HORSE-BREEDING IN INDIA. 101 



fair stock owners and take great interest in the subject. In former 

 days, when every man's hand was against his brother's, and each 

 petty Raja or Chief made war on his fellow at his own sweet will and 

 pleasure, a good sword and a good horse were considered a very 

 sufficient outfit for any smart young fellow. The most important 

 part of the forces employed in these petty wars that raged inter- 

 minably throughout the land consisted of horsemen, hence all the 

 warlike tribes took the greatest interest in the breeding and rearing 

 of the horse. With the advent of a settled Government under 

 British supremacy these turbulent days passed away, and the need 

 for large numbers of horses in every petty state passed away with 

 them. The taste rapidly decreased, and we now find a very large 

 proportion of natives utterly indifferent to, if not disliking, the noble 

 animal. The extension of railways has helped also in still further 

 rendering the horse less useful to our native fellow-subjects. In 

 former days when a respectable person wished to make a journey, his 

 ladies travelled in bullock carts, while he himself with the other 

 males of the family rode; now he simply takes tickets for himself 

 and his belongings from one station to another. It must be borne 

 in mind too, that the zemindar never uses horses for agricultural 

 purposes. In the old days of course they were wanted for military 

 work, and now the custom of using bullocks is much too deeply 

 rooted to be overset by anything we can teach him for the next 

 century. But in spite of all these disadvantages, there are many 

 districts in India where the zamindars are fond of horses, and, if 

 encouraged judiciously, will continue to own mares and breed stock.: 

 Chief amongst these are the Rajputs who make the best owners and 

 breeders of all. Mussalmans in the N.-W. P., though fond of riding 

 and sport, do not, in my experience, pay sufficient attention to their 

 dams and stock, and often feed them insufficiently. Amongst the 

 Goojurs we get many successful breeders, but the lowest class 

 Chumars, etc., are almost invariably bad owners. Many Sikhs and 

 Punjabi Mussulman are keen and do well; and of course the 

 Wuzuris, Brohois, and other Afghan tribes are born horseman 

 and know as much about practical equine matters in their own way 

 as we do. 



In Bombay the Mahrattas, judging from their history, ought to be 



