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In Mooltan several good Arab stallions are, I consider, urgently required,
one at least for each tahsíl. At present the District Board own one, and
arrangements are now being made with this Department, I believe, for the
purchase of another.
Here, too, I am of opinion that there should be a stallion for each tahsíl;
when touring through the district last cold weather I noticed that there were
a large number of pony mares such as would mate well with these animals.
My object in advocating the introduction of several District Board
stallions to this district is, that I believe that they would in some way help to
revive the interest which used to be taken in horse-breeding some years ago,
and which latterly, I regret to say, has assumed a backward tendency.
In Hissár where the District Board horses are most popular, 5 horses
have served an average of 62 mares each; I believe the Deputy Commissioner
intends obtaining another horse next purchasing season.
Here, too, 4 ponies, also the property of District Board, covered 41
mares each.
These figures are decidedly encouraging.
In Karnál district there are two stallions owned by the District Board:
this number might at least be increased by one horse. There ought to be room
for one horse in each tahsíl.
Cost of feed and keep,
and how defrayed.
8. The total cost of feed, keep and attendance, &c., were Rs. 5,299-4-10
and Rs. 2,322-5-4 for horse and pony stallions, respectively,
against Rs. 4,365-14-3 and Rs. 1,406-5-8 last year, showing
an increase of Rs. 933-6-7 and Rs. 915-15-8 under head of horse and pony
stallions, respectively.
This increased cost is due to the larger number of stallions present.
The average cost per horse stallion was Rs. 232-12-6 per annum against
Rs. 246-7-9 last year, showing a decrease of Rs. 13-11-3 per horse. Per pony
stallion the average cost is Rs. 166-8-0 against Rs. 160-14-8, showing an increase
of Rs. 5-9-4.
The highest average took place in Ferozepore district, the lowest in
Gurdáspur district.
The expenses of feed and keep were defrayed by District Boards and
Municipalities and in certain cases by Court of Wards and private individuals.
The average cost in each district is given in Table E.
2.—Mares unbranded or branded for District Horse-breeding.
Number present at com-
mencement of year.
9. The number of mares present at the beginning of the year was 7,497
for horse-breeding and 10,434 for pony-breeding, vide
Table F.
This return was not submitted last year, only branded or certificated
mares were given, and even now it is incomplete owing to the fact that the forms
from Jullundur, Ludhiána, Montgomery and Kángra were returned blank.
I might point out that the figures in Table F are absolutely unreliable; I know
from experience that they cannot possibly be correct. Gurgáon district, for
instance, shows 59 mares for horse-breeding in the whole of the district, which
must be wrong. There are equally glaring mistakes in the columns of this
table.
Number added to regis-
ter.
10. One thousand five hundred and seventy-seven mares for horse-
breeding and 2,669 mares for pony-breeding were added to
the register.
Number removed from
register.
11. One thousand eight hundred and fifteen mares for horse-breeding
and 1,925 for pony-breeding were removed from the
register. Of these 1,437 mares died.
Number present at close
of year.
12. Seven thousand two hundred and fifty-nine mares for horse-breeding
and 11,178 for pony-breeding, making a grand total of
18,437 mares, were present at close of year.