In these days of motor traffic the necessity of light cavalry of 

 great mobility and endurance is of great strategic and economic 

 importance. Cavalry movements can be accomplished with great 

 rapidity unhampered by the usual heavy outfit of heavy cavalry 

 which can be forwarded by motor lorries. In attack or retreat the 

 small horse will generally serve the trooper best. 



The economy for our breeders lies in the production of a horse 

 that will give the maximum amount of usefulness with the minimum 

 amount of cost of production. There are difficulties in the way in 

 order to hit this ' ' happy medium ' ' and not the least will be the care 

 and watchfulness that must be exercised between artificial life with 

 its attendant evils of overgrowth, pampering, and the consequent 

 delicacy of constitution which will minimize that capacity of endur- 

 ance, which is so essential and the free natural existence, without a 

 spare diet and reckless exposure to extremes of climate which will 

 check the growth. This type of horse is most in demand under 

 present existing conditions and will form the best foundation stock 

 where an increase in height for other duties are necessary. To breed 

 for increase in height without keeping up some artificial system or 

 other to back up what has been attained by artificial means is to invite 

 inefficiency and heavy mortality when such products are put to 

 work under natural conditions ; conditions under which the horse 

 produced on lines best adapted to the country would thrive well. 



"The sacrifice of useful qualities to the 'god of inches' is de- 

 plored only in so far as it applies to the average trooper," con- 

 cludes Sir Walter ; and with us it would apply to the general pur- 

 pose horse as well. ' ' The utility of large and powerful horses has 

 never been questioned ; but they can no more do the work or spec- 

 ial tasks of ponies, hardened by natural conditions, than they can 

 fly. For all-round farm work the well-bred, veld-hardened horse of 

 14.2 hands is unsurpassable. ' ' 



With the eye on the future when the ox is bred for beef and the 

 ass has become too slow and the mule not half so economic as the 

 good horse, these remarks well merit the best attention of breeders 

 throughout the Union. 



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