AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 209 



saddle horses for the train ; 15 hands 3 inches for draft horses ; 

 14 hands 2 inches for pack horses. Saddle horses, however, 

 below 15 hands 2 inches are not bought unless they are par- 

 ticularlj'- strong animals. The minimum height for draft 

 horses is reduced only in very exceptional cases. The saddle 

 horses of the horse artillery are preferred between 15 hands 

 1 inch and 15 hands 2 inches. The maximum height is 16 

 hands 1 inch for the saddle, and 16 hands 3 inches for draft. 

 For mules for mountain service the height depends upon the 

 breeding conditions of the country where they are bought. 



There is no export duty on horses or mules. The import 

 duty on horses over 2 years of age is $4.06 each, colts of 2 

 years and under being free, mules $0,812. 



The use of the mule is confined to pack purposes, princi- 

 pally for mountain artillery. 



The prices of the horses are fixed each year in the budget ; 

 they average $101.32 for saddle horses, and $141.47 for draft 

 horses. These are the average prices. The commissions may 

 pay more in special cases. The commissions have also at their 

 disposal a fund for increasing the purchase price of cavalry 

 horses and horses for noncommissioned officers of artiller3^ 

 The fund amounts to an annual allowance of $5,790, or 38.6 

 cents for each animal bought. The number of horses annually 

 acquired is about 12,000. Descriptions of the horses, at the 

 time of purchase, are entered in a book by the recorder. The 

 horses are then branded on the left side of the neck. When 

 the horses reach their regiments they are branded with the 

 regimental number on the left hip. Each organization of 

 troops receives annually 12 per cent of its authorized strength 

 in saddle horses and 10 per cent in draft horses. The aver- 

 age service duration of the former is therefore 8-J years and 

 of the latter 10 years. The purchase of horses of 5 and even 

 4 years is very difficult, as the raisers generally sell the ani- 

 mals under these ages, or else have spoiled them by work. 

 The military administration, therefore, has been obliged 

 either to raise the price, or to buy younger horses, from 3^ 

 years and over. For these young horses the creation of horse 

 depots became necessary, in which the animals could be kept 

 until 4^ years old, the age at which they can be delivered to 

 the troops. 



The remount depots number five, and are located at Bilak, 

 Nagy-Daad-Sari, Labod, Klecza Dolna, and Ihaszi Marczalto. 



