OUR WAR HORSES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 14 July 1915, Page 8

OUR WAR HORSES

AMPLE SUPPLY

FALL IN QUALITY SUGGESTED

THE FUTURE DISCUSSED

TIIO New Zealand war horse was considerably discussed yesterday by the eu ' Zealand Council of Agriculture. Iho Director of the State Live Stock Department delivered an address on the subject, in which lie said that so far the supply of New Zealand horses for the War had proved adequate. He added that when war broko out many people feared that'(owing to the falliii" oil in inducements to farmers andothers to breed really good horses) we'"might hare difficulty in securing sufficient good military horses. His investigations prior to the war led him to think that, wlnle thero was a sufficient number of horses, ho doubted if tho higher quality was 111 high ohougli .proportion- to stand us 111 coou stead when the horse** were Wanted quickly. Added' to this, ho had seen many poor horses in tho Territorial camps, and altogether ho had feared that -great difficulties, would arise. Howover, the supply of good horses had proved ample. Actually, tho least suitable lot of horses was in tho first force which left here, and yet those animals had been greatly admired in Egypt. Since then better horses had been securM, because more time had been available' 111 which to Eclect them. At the present time wo were gettiug good horses as freely as they were needed, three things had assisted Now Zealand to get, such good horses in such numbers: (1), the patriotic spirit, which per-meated-the country ; (2), the effect of the war 011 tho Australian market: and (3),- a shortage of horse feed. Cavalry was becoming loss and. less necessary every day in the present war, but a certain number of horses would always bo needed at the disposal of any military Jwco. And it must be borne in mind that it was conceivable that some day New Zealand might bo engaged in' a war after th e stv ] o of t])6 Afr ; can War, which was essentially a war of mounted moil. Consequently, tho breeding of suitable military horses must be ! encouraged. He added that in the near future thero shonld he a good market for our .horses in India. There were 011 the conference order paper several remits which dealt with tho subject of horse-breeding. Mr. J. H. Perrett moved tho following two re~ mits,. which were .taken together:— Feilding: "That this conference views with alarm the general falling-off in the breeding of horses suitable for artillery and cavalry, and strongly urges tho various A. and P. Associations and the Council of Agriculture . to foster tho breeding of horses;'suitable for army purposes."

Canterbury: "That it is desirable that tho Govomment should.'confer with the: Imperial • authorities with regard to establishing a market for . suitable remounts, at a prico:'sufficient to encourage tho breeding of same." Mr. Perrett said that tho largo use of motor-cars -made /it ntecessary to go into this question. Ono delegate said that if horse-breed-ing 'Was urged, a market was needed, and .'the Government should take steps to provide a market. Another delegate said that they should approach the racing .authorities,' arid ask them to raise their minimum weights and to put on no races under a mile for two-year-olds. Also, they should endeavour, to get rid of tho stop-watch: then they would have better ' horses, and the races, though' ulcwor, would be more interesting. Sir Walter ■ Buchanan'.,' said that /it had. surprised:-him-; :to learn -'that- tho' •New; Zealand, military -.had experienced' so little difficulty, in securing 1 ample, good horses.. He .thought that to somo extent the judgment of tho Defence authorities'and the veterinarians had been influenced through, the absence of superior horses of a class equal-to the horses of a. few years ago. with which to make comparisons. At one time, in his district it was not difficult to get first-class riding horses, but it was extremely , difficult ;• to get them to-day. He was satisfied that, every encouragement should. be given to horse-breeding, especially tlie breeding of light horses. Tho "advent of the .motor-car,' too, had had a wonderful\effect. .The people who were able and willing, to pay ; big prices for a first-class horse a few'yehrs an-o did not seek that horse to-day. Tlio demand fcr firafrckws horses had been much affected by the increased use 'of motor-cars.

Mr. Ewan Campbell (Wanganni) opposed the motions on the ground that there would be "no war again for 1(10 years,!' and,- therefore, they wero seekiwr to get people to breed animals which would bo unsaleable.

Hie motions wore carried, and the conferonco added an expression of om'nion that subsidising as recently provided for by Parliament would not of itself achieve the object of providing suitable military horses.