80 England's horses, 



whetlier the supply could be kept up is auotlier questiou, be- 

 cause we should require to keep iucreasing the number." This, 

 too, is the opinion of Colonel Price, of the Horse Artillery, and 

 of Colonel Valentine Baker, late of the 10th Hussars. Colonel 

 Jenyns is even more explicit. 



"2,017. Have you ever considered at all the question of how we should 

 provide horses in case of a sudden military emergency ? — I think that at the 

 present time it would be quite impossible to supply the horses, even if you 

 were to pay £100 or £150 a-piece for them. 



" 2,018. How many horses would be required to make the Cavalry up to its 

 war footing ? — 2,464. 



" 2,019. And how many for the Artillery? — 5,000, within a horse or two. 



"2,020. "With regard to the 5,000 for the Artillery, we have heard already 

 that we should find it almost impossible to get them ? — Yes ; I think you 

 would find it almost impossible to get thein. 



"2,021. Is that exclusive of the Train ?— Entirely exclusive of the Train. I 

 only allude to the combatant branches. 



" 2,022. As regards tlie 2,500, speaking roughly, that you want for the 

 Cavalry, even if you got them within a certain time, they would not be fit 

 for the ranks ? —Certainly not. 



"2,023. How long does it take to make a horse fit for the ranks ? — I consider 

 that a three-year-old horse is not fit for the ranks for a year-and-a-half, owing 

 to his age ; it takes that time to get him fit for work and to break him in. 



"2,024. And also to his being very much out of condition when bought? — 

 He is certain to be out of condition at three years old. 



"2,025. How soon do you think you could buy 2,500 horses if you wanted 

 them? I do not think that on an emergency you would get them now under 

 five or six mouths. 



"2,026. Do you think that you would have to pay £100 a piece for them? — 

 Certainly. 



"2,027. That would be an expense on that item alone of £250,000? — 

 Certainly. 



"2,028. When you got them they would be horses, and not chargers or 

 trooper horses ? — A great many could be made to go in the ranks for fighting 

 purposes, perhaps, in a month ; but they woiild not be broken chargers, or 

 really effective troop horses. I am now alhiding to five-year-old horses, horses 

 tit to go on a campaign to-morrow, as far as condition is concerned." 



All, therefore, who may with reason be considered as most 

 competent to speak on the subject, are of opinion that there 

 would be a serious diflQculty in obtaining in the necessary time 

 the number of horses required to place our Cavalry and Artillery 

 on their proper war footing. What, then, we naturally ask, are 

 the remedies they would suggest ? Mr. Phillips at once answers 

 with a suggestion which has struck him, and will perhaps strike 

 others too, as a " practical thing : " — 



" 348. Do you think that it would answer to have a large establishment of 

 trooper horses, where three years old, or even younger, might be brought and 

 kept until they were four years old ?— Yes ; but it would cost the Government 

 above iElOO a-piece. 



" 349; Would you not buy them cheaper at three years old than at four years 

 ol^y—Yes, I believe that that is the only solution of 'the difficulty. I think 

 that the Government must keep them, for you find that the farmers will not 

 keep thorn. Things are too dear for them to keep them longer, and you wiU 



