A PRO-BOER HORSE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 349, 25 February 1902, Page 2

A PRO-BOER HORSE.

LIEUTENANT EELS AND OTHERS INJURED. EIGHT TROOPERS THROWN IN THE ONE DAY. (Special to Timks.) Auckland, last night. On Saturday, the high mettle of one of the horses at Te Papapa camp led to a series of accidents. Two proved rather serious. LicuUr.cnt Ted Rees, of Gisborne, was riding, and his animal in the morning becoming frisky threw him. The officer sustained a strained neck and sprained wrist. Later on, Trooper Pearson mounted the horse, lie, too, was thrown, the animal stepping on him rattier heavily, partly upon his shoulder and partly upon his spine. Lieutenant Roes was removed to the tent, where bis injuries were promptly attended to. Trooper Pearson was taken to tbe district hospital, where his hurts are likely to detain him a week or more. The same horse, later in the day, threw Lieutenant Veterinary-Surgeon Neale, of Gisborne. Lieutenain Neale purchased this horse at Whangarei, and Gisbornites remarked that it looked the quietest of the lot. Five other troopers wore also thrown from the animal, but -without it injuring them.

The Auckland' Star states :—Mr C. Neale, Government Veterinary Surgeon, for some time located at Gisborne, is veterinary officer in charge just now at tbe Te Papapa camp. Mr Neale saw service with the First Contingent in South Aftica. and has a good word to say for New Zealand horses, and what they accomplished in tho field on short commons. 11l a letter received by Mr Neale during the week from a friend in South Africa that gentleman has been informed that six of the horses that first saw services from this colony arc still doing their share of hard toil. The number of horses that are in the field now of those that were on duty during the early part of the war must ho small indeed. Only a few weeks after arriving in South Africa tho horses of the Sixth New Zealand Contingent were nearly all used up from hard work, poor feeding and other causes. From want of proper sustenance and ignorance of the right way to manage horses on the

part of many of their riders, the Tommies in particular, the waste of horses in the war has been overwhelmingly large, indeed there has been all too great a sacrifice of horseflesh. Lessons in how to feed and look after their horses I should say are quite as important to the men who go out to South Africa as the use of fire-arms, so much depends upon the horse.