XI.-THE NETHERLANDS. 



[From ■Ziulit ini.l Ki-moiitining dt-r Jlilitiir-l'fcRlt- ;ilk-i' Staaten," by Dr. Paul Gulilbeck 



Berlin, 1901.] 



Tlie immber of horses in tlie Netherlands in 1896 was 

 269,000. 



The Dutch army has 3 regiments of cavalry, of 5 field 

 squadrons and 1 depot squadron each, 1 orderly squadron, o 

 regiments of field artillery, and a remount depot. The total 

 number of horses is 5,259, the number of remounts needed 

 yearly being 420. All purchased horses, before being turned 

 over to the troops, are kept in a remount depot for at least a 

 year. The horses for the cavalry are purchased by a com- 

 mission in Ireland, where the artillery horses formerly were 

 purchased. Of late, however, some of the artillery horses 

 have been secured at home — in 1898 about one-half. The 

 average size of remounts is 15^ hands, the age, at purchase, 

 between 3 and 4 years, and the average price about $225.12. 

 Although officers are allowed to purchase their horses from 

 the remount depots at the average price, and subject to cer- 

 tain conditions regarding disposal, they usually jjrefer to 

 buy their mounts of dealers. 



DUTCH COLONIES. 



Although the climate of the East Indian archipelago is by 

 no means adapted to horse breeding, still these regions have 

 a large number of horses, especially of the races suitable for 

 draft purposes in a warm, damp, and tropical climate. 



Java had, according to the last census, 485,131 horses. 

 The Java horse is a small animal, 12 to 12^ hands high, and 

 thrives best in a mountainous country. There is also a 

 saddle horse. Most of the horses in Java are imported from 

 the other islands. 



The Dutch troops in the islands have 1 cavalry regiment 

 with 700 horses; 4 field batteries with 75 horses each, or 300 

 horses in all, and 4 mountain batteries with a total of 105 

 horses and 160 mules. The yearly requirement for remounts 



(317) 



