Horse Breeding in Italy. 



227 



average of 39 is, however, very deceptive, as the ordinary 

 stallions, for which the fee is only 12 lire (under los.), served 

 no less than 20,583 mares; whereas in the first category of 

 sires (fee 19s.) only nine mares were served, 167 mares were 

 refused on account of under-size, quality, unsoundness, or 

 vice. The total receipts realised from service were ;£ 11,409. 

 More mares were brought to the Government stallions in 

 1897 than ever before, while, from want of funds to replace 

 losses of stallions from various causes, the number of these 

 decreased. 



Besides the horses belonging to the Government, stallions 

 belonging to private individuals can obtain official approval. 

 Of such there were 694 approved in 1897. 



As already stated, the only regular and important market 

 for the breeder of the ordinary class of horse on a large scale 

 is the Army Remount Commission. For several years the 

 Government bought largely in Hungary, and the army is stilL 

 mounted to a great extent largely on Hungarian horses. 

 For the last few years, with a view to encouraging horse- 

 breeding in Italy, the Government has made a point of 

 purchasing only at home, but it would appear that up to the 

 present this practice has not proved very successful. On the 

 other hand, the breeders complain that the price is not 

 remunerative, and that it is therefore not worth while to go 

 to any expense to improve the breed. And, on the other hand, 

 the Army Remount Commission complain that they have 

 great difficulty in finding the required number of horses of 

 sufficiently good quality, and that to complete the requisite 

 number they must (towards the close of the buying season) 

 pass horses which are not up to the official standard. 



For the army remounts, Italy is divided into several 

 districts, in each of which a Remount Commission (com- 

 posed of a colonel, a captain, and a couple of veterinary 

 surgeons) travels about to examine and pass the horses 

 presented for inspection and sale. This is done in May and 

 June. The selected horses are then sent to the Remount 

 depots, whence they are drafted off to the regiments as 

 required. They are mostly unbroken. 



Thf> officers are chiefly mounted on Irish horses of the 



P 2 



