conformation should disqualify any stallion from receiving a 

 licence to serve. 



The greater stringency exercised as a result of this decree 

 brought about a considerable decrease in the number of 

 ■" Approved " stallions ; but of late years, owing, no doubt, to 

 the improvement in the stock obtained, the total has increased. 

 In 1895, ^45 pri'vate stallions were approved for licence; in 

 1903 the number was 740. The largest number of these (246) 

 are "native horses without other description" {indigent 

 sem'altra indicazione) ; next in point of number (136) come 

 English " quarter- breds" {himeticci) ; and then American horses 

 " without special description " (senza indicazioni speciali), 80 in 

 number. English Thoroughbreds and Hackney stallions in 

 private hands in 1903 numbered 41 each. 



Colonel Needham, in a report written some years ago, 

 states that the great defect of the Italian horse is want of size 

 and substance ; but he admits that the cavalry horses show 

 great endurance when carrying heavy weight and performing 

 long marches. I have dealt with the superior endurance of 

 the small horse over the large one elsewhere." 



Italy spends annually about ;^8o,ooo net on horse- 

 breeding. 



* Small Horses in Warfare. By Sir Walter Gilbey, Bart, 

 Vinton & Co. 1900. 



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