298 The -Report of the Royal Commission on Horse-Breeding. 
think it does, we may confidently look to this difficulty working 
itself out as the good results, we may with justice antici- 
pate from the work the Commission is doing, become more 
recognised. 
But we must not get away from the fact that we have almost 
to breed our mares. Although there is more breeding within 
the last few years, Mr. Boughton Knight 26 is probably quite 
right when he says that, in spite of the fact that more people 
are breeding, he does not know that any breeders have bought 
mares specially for the purpose of breeding, at all events in his 
district. The same view may be inferred from the answers of 
nearly every witness examined upon this point. This means 
that, so far, the brood mare, as a brood mare, has not recovered 
the specific value she once possessed in England. 
Lord Harrington and Lord Combermere are both very much 
alive to the desirableness of helping the mares, but they approach 
the same end by different ways. Lord Harrington thinks we 
must get at the broodmares by giving good money prizes to young 
stock all over the country, bred by tenant-farmers 27 (not only 
the produce of premium stallions 28 ), and he says: — "Ithinkbrood- 
mare judging is the most difficult thing in the world; I think I 
would sink the brood mares and give the prizes to the young 
stock. The farmers will very soon find out what bred the young 
stock if the prizes are given to them ;" 29 but all this is qualified 
by an " if you had more money." 30 
Lord Combermere says we must confine our £ s. d. efforts 
to stallions, and that we can do nothing for mares in the way of 
subsidising or prize-giving at present. But he suggests a solu- 
tion. The price of troop horses ought to be very much increased. 
" By that means you would get a far better horse, and I do not 
think that in the long run it would cost the Government a 
farthing more than it does now. As it is at this moment, you 
are behind the foreigner, and I want to put you before the 
foreigner. All the best mares go out of Ireland and out of 
this country, I know. I know that at Lincoln Fair this 
year 100 mares went to one place abroad because the foreigners 
gave 15Z. more than we will give ; " 31 and his general remarks 
upon the foreign demand, both in respect to mares and stallions, 
are very significant. 32 
20 3229. 27 2394. 
2S 2395. (Lord Harrington') " Supposing persons like myself, who breed 
privately and get the best mares we can, were to send our young stock against 
the tenant-farmers, we should choke them off directly. I should not limit 
it to premium stallions, but I should limit it to horses that had been advertised 
to serve tenant-farmers' mares at a fee not exceeding 21." 
20 2392. *» 2393. " 3332. K 3405-3110. 
