227 



"paying trade in sending home young ponies. If you could send me 

 ^' home one or two of the best up to 14 stone which are now playing 

 " in Jamaica, not under 5 years and not over 7, I think you vvould 

 " get remunerative prices for them I have imported at different 

 ^' times untrained ponies from India, E^ypt. North America and Ar- 

 "gentine and in no instance did it pay." The^e words would give us 

 a fair idea of the standard which we must set up and breed up to. 



Mounted Infantry :— The class of horse required for this purpose is 

 an animal built on the lines of the weight carrying polo ponv or 

 something a trifle bigger. Horses suitable for this purpose are worth 

 £30 to £35 in England. "We should be able to produce any number 

 of these in Jamaica and the breeding of them could be made quite a 

 profitable business. Animals of this class would be easily produced at 

 J620 each as four year olds or £15 each as three year olds (unbroken 

 and grass fed). It would be necessary for the Government to move 

 in the matter and to induce the War Office to establish a Remount 

 Depot (for Mounted Infantrj'- alone) in Jamaica, and buy our horses on 

 the spot. The Depot would have to take our unbrc^ke 3 year olds at 

 £16. These should cost about £5 each to break and condition so as to 

 be fit to ship to England the following year as 4 year olds Animals 

 of the description which I advocate should be bred, and, which I 

 maintain, can easily be bred in Jamaica, would thus cost the Imperial 

 Government under £30 landed in Ei gland, a less price than they are 

 now paying, and I venture to think that they would be getting a 

 cheaper and better animal than they could get from any other part of 

 the world. 



Care should be i aken only to put before them a type of stallion which 

 is likely to breed a useful and serviceable type of horse. Without de- 

 siring to reopen a controversy, I would say that this is the reason 

 why I have always been opposed to the use of the Welsh Pony Stal- 

 lion. 



Hon. J. V. Calder : 1. An attempt to establish an export trade wai 

 made 25 years ago and failed. 



2. A dozen polo ponies vvould overstock the market 



3. I see no reason why a certain number of remounts should not be 

 provided. 



The sire and dam should be approved by an officer. A payment 

 should be made 



1. On the birth of the foal on agreeing on price. 



2. End of 1st year. 



3. 2nd year. 



4. 3rd year. 



Security should be given by the breeder for the advances and in- 

 surance Colt should be delivered unbroken. If some such scheme 

 were adopted a supply would grow. Some stringent safeguards could 

 be provided for the care and feeding of the colt or he could be delivered 

 on being weaned and kept at pasturage at some depot, costing less at 

 4 years old than is now paid for remounts. 



W. G. Clark, Esq. : 1. Fwirly good, if freight can be made cheap, 

 and agents are appointed to protect exports, that is for carriage horses, 

 and smart ponies. 



