their  Breeding  and  Management. 
37 
as  absolutely  authentic.  The  bearing  of  the  memorandum 
upon  the  subject  of  this  paper  is  obvious  ; frequent  reference 
has  been  made  to  the  Army  requirements  as  connected  with 
breeding  weight-carrying  hunters  and  other  superior  half-bred 
horses  as  a convenient  source  of  demand  for  the  farmer’s  pos- 
sible hunting  misfits.* 
Memorandum. 
Our  Cavalry  regiments  are  mounted  exclusively  on  Irish 
horses,  excepting  the  Household  Cavalry,  who  are  mounted  on 
horses  from  Y orkshire  and  Lincolnshire.  The  Royal  Artillery 
stationed  in  England  are  horsed  with  English  and  Scotch 
horses.  Those  stationed  in  Ireland,  with  Irish  horses.  The 
» Transport  Service  the  same. 
The  price  paid  is  for  Cavalry  ....  40/. 
Artillery  ....  45/. 
Transport  . . . 45/. 
Ages,  4 to  6 years. 
The  horses  of  the  Household  Cavalry  cost  more,  about  60/. 
each. 
A few  years  ago  a large  number  of  foreign  horses  were  pur- 
chased for  the  Artillery  and  Transport,  principally  from  France. 
Of  late,  however,  English  horses  have  been  procurable  for  the 
service  in  sufficient  numbers,  at  the  above  prices,  and  are  much 
preferred,  as  they  are  sounder,  stronger,  and  possess  more 
endurance  than  the  foreign  horse,  that  is,  for  service  at  home. 
A considerable  number  of  foreign  horses  are  still  imported  from 
Germany,  Denmark,  &c.  ; but  they  are  principally  for  saddle 
and  carriage  purposes,  and  do  not  find  their  way  into  the  Army. 
About  10,000  horses  were  imported,  to  6000  exported  last  year. 
In  1879,  350  Hungarian  horses  were  purchased  for  a Hussar 
regiment.  They  cost,  landed  in  England,  40/.  each.  They 
are  not  so  strong  or  sound  as  the  Irish  trooper  ; but  for  a 
tropical,  or  semi-tropical,  climate,  and  indifferent  fare,  they  are 
more  suited.  The  7th  Hussars  took  50  of  them  to  the  Trans- 
vaal, and  the  19th  Hussars  100  to  Egypt  ; on  both  occasions 
they  were  reported  upon  in  the  highest  terms.  For  the  year 
ending  31st  of  December  last,  the  average  strength  of  the  Army 
at  home  in  horses  was  11,727.  The  number  cast  and  sold  was 
1223,  or  10 ‘43  per  cent.  Of  those  cast  and  sold,  821,  or  67T2 
per  cent.,  were  cast  for  old  age.  Their  average  age  was  nearly 
17  years,  and  service  13  years.  They  fetched  at  auction 
10/.  12s.  Id.  each.  The  average  length  of  service  of  the  whole 
of  the  cast  horses  was  9 years  9 months,  and  the  average  sum 
* Mr.  Wimbush,  the  job  master,  said  liis  best  carriage-horses  were  fitted  to 
have  been  hunters. — Trans.  Highland  Soc.,  ante , p.  4,  note. 
