POSSIBLE HORSE MARKET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 905, 26 August 1910, Page 8

POSSIBLE HORSE MARKET.

. . INDIA'S KEQUIREMENTS. ■ 'It -has- bean,'-apparent -for somo years that if the shipping charges are reasonable there is a fair field iii India for Mow Zealand horse- breeders. New Zea-. land'is not at present prepared to dispose of many horses, of: tho kind India wants—the military-purpose horse and tho .first-class hack—because 'there arc not too many, of. them in the country. Our _stocks of those classes of animals were" heavily reduced ten years ago, and we have- not .since gone in for breeding seriously enough-to have yet made good tho depletion ; - In the last few years there has been a tendency to breed more and better horses, but the country as a whole cannot yet spare the horse flesh that India is looking for. There does not seem to be any>rcdson, however, why the market should not bo kept in view by horse breeders. New Zealand horses may not be so much- sought in India.as Australian horses on account of the differences in the climates, but it is evident that the big, Empire isl earnestly endeavouring to augment its present stock. An officer of the, police "department of India has paid a 'visit to_ Australia for the purpose .of investigating ' the horse markets there v;ith a'view'-of obtaining animals at lower prices. It would appear, that, while Australian horses arc preferred in India,to those of other countries,, the. prices in Calcutta are deemed unnecessarily high, and that unless' such horses can he . purchased cheaper . the trade is likely to go ■ to" America and South-Africa. It is stated by the officer referred to that if some system of breeding, especially for the Indian market, I were adopted in' Australia an immense trade' in police horses, 'pleasure hacks, and. polo ponies, could..be developed, mid a great boon j conferred ;iipon- civil and military, iofnccrs.<ahd .others'whoso duties and pleasures" require them to keep and use horses constantly.' An officer of the remount. department of the .Netherlands, accompanied by 'a veterinary surgeon, 'is also visiting Australia for the purpose of ascertaining 'whether, Australian horses are. suitable to the -requirements of the Netherlands Army 1 for. remounts., .