2
The number of horse stallions was the same as last year; pony stallions
show an increase of 6. This development is in the right direction. I have
always held that District Board stallions ought to be ponies of 13.3 or 14 hands,
not anything bigger. An Arab stallion of this height will get produce that
will sell better than anything; and seeing that District Board money is con-
tributed by the zamíndárs we ought to consider what will be most profitable
to them The ponies bred from such stallions would fetch a good price for
polo, or ordinary riding or driving, or for baggage; and in a generation or two
the mares would be high enough to put to Government horse stallions. The
Superintendent, South Punjab, suggests that, as transfers from the heading of
horses to ponies and vice versa causes complications in the returns, all stallions
the property of District Boards should in future be classed under one head.
I think as long as both horse and pony stallions are kept they should be shown
separately.
I should say that the District Boards of Kohát, Dera Ismail Khan, Delhi,
Karnál, Hoshiárpur, Mooltan, Gurdáspur and Kángra would do well to by
degrees replace their horse stallions by ponies. Regarding Kángra Veterinary-
Lieutenant Smith writes :—
"The horse stallion of Kángra district is not shown as having been at stud work, the
returns received being blank."
Hazára and Bannu are still without any District Board stallions.
In Jhang it would probably be a good plan to locate some pony stallions
in the Chenáb colony.
Results.
3. The following table gives the results of breed-
ing from the stallions above referred to :—
1
YEAR.
1897-98 ... ... ...
1898-99 ... ... ...
2 3 4 5 6 7
ASCERTAINEDRESL LTS.
Number of mares
held.
Actual.
1,362
1,404
Per cent.
on
column
6.
40.09
39.43
Number of mares
not held.
Actual.
2,035
2,157
Per cent.
on
column
6.
59.90
60.57
Total.
Actual.
3.397
3,561
Per cent.
on
column
10.
63.63
67.00
8
9
UNKNOWN
RESULTS.
Actual.
1,941
1,754
Per cent.
on
column
10.
36.37
33.00
10
Grand Total, columns 6 and 8.
5,338
5,315
The difference between the two years is not marked. The number of
mares covered was slightly less in 1898-99 than in the previous year; but there
is a continued improvement in the registration of results.
On this head Veterinary-Lieutenant Trydell writes :—
"I am afraid that a reason for mare not holding is that the rules instructing the
resting, &c., of mares after being covered are not attended to."
This is very likely. Very often a mare to be covered is ridden in some
distance by its owner, and immediately after the covering is at once ridden
back home.
Costs of feed and keep.
4. The following statement shows the cost of the feed and keep of
the different kinds of stallions as shown in the returns of
the last five years:—
Horse ...
Pony
...
Donkey ...
Horse ...
Pony ...
Donkey ...
NORTH PUNJAB.
.. ... .... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ... ...
SOUTH PUNJAB.
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ... ...
1894-95.
Rs.
227
204
a.
8
12
p.
10
7
...
232
166
127
12
8
2
6
0
0
1895-96.
RS.
233
232
155
a.
3
3
8
p.
2
10
2
243
228
137
12
2
6
0
1
0
1896-97.
RS.
287
290
218
a.
1
10
1
p.
3
1
9
311
278
175
10
2
8
5
1
10
1897-98.
Rs.
291
306
202
a.
15
10
2
p.
7
11
4
322
287
169
14
13
8
2
2
11
1898-99.
Rs.
238
227
137
a.
0
1
0
p.
7
3
0
263
246
154
15
12
14
7
2
11