io8 The Book of the Horse. 



and an increase of exportation have taken place. Thus, the returns of horses liable to duty show, 

 between 1831 and 1841, when breeders thought that railroads were going to make horses a drug, there 

 was a decline from 459,000 to 415,000, or about 44,000 horses. In 1854 this class of horses had increased to 

 475,000, in 1864 to 615,000, in 1872 to 860,000, or double the number paying duty in 1841." 



It was certainly shown that horse-breeding fell off sensibly, or, rather, did not increase in ^jroportion 

 to the increase of the population between 1S55 and 1868; that in 1870 came the Franco-German war, 

 creating an unusally large exportation, and intensifying the home demand. 



These were two causes which combined for a short time to check the trade of horse-breeding. In 

 the first place, before the country was netted with railways, horses were bred on large tracts of land 

 which are now occupied as stock farms ; they consumed grass of httle value at that time, and then carried 

 themselves to market on their four legs. Secondly, for a long period, there was an average loss of 

 twenty pounds on every nag horse bred on land fit to carry cattle or sheep. 



Mr. Edmund Tattersall, the head of the greatest horse auction mart in the world, produced before 

 the Earl of Rosebery's Committee a statement of the average price of the horses, leaving out 

 thoroughbreds, sold in every year from 1863 to 1872. This statement was prepared by taking one 

 day in every month in 1863 and the consecutive years, dividing the numbers sold on each day into two 

 classes, one containing all the hunters and high-class horses, the other the miscellaneous lots, beginning 

 at No. I in the catalogues. The price of each horse in each of the two classes being added together, 

 and divided by the number of horses sold, an average was arrived at for every year. 



The result showed that the average price of hunters and first-class horses, in 1863, was ^40 19s., 

 and of the second-class lots £,21 iis. By gradual advances in 1867, the first class had advanced -to 

 an average of ^57 5s., and the second class to ;^24 9s.; in 1870, first class to J[^%o 14s., second class 

 to ;^29 I2S. ; in 1872, the last year in which Mr. Tattersall struck an average, it was ^£"90 for the first 

 class, and ^36 los. for the second class. 



This evidence was confirmed by another witness — William Shaw. He handed to the Committee 

 a book in which he had entered every fee that he had earned in his trade for every year since 1835. 

 It appeared that 1864 was his worst season, "his horse having only served eighty-two mares," on 

 which he observed, " / could easily make at this day ^40 apiece for such horses as I was then selling for 

 jQ\c^ and ^18. Breeding is looking up in Yorkshire." 



This witness traced the variations in the trade of horse-breeding very clearly. He began to lead 

 a stallion in 1836. At that time "the demand was for a big coach-horse got out of a Cleveland mare, 

 and a good colt at four years old would sell for jQ\ 20 apiece ; but the fashion of blood horses came 

 up, and we could not make ^50 of them ; that knocked on the head the Cleveland breed ; all the good 

 mares were sold to foreigners. Then the railroads came up, and at every farm-house the farmer used 

 to say when I came round, ' We have nothing at all for you this time ; the railways will stop all trade ; ' 

 and I only got one instead of five or six mares. Afterwards (1854), the Russian war came, and helped 

 us a bit, for the Government bought all our horses ; but soon afterwards the trade went down, and we 

 were selling for ;^i5 horses that ought to have brought (to pay) ^50 or ^60." 



The same witness said, in answer to a question from the Duke of Cambridge, "Mares (brood) are not 

 as good as they used to be, but I think if we continue as we have been going on we shall get them as good 

 as ever. Not the old fashion (Cleveland bays); that fashion will not come up again, but a good class of 

 hunting mares that have knocked off work." 



The general conclusion of Lord Rosebery's committee's report was that as nothing real could be 

 done, it was better to do nothing! To rely on the certain laws of supply and demand of the nation. 

 The question of the quality of stallions they did not dare to touch. Ninety per cent, of the stallions used 

 for getting half bred horses of a high class are thoroughbred. These are supplied by the turf To have. 

 entered into an inquiry on the effect of the modern racing system would have not only embarrassed the 

 Committee much, but been useless. The turf is a great commercial interest ruled by the betting men and 

 bookmakers. 



To interfere with it would be hopeless. As Cromwell said of the lawyers, "The sons of Zcruriah 

 were too much" for him, so the turf combinations of autocrats and democrats, backers of horses and book- 

 makers, can defy attempts at legislative reform, which could mean nothing if it did not mean destruction. 



The first question to be answered is whether Lord Rosebery's Committee was right or wrong in 

 reporting that high prices would stimulate horse-breeding. 



Statistics show that the Committee were right. 



