226 



Horse Breeding in Italy. 



of leaving the majority of horses entire causes the proprietor 

 of a few mares, either to save the small cost of the Govern- 

 ment stallion, or simply from carelessness, to permit his 

 mares to be served by the first entire horse that comes to 

 hand ; or even if he uses a Government stallion, he takes the 

 one nearest him, without making any rational or scientific 

 selection. 



The Government does not breed horses, although it had 

 formerl}^ a stud farm at Persano, which once had a consider- 

 able reputation for military horses ; there is still a stallion and 

 remount depot there. Phere is a Royal stud at San Rossore, 

 near Pisa, the only one remaining of several which w^ere 

 formerly kept up by the king at great expense ; this contains 

 both oriental and thoroughbred sires, which supply the royal 

 stables, the surplus being sold, chiefly as chargers to officers. 



Breeding is thus left to private individuals, but the Govern- 

 ment renders assistance by providing depots of stallions, 

 where owners can bring their mares to be served. The most 

 important Government stallion depots north of Rome are at 

 Cremona, Ferrara, and Reggio d'Emilia for cart-horses, and 

 at Pisa for thoroughbreds ; in the south there are depots 

 at Santa Maria di Capua Vetere, and in Sicily at Catania, 

 and Ozieri. 



At the beginning of 1897 the Italian Government owned 

 557 stallions ; at the end of the year the number was 512, of 

 which 61 were English thoroughbreds and 52 Arabs. Of these 

 some were purchased in Italy ; the roadsters came from, 

 England, the hunters from Ireland, the draught horses from 

 eastern Prussia, 1 TraKehnen breed), Belgium, and the Ardennes, 

 while the Arao sires were purchased from the Government 

 stud at Babolna, in Hungary. 



The management ot the stallions is entirely in the hands 

 of the military authorities, and the total cost of maintenance of 

 the depots last year was 1,423, of which three-quarters is 

 paid by the provmces and one-quarter by the communes.. 

 The total expenses for each stallion averaged about 45^ 

 per day. 



These sires covered 21,017 mares, or an average of a little- 

 ovf^r 39 each, during the year, standing at 370 stations. This- 



