TROOP HORSES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1296, 12 September 1914, Page 4

TROOP HORSES.

A DEFICIENCY—AND A NECESSITY. THE NEED FOR MR HUNTER’S BILL. Mr J. G. Wilson, Bulls, writes, as finder to the Dominion newspaper:— “The war has brought one thing forcibly upon us, and that is that it would be difficult to get sufficient horses now for any considerable number of mounted troops in New Zealand. I ask for space, therefore, in your columns to put before the jmblic tho necessity of encouraging the breeding of such animals. Most people who have to travel along roads now either use a push-bike, a motor-bike or motor-cars. There has been no need of horses, therefore, during the last year or two for that purpose. Thus farmers have given over breeding anything in the shape of a hack or harness horse, except milk-car-ters. Those may do for artillery horses, but would be useless for mounted infantry. The few men who breed horses nowadays do so because they are fond of animals or require them on hill farms for mustering purposes. In. the first of these classes is the hunting man. He loves a good horse, and tries to breed and school them himself. A good many of them are misfits; hut these make the most suitable horses for mounted infantry. It will pay the country, therefore, to support- hunting and encourage it. Instead of tins, the Parliament of New Zealand distinctly discouraged it by taking away the licenses from hunt meetings to use the totalisator. and practically shut down these meetings altogether. 'These meetings ought to he restored if we, wish to enings, can by passing Mr Hunter’s Bill, enable us to start them again with every prospect of success. If we hadn’t horse racing we should have no thoroughbreds; if we hadn’t thoroughcourage; the right stamp of horse to be bred lor Imperial purposes. Parliament, which abolished the truly sporting ineetbreds we should have no hunters; if we hadn’t hunters we shall have no horses to mount our troojxs. Therefore, the Government would be doing a wise thing in helping to pass tho Bill, which would resuscitate hunt club meetings. I know many consider horse racing should he stopped, but I think it would be. one of the greatest misfortunes that ever occurred to the Dominion if it was abolished. Many thoroughly enjoy the day’s outing, ami it is a benefit to health. There may be a. few rogues connected with racing, but there arc fewer to-day than ever before in New. Zealand ; but they are always with ns in any case. "When the deficiency is so marked and the necessity so great, such a measure should not be a controversial one if it is to help to attain the desired end.”