STATISTICAL INQUIEY 1009 



Births.— The proportion of male and female births we 

 have ascertained for the thoroughbred horse to be as 

 follows :* 49-7 per cent, of the total births are colts, and 

 50-3 are fillies. For every 1,000 fillies there are 989-06 

 colts born. We do not know what the proportions are 

 among other animals. 



Of every 100 mares (thoroughbred) put to the horse, 

 25-5 per cent, prove barren ; the returns do not show 

 whether the mares were permanently barren, or whether 

 they proved fruitful in after years, or in alternate years ; 

 of every 100 mares in foal, 4*04 abort. 



The mortality among brood mares is 4-27 per cent. 

 per annum ; of the ages at death we have no data to 

 hand. 



The mortality among army horses at home, including 

 destructions, varies from IJ per cent, to 2^ per cent, per 

 annum. 



The amount of sickness among animals in civil life we 

 have no idea of; in the army alone, and a few public 

 companies which keep returns, can we obtain the required 

 information. 



Between 60 per cent, and 70 per cent, on the total 

 strength of army horses are admitted to treatment during 

 a year ; many of the diseases are wounds and contusions, 

 which in civil life would not be allowed to interfere with 

 the animal's work ; the number of days' service lost yearly 

 to the State by each horse sick is about twenty. 



Where care is exercised, and an animal's work only 

 stopped when really necessary, it will generally be found 

 among any large body of horses, that from 4 per cent, to 

 5 per cent, are constantly sick or lame. This only applies 

 at home, it is higher in India and especially in South 

 Africa. 



The normal duration of life, for obvious reasons is very 



difficult to fix. We considered the best plan of obtaining it 



would be to ascertain the age at death of all animals which 



* Obtained from the figures given in the ' Stud Book,' but not 



including those published within the last eighteen years. 



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