35 



When it was made evident that very 

 much larger numbers of mounted infantry 

 were required for the South African cam- 

 paign than had been anticipated, the re- 

 mount agents were instructed to purchase 

 cobs, and to obtain these in quantity it was 

 necessary to go to foreign countries, the 

 United States Argentina and Hungary, 

 where they could be procured. Had the 

 demand been made for ponies, a very large 

 proportion of our Army's need could have 

 been bought cheaply and quickly in this 

 country. For in the ponies of Exmoor, 

 Wales, the New Forest and other districts, 

 we possess large numbers of animals whose 

 small size bears no relation to their weight, 

 carrying power, and whose mode of life is 

 the best possible preparation for "roughing 

 it" in South Africa. Very different is the 

 case with the animals shipped from England. 



For generations, now, horses for the saddle 

 and lighter draught work have been very 

 largely bred less as necessaries than luxuries ; 

 the conditions of their lives are artificial in 

 a high degree, and the constitution which 

 could formerly withstand exposure, hard and 

 continuous work and scanty feed, has been 

 softened by pampering. To take such 

 horses out of their stables where the tern- 



