"After this specimen of real or feigned indifference of a Cape 

 boer (Dutch farmer) who is as wide-awake and coquettish as any 

 Londoner, and with the speedy requirement of a regiment of heavies 

 for immediate full service it is not to be wondered that remount 

 officers have great difficulty in procuring remounts."*^ 



However, the work was done and within three and a half months 

 from disembarkation the regiment was reported fit to take the field 

 and that too with horses that excited the approbation of two suc- 

 cessive commanding officers fresh from England. * * * In a letter 

 from the Deputy Quartermaster General some time afterwards, he 

 mentions among other duties performed by them; "a forced march 

 of 240 miles in 11 days without a single casualty; the average 

 weight of a dragoon being above 19 stone (266 lbs.). The horses 

 were obtained for £24:10 to £26:10 each."«^ 



Several years later the harmful effects of the "blood weeds "were 

 beginning to tell and much greater care had to be taken to obtain 

 good remounts ; but instead of this, matters were left in the hands 

 of the speculators who were also responsible for the selling at fab- 

 alous prices the scrapings of Tattersall's stables at London. 



Besides the importation of good sires for the improvement of 

 the breed of horses, other methods were attempted in order to keep 

 up as much as possible with the demands of the Indian market. 

 These attempts were directed against the speculator type of re- 

 mounts ; but unfortunately they were so stringent and even unfair 

 that it nipped all private enterprise in the bud. 



In order to stimulate the home industry as well as breeders at 

 the Cape and Australia to produce the required type of remount, 

 the Indian Authorities notified the Government at the Cape that in 

 future horses will be bought for 575 rupees (£57 :10) (287 dollars) 

 each, delivered at thejr several depots in India, after they have been 

 passed by a Committee appointed by the Board of Directors. The 

 owners or speculators standing all risks of importation and dis- 

 embarkation. 



The Cape Government gave this notice, every publicity, and 

 announced that "100 horses will be received by the Madras Gov- 

 ernment every year until further notice." It would be well to 

 givej;he description of the horse that was required ; because in some 



(82) India Sporting Review, August 1857. 



(83) India Sporting Seview, August 1867. 



43 



