7
27. On this subject the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department,
North-Western Provinces and Oudh, remarks in his report: "Of the compara-
tive merits of stallions as sires of stock fit for remount purposes, my experi-
ence during the past year has only still further confirmed my opinion that
hackneys, particularly if pure bred, are far superior to other classes. Colonel
Harvey, lately Commanding the 5th Royal Irish Lancers at Meerut, allowed
me to inspect the troop horses of the regiment, which are almost all country-
breds
I came to the conclusion that the majority of the
horses, and in nearly every instance those pointed out by troop officers as being
the best, were undoubtedly sired by hackneys. In the 7th Dragoon Guards a
whole troop is horsed by country-breds, and I have been informed by the
officers of the regiment that they did their work at least quite as well as Aus-
tralians, and at the end of the Aligarh Camp of Exercise in December 1891
they compared most favorably in condition with the rest of the regiment." In
another place he says: "I have heard it stated confidently that, although the
hackney stock make a fine show of bone and substance as colts and fillies at the
fairs and shows, when they reach adult age and are put to work they prove slow
and break down prematurely. This is not borne out by the experience of the
British regiment mounted on them." The experience of the several classes of
horses gained at the Aligarh Camp of Exercise shows that the country-breds
compare favorably with Australians. The subject is alluded to below in para-
graph 58.
28. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Punjab, states: "I
noticed at the twelve different horse shows I attended that the Norfolk Trotter
produce as a rule were well grown, strong animals, and almost invariably good
movers. Possibly on the whole they were slightly deficient in quality, and
some gave me the idea of being rather short in the neck; but as British Cavalry
is now being mounted on country-breds, the fact must never be lost sight of
that in marching order a medium cavalry troop horse is expected to carry 18
stones. Of the half bred English I know nothing, except that in England he
is looked upon with great suspicion. Judging of those lately sent out to
India, they seem to me to lack the good points of the hackney without possess-
ing any of the advantages of the thorough-bred; and as it is a popular belief
amongst large horse breeders in England that young stock take after their
grand sires and dams, it cannot but be anticipated that the stock of this class
of sire will not be everything we may desire."
29. I have to reiterate the opinion which I have on former occasions
recorded, that the hackney stallion (under which head are included Norfolk
Trotters, Roadsters, &c.) of good pedigree should be continued at stud in India.
This class of stallion, though condemned by many men in India considered to
have some knowledge of horses, is the one preferred in England, Europe, Amer-
ica, Australia, Africa, and Afghanistan for producing "general utility" horses.
30. The stock of Arabs out of mares sired by hackneys is well spoken of.
31. The country-bred sires are getting good stock. Endeavours are being
made to obtain and employ more of this class of sire. Those having pedigrees
on the side of both sire and dam only are purchased, and by careful selection of
such stock the number of country-bred stallions will become in time a large one.
Several of these sires are now being employed in lieu of the old class of mal-
formed and hereditarily diseased animals itinerated by native stallion keepers.
Cost of keep,
&c., of horse
stallions.
32. Appendix VI (vide page 87) gives the cost of feed, keep, attendants,
transit, &c., of Imperial horse stallions during 1892-93, and the table entered
below shows the average cost per annum during the preceding 15 years :—
Years.
1877-78 ...
1878-79 ...
1879-80 ...
1880-81 ...
1881-82 ...
1882-83 ...
1883-84 ...
1884-85 ...
Bengal.
Rs.
253
286
290
270
235
232
232
228
A.
5
0
2
11
10
2
2
13
P.
2
3
4
11
11
2
2
3
Bombay.
Rs. A. P.
...
442
358
301
272
285
319
339
9
5
1
8
9
10
5
0
0
0
7
11
8
3
Years.
1885-86 ...
1886-87 ...
1887-88 ...
1888-89 ...
1889-90 ...
1890-91 ...
1891-92 ...
1892-93 ...
Bengal.
Rs.
230
245
261
250
238
254
289
278
A.
13
0
6
13
0
9
15
2
P.
0
3
8
5
2
11
6
5
Bombay.
Rs.
317
341
362
344
363
343
385
395
A.
6
2
12
3
0
5
12
3
P.
5
7
5
6
6
5
2
8