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Live Stock. 



By Alexander Bruce, Chief Inspector of Stock. 



Horses. 



The number of horses in the Colony since its foundation at the dates 

 here mentioned was as follows : — 



The larger proportion of our horse stock is to be found in the coastal 

 mountainous, and western slopes divisions. Their numl)er is less in 

 the intermediate division, and much less in the salt bush. 



The Drartrjht Horse. — It was estimated that at 1st January, 180."), 

 there were in the Colony 153;,844 horses of the draught breed, one-fifth 

 of which may be fairly described as pure breds. If we except the 

 draught horses in the valleys of the Hawkesbury and Hunter Kivors, 

 where there were a few representatives of the heavy draught breed, the 

 draught horses of New South Wales some thirty-five or forty years ago 

 Avere more of the largo sized light harness type than of the true draught 

 horse. They were light, clean legged, active, and hardy, and were 

 treated and driven like bullocks — six, eight, and ten in a team — tlieir 

 food while carrying on the roads being only the grass they could get 

 by the way. Since that time, however, a very great improvement iia.s 

 taken place in our draught horse by the importation of first-class licavy 

 draught sires, principally Clydesdales, with a few Shire horses. Of the 

 active farm-horse tvpe, aga'in, there have been a good many importa- 

 tions of the Suffolk Punch, which have made a great change for the 

 better in that class also. And now, om- draught horses as a whole wdl 

 compare favourably with those in any part of the world, while t]u\v are 

 much better cared for, and fewer horses do the M'ork and do it better. 



