The stallions running with the troop all the year round, would 

 cover the young mares at too tender an age, and the colts being 

 allowed to run too long before castration are also responsible for a 

 great deal of damage. In the scanty winter months and during 

 periods of droughts the young stock and the brood mares are half 

 starved with the result that they are stunted in growth. Hence 

 the universal praise of the hardiness and all-sufficiency of the Cape 

 horse, but the general complaint of its small size and bad conform- 

 ation. 



Generally thirty mares are alotted to one stallion in good con- 

 dition; but very frequently this number is very much exceeded, 

 especially if the stallion has a high reputation. Young mares are 

 not served before the third year and the great breeders prefer 

 waiting until the fourth year. 



The foals are dropped on the veld and aid at birth is very sel- 

 don required. In all my experience I do not remember a single 

 instance of this case on any of our farms or on those of our neigh- 

 bors. "Inflammation of the naval and foal-lameness so common 

 in Europe and other countries are unknown troubles in South Af- 

 rica. In a good year a farmer may reckon on 55% increase to his 

 troop," or 95% of a season's crop of foals.^ 



After 1860 when the wool sheep and Angora goat farming has 

 been well established and the Cape horse was gradually being 

 pushed on a back shelf, the limitless pastures were naturally lim- 

 ited. Most of the farms were fenced in and although they general- 

 ly contained 10,000 to 30,000 acres, still with thousands of sheep, 

 cattle and horses the pasturages could not feed all. There were no 

 opportunities as of old to move to new pastures unless the farmer 

 emigrated to the new republics. Circumstances like these called 

 for more intensive farming. The shortage of food must be sup- 

 plied in some way or other ; instead of this the majority of farmers 

 preferred and in many cases were forced to submit their flocks, 

 cattle and horses to a course of starvation through the scanty winter 

 months. 



The effects of such a state of affairs on young stock can be well 

 imagined. The horses were stunted in growth and the cattle al- 

 though a very excellent breed mature only at the age of five or six 

 years. 



(6) Br. 0. Wcgner. Zur Eenntniss der Zildafrilcanische Landiviraschaft. 1906. 



63 



