NEW ZEALAND HORSES FOR AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1078, 17 March 1911, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND HORSES FOR AUSTRALIA.

AN AUSTRALIAN INTERVIEWED. An Australian stock-owner who landed ill Wellington on Wednesday, was questioned as to how tho New Zealandors who took horses over to Australia now would tare at the markets. "Well," he answered, "you don't want, to send us many light "horses, but don't bo afraid of sending draughts. I don't mean to say that light 'horses will not sell well. They may; but the heavies are.what are wanted in" anything like big numbers there. The market fluctuates somewhat, and industrial disturbances have a- bad effect on it. You can't get much for horses at the sales when thero is) ;v strike on. Keep your eyes on the cables and if strike, is in the air don't send anything to Australia. The percentage, of rumoured strikes which materialise is heavy lately, so when a strike is talked of it would be wiser to look upon it as a certainty than to risk losing on a string of horses. . "The Now Zealand draughts are on the whole slightly better diorsqs than our. ordinary draughts, and-the-pick of.; New, Zealand's heavy horses, I believe, arc superior to Australia's best. If a horse offered, by auction looks rather good, and. is a New Zcalander's, the latter, fact is always stated by tho auctioneer. Animals from here . usually. bring a . little more .than local stuff, even where the quality sMms to.ba. about the same. On occasions, last season, though, some pretty poor r stuff. was landed, by. the New Zealand boats. Don't send that kind of horse over. Wo' don't want it, and it will only lower'the tone oijour market. .Ton raise better horses than we do, and Australians know it, or tHi'nk they know it, but they will think they know something o'.se if much rubbish is sent across. "This is more important than you might think. Australia is capable *of tremendous development, and that development has only begun,•but it will be proceeded with, and in a idozen ways! that will assist in maintaining the demand for horses. There ,is~a shortage at present, and the opening up of country will create a want for more; therefore there is- little'chance of any 'effort the Australian breeders may 'make over-, taking the demand for some time. Consequently, the market Is'worth catering for, .and worth-looking after, and (ho best way to look after it is not-to forgo your present footing bv sending over poor quality horses. Send good stock, and ,Vour name will continue to stand to yon, and you will*find th?t that policy will pay in the long run." "As to prices, {he market when I left was up to ■fGO.frr heavy draught lini-e.s' mi to ,£SO for heavy geldings, and■ pv.t •£■lo for medium draught mare.-.. You could get up to about SM for aged draughts, and £5 more. for,.young sorts."