HORSE SHOWS AND REMOUNTS 421 



considerable knowledge of men, especially of horse- 

 dealers, to get smoothed over without friction ; but with 

 the help of those he had selected, and of other officers sub- 

 sequently appointed to purchase abroad and also at home, 

 the task of keeping the Army in South Africa equipped with 

 horses was accomplished. 



The 'bus and tram horses, seasoned as they were and with 

 muscles hardened from constant work, were invaluable for 

 dragging big guns, and for transport in general ; and many 

 of the ex-hunters and mountain ponies were in splendid 

 condition for campaignmg, though others proved too soft 

 and required months of conditioning, which there was not 

 always time to give them. With regard to the ponies rather 

 an amusing incident occurred, which dwellers in the North 

 will appreciate. At the beginning the orders were to 

 purchase horses 15.3 to 16 hands, but, from having lived 

 amongst the grouse moors from childhood, I felt sure that the 

 animals found most suitable there would be the best for a 

 mountainous country, and therefore urged with much force 

 that a few galloways should be purchased as an experiment. 

 A little correspondence took place, and then one morning a 

 telegram was received: "What are Fell Galloways'? No- 

 body here knows what you mean." The explanation was 

 soon made, and happening to meet with two excellent 

 specimens that day I wired to ask permission to purchase, 

 and send them for inspection, and as soon as they arrived I 

 received a telegram to purchase half a dozen more. Almost 

 immediately afterwards another telegram arrived to buy 

 fifty; and then yet another telegram to buy as many as 

 possible, and in the end many hundreds were purchased and 

 did extremely well. There is one little personal item I may 

 perhaps be permitted to mention here, and that is the origin 

 of the letters M.T. branded on the off fore-foot of many of 

 the Eemounts. Very early a batch of horses were sent to 

 the Remount Depot so unsuitable that the purchaser had 

 to be sought and cautioned, and these were attributed to me. 

 Feeling sure that a mistake had occurred I remonstrated, 

 when we were ordered to come to the depot to see the tjrpe 

 required, and to take note of these unsuitable horses. When 



