Colonel Hallen added that when his employment in stud 

 work began in the Bombay Presidency, 26 years previously, 

 he believed it right to use Thoroughbred and Arab stallions on 

 the country-bred mares. 



" I have now to confess that on visiting, three j'ears ago, one of the 

 best breeding districts in the Bombay Presidency, and attending an 

 annual horse show held there, I found the stock resulting from the use of 

 these sires, though very handsome in top and pretty in carriage of head 

 and tail, lamentably deficient in bone and sinew of limb. The Director 

 of the Army Remount Department was present, with the hope of finding 

 Remounts, but he did not succeed in seeing one fit for the British services ; 

 I believe that not one country-bred Remount for the British services has 

 been secured in the Bombay Presidency. May I, therefore, ask you to 

 remember that Thoroughbred and Arab stallions have brought about this 

 result. . We should, I believe, rely on the pure half-bred* of England 



as a sire to give more bone and substance to our stock." 



Colonel Hallen ceased to direct the horse-breeding opera- 

 tions of India some fourteen years ago, and the opinions to 

 which his long experience had brought him not having been 

 shared by his successors the Thoroughbred policy has been 

 resumed. The Report for 1897-8 says that some 60 horses 

 got by English Thoroughbreds (or about one for each stallion !) 

 were issued as Remounts to British cavalry. 



A curious commentary on the relative merits of the 

 produce got by the different breeds of stallion in use is 

 furnished by the officials of the Department themselves. I 

 am indebted to Colonel Biddulph for a copy of the " Figures 

 of Merit " showing " The Percentage of Prizes Won by Each 

 Class According to the Number of StalHons Employed." 

 These figures cover the six official years, 1886-1892, and show 

 the stock by " Half-Bred EngHsh " or Hackney sires easily 

 first, the Australian stallions taking second place, and the 

 EngHsh Throughbreds third. Figures relating to subsequent 

 years, I am informed, show the Thoroughbreds imported from 

 Australia in the first place. 



It may be observed that the original scheme, in the 

 opinion of some good authorities, never had a fair chance. 

 Apart from the absence of continuity of method, which alone 

 would most seriously retard progress in the desired direction, 



* Known in England as the Hackney breed. 

 57 



