2
The number of foals dropped by the 2,039 mares covered by district
stallions was reported to be 827, giving an average of 40.55 to mares covered and
16.21 per stallion employed. This is very satisfactory and far better than the
returns for Imperial stallions. In the case of branded mares covered by Imperial
stallions (para. 27 of Imperial Report) 2,249 mares dropped 612 foals
only, giving an average of 27.21 per cent., and 12 per stallion employed. These
figures are curious and give food for reflection. I do not pretend to be able to
give a full explanation off-hand without further enquiry, but I have no doubt
that the explanation is partly to be found in the fact that zamíndárs are not
always anxious to declare the birth of a foal by a branded mare owing to a
belief that they may be called on to produce it for inspection or even enforced
sale, whereas the services of District Board stallions being quite free, the people
are much less suspicious and have much less hesitation in announcing that their
mares have had foals. It is notorious that a large portion of the remounts
annually purchased are by Imperial stallions, but only a little over a fifth are
of known pedigree. It is well known that elaborate systems of supervision,
inspection, certificates, brands, registers and so on, however necessary they may
be to the preparation of statistics, frighten the people and render them suspi-
cious. Our policy should be to reduce restrictions and registration to its lowest
possible limits. The Superintendent suggests that District Boards' salutries
should keep registers of coverings and produce of District Board stallions and
submit a monthly report to the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department,
as the Imperial zilladárs do. I do not recommend this. In the first place, I do
not wish to see district salutries taken up too much with horse breeding, and I
do not consider that the zilladárs figures have been so reliable in the past that
there is anything to be gained by copying their system.
Turning to the report of the Superintendent, North Punjab, we find—
There were 2 horse and 22 pony stallions in the districts on 31st
March 1895, and 2 horses and 29 ponies present on 31st March 1896,
an increase of 7 pony stallions. The horses were located in Shahpur
and Dera Ismail Khan, and the ponies were distributed as follows:
Peshawar 2, Ráwalpindi 7, Jhelum 1, Gujrát 4, Gujránwála 3, Shahpur
3, Siálkot 4, Lahore 4 and Jhang 1. There are two approved horse stallions
and 3 pony stallions also employed in Shahpur which belong to private indivi-
duals. Two horses and 27 ponies were employed at stud work in 1895-96,
against 3 horses and 16 ponies in the previous year, an increase of 11 ponies
and a decrease of 1 horse. The average of mares covered per stallion was
57.79, against 45.78 last year, a large and encouraging increase. The average
per horse was 60.50 and per pony 57.59, against 38.33 and 47.18, respectively,
last year. The Superintendent considers that pony stallions might usefully be
placed in Baunu, Kohát, Jhelum and Hazára. There are some ponies in these
districts now, but more are required. During the year, 121 mares were covered
by horse stallions and 1,555 by pony stallions, against 115 and 755, respectively,
last year. That is, the number covered by pony stallions has more than doubled.
Three hundred and nine foals are reported to have been dropped during the
year giving an average of 16.26 per stallion, and 3551 per hundred mares,
against 9.00 and 33.75 last year. The percentage of foals to mares covered is
not quite so good as in the South Punjab, but they are better than the figures
for Imperial stallions, which are 15.83 per stallion and 30.03 per hundred mares.
It cannot, however, be said that the figures are anything like accurate in either
case. The Superintendent, North Punjab, remarks that he has no doubt that "a
corrupt practice exists of extracting money from breeders, before the certificate
is given, by the zilladárs, Veterinary Assistant or others empowered to distri-
bute them. The breeder knowing that he must possess a certificate, before he
can compete for prizes at Shows, is afraid to refuse, while some being unable to
pay the blackmail do not get the certificate at all." I think this is probably
very true. The best way out of the difficulty is, possibly, to give prizes at Shows
for excellence alone and not to insist on the production of any certificate. The
suggestions made by the Superintendent that certificates should be given only
by the zilladár is hardly a satisfactory one as regards District Board stallions.