Saddle Horses of New South Wales. 



525 



Wales ranked second to none. They were the progeny of 

 some of the best and stoutest thoroughbreds imported from 

 Great Britain, and they were reared under favourable 

 conditions of climate, country, and pasture. Since 1850, 

 however, there has been, according to the Chief Inspector's 

 report, a great deterioration in this class of horses bred in 

 the colony. This change is not due to any alteration in the 

 natural conditions, which are still as favourable as they were 

 seventy years ago ; but it is attributed to a combination of 

 causes. The discovery of gold led to a withdrawal of labour 

 from the unenclosed stations, with the result that the straying 

 horses of different owners not only intermixed, but even 

 interbred without any regard to breed or limit of age. At 

 that time there was a great demand for draught horses at 

 the mines, and mares which should have been retained for 

 saddle and light harness horses were put to draught stallions. 

 Another source of deterioration, which is said to still exist, is 

 the practice of breeding from worn-out mares and exercising 

 little judgment in the selection of sires. From about i860 to 

 1880 New South Wales was, it is stated, completely over- 

 stocked with horses, the majority of which were of an inferior 

 description, and with the consequent fall of prices, breeders 

 gave less and less attention to the management of their 

 studs, and in many cases replaced their horses by sheep. 

 Another more potent and slower agency in this process of 

 degradation is, it is held, the increase of racing and betting, 

 and the relaxation of the rules of racing, which have 

 encouraged the production of light, weedy, speedy horses, 

 useless, as a rule, for anything but racing. 



A rapid and effective improvement in the class of horses 

 suitable for the saddle, cavalry, and artillery can, the Chief 

 Inspector thinks, be brought about by the establishment of 

 confirmed breeds of saddle and light harness horses ; or by 

 making the thoroughbred a more suitable sire for them. 

 Breeders are recommended to take up the business in a 

 systematic and practical manner, by purchasing a stout 

 thoroughbred sire, and one or more of the following English 

 horses : Cleveland Bay, Yorkshire coaching-horse, the Anglo- 

 Norman, the English hackney, the Norfolk trotter, or the 



