or a total of 3,132. The war establishment of a battery of 

 Royal Field Artillery is 131 horses; 7,074 additional horses 

 would therefore be required to equip the new batteries for 

 active service. 



Colonel De Burgh, Director of Transport and Remounts, 

 in a letter dated gth March, 1906, informs me that the 

 authorised "Peace Establishment" of horses for all arms, 

 exclusive of India, is 29,713. A large proportion of these are 

 draught horses of good stamp, powerful but active animals, 

 suitable for work in the gun team or transport waggon. 



It may be suggested that Britain's position as a colonising 

 nation, while it casts upon her larger responsibilities of 

 preparedness for war, lends her larger opportunities of meeting 

 those responsibilities. It would be impossible in these islands 

 to find ground for breeding-studs on the scale that would 

 enable us to meet a demand for all the horses we might require 

 for warfare on any extensive scale. 



This question of military horse supplies is now become 

 graver than before. The substitution of mechanical traction 

 for horse power by the great carrying companies is cutting 

 off a source of supply whose value was sufficiently proved 

 during the South African ^^'ar. Under the registration scheme, 

 large numbers of seasoned horses of the stamp most suitable 

 for Artillery and transport work were obtained from the 

 omnibus and kindred companies ; if electricity and motor 

 engines are to replace horses for such city work, the Army 

 must look elsewhere for its requirements in time of need. 



If I may venture an opinion, our policy should be to 

 encourage in our Colonies — Canada, Australia, and South 

 Africa, more especially, as possessing soil and climate suitable 

 for the industry — the breeding of horses of the useful type 

 required for military service. There is space to conduct these 

 operations on a large scale in the Colonies, Avhile the mission 

 of the mother country might well be to continue, as at present, 

 breeding the best of every strain as a source of supply to 

 Colonial breeders who may seek to improve their local stock. 



