) "Splint and ringbone."
16th Queen's Lancers, Umballa—
(a) "Breeding only notified with the first 20 on this roll. None of the C. B. have proved satisfactory.
The Norfolk trotter blood either caurse and common, or with bodies too heavy for their legs.
(b) "There does not appear to be any special disease among them so far."
20th Hussars, Mhow—
(a) "Thorough-bred has proved most satisfactory.
(b) "None."