126 ANIMALS USED IN WAR. 



riding purposes they, and their fellows with predominant 

 hackney blood, were quite satisfactory. 



The thorough-bred, or racehorse, if I may so term him, is not^ 

 as a rule, a military horse, but price permitting, there are places 

 even for him on necessity, such as light charger duty. 



Australian Riding Horses. 



For a number of years India has depended considerably on 

 Australia and New Zealand not only for British and Indian 

 Cavalry but for its animals of pleasure, chargers, hacks, polo 

 ponies, etc. They have very few demerits as military animals 

 when carefully selected as to standard specification. There is 

 plenty of trash in Australia, as in other countries — for which 

 probably so much five-furlong sprint racing is to a great extent 

 responsible — but when India has the call on importers who 

 know Army requirements perfectly, tliere ought to be few 

 "misfits" where Indian Kemounting is concerned. The ground- 

 work, as I have previously remarked, is English stock, and the 

 country is remarkably adapted to the raising of animals of good 

 ■substance and strength. At one time nearly all British Cavalry 

 Regiments in India were mounted ,on Australian horses (the 

 term "Waler" was a common expression) and they were 

 classed as medium Cavalry. Now-a-days British Cavalry is 

 mounted largely on country-breds by English thorough-bred, 

 Australian, and Arab sires on country stock. The majority of 

 Indian Cavalry Eegiments under the Silladar System, and 

 particularly if they are garrisoned within reasonable distance 

 from Calcutta, Madras, or Bombay, where Australian horses are 

 landed and rail charges thereby moderate, have for many years 

 purchased small, somewhat inferior, and cheap Australian 

 horses in preference to country-breds. These animals rejoice in 

 the name of " Bounders " which perhaps sufficiently explains 

 their quality, and the cost price up to recent year? was Rs. 3.50 

 as against the better class horse for British Cavalry at 

 approximately Es. 800, and as against the Silladar Indian 

 country-bred at Es. 250. These so-called " Bounders," many of 

 which are excellent small animals, are much appreciated by 

 Silladar Cavalry units, not only for their ability to bring a little 

 .grist to the mill of the Chunda Fund by an occasional sale of a 



