BEEEDING SOCIETIES 99 



spread over five years. If the stallion was hired the grant 

 could be one-half of the annual hire, up to an amount not 

 exceeding £22 a year, and could not be paid for more than 

 five years for the same stallion. The Societies were bound to 

 let each stallion for which a grant was given cover up to ten 

 mares from outside the societies. The mares were to be 

 selected by the Live Stock Commissioners on horse breeding, 

 appointed by the State or by the advisers on horse breeding 

 appointed by the Federated Agricultural Societies for the 

 province, the service fee to be the same as that paid by members 

 of the Society. By the Law of 1912, which materially reduced 

 the State grants in view of the good results then attained, the 

 grant for a stalHon was reduced to one-quarter of the purchase 

 price, i.e. reduced by one-half, the same reduction as for bulls. 

 It was not to exceed £110, to be paid in equal instalments 

 annually for four years. The Societies are made subject to 

 inspection under the Minister of Agriculture, by whom the rules 

 must be approved. There must be at least twenty members, 

 whose mares must be inspected and the brood mares approved 

 at least every three years. The stalHon must be the property 

 of the Society, and must take a prize at a State show during 

 the year for which the grant is desired, or else must, during 

 that or a previous year, have been awarded at least a third- 

 class prize for good progeny. The grant is only given as long 

 as the stalHon is able to breed, and not suffering from defects 

 that could be transmitted to the offspring. The Law further 

 stipulates, that '' the Society shall be bound to let the stalHons, 

 for which grants are given by the State, cover annually for four 

 years up to eight mares selected by the Live Stock Commissioner, 

 at a rate of double the fees for service paid by the members 

 of the Society. This obUgation shall apply to all the stallions, 

 of the age of four years or older, owned by the society, if they 

 have taken prizes at a State show or a provincial show, whether 

 these stalHons obtain a State grant or not. The Society can 

 free itself from this obligation only by refunding all the money 

 received by it as grants from the State." 



The first Horse Breeding Society was formed as early as 

 1879 in Bornholm. It bought stalHons of the Erederiksborg 

 breed, the mares were selected by a committee. The Society 



