horse-breeding operations have pecuhar difficulties to contend 

 against. The native disincHnation to castrate had to be over- 

 come to prevent the excessive use of weedy sires ; in a country 

 whose fields are unfenced, and where horse- stealing is (in 

 some regions) common, the natives could not give their young 

 stock the degree of liberty necessary for their full development. 

 The practice of closely hobbling, or even chaining and 

 padlocking the fore-legs together, was universal, and the 

 natural result was deformity of limb, narrowness of chest, 

 and ruined action. In recent years, however, castration has 

 been more favourably regarded, and the beneficial effects of 

 allowing larger liberty to young stock has been increasingly 

 recognised. 



To gain greater size and power the Government sanctioned 

 in 1876 the purchase of 300 stallions, and, with an eye to the 

 lack of substance displayed by native mares, roadster blood 

 was largely introduced. These 300 stallions were sanctioned 

 merely as a beginning ; the number was increased as the 

 new scheme developed. In the year 1886 the Indian stud 

 was composed of the following stalHons : — go EngHsh 

 Thoroughbreds, 159 Hackneys and Norfolk Trotters, 146 

 Arabs, 10 stud-bred horses, 6 Australian Thoroughbreds, 

 2 Turkoman stallions and i Persian. In addition to these, 

 pony stallions were provided in suitable districts, under the 

 control of District Committees, to cover small and unbranded 

 mares. Some 19,588 branded (i.e., officially approved) mares 

 were on the registers in 1886. In the year 1900 the number 

 of stallions was returned at 384. 



For some few years after the new system was inaugurated 

 endeavours were made to buy full-grown horses for immediate 

 use as Remounts, but with little success. A change was 

 therefore made, and in 1881 the purchase annually of 150 

 horses aged 2| years and upwards was sanctioned. This plan 

 gave satisfactory results, and it was extended, young horses 

 being purchased in larger numbers and distributed among the 

 rearing depots, Hapur, Kurnal and Ahmednuggur, to be kept 



54 



