98 Supply of Horses adapted to the English Army. 
chase made to vary much. Such weeding would remove ineffi- 
cient and sickly horses, and be in that respect economical. 
It is further urged that the saddle-horse is necessarily an ex- 
pensive animal to rear, because its dam does little work, it must 
have oats to eat, often meets with accidents, and these accidents 
depreciate its value ; the successful colt must therefore be got 
up in such a form that it may fetch a price which shall cover 
the losses incurred in the case of failure. The price, therefore, 
caimot be low if it is to be moderately remunerative. 
A plan for having " depots for foals," which the State is to 
purchase when young, and then entrust to farmers to be reared 
at the expense of the State, is wisely rejected in the Report in 
question. 
It would seem, then, that the French Government, dissatisfied 
with its attempts at breeding, is disposed to ti'ust for its supply of 
riding-horses to the general market, when encouraged by a 
regular demand and a fair price. 
Assuming, then, that the remount is to be procured in the 
general market, the question remains — what is the agency to 
be employed in making purchases? We are told that "The 
employment of large contractors to furnish horses is a most 
vicious method, for how can anv one foretell the value and the 
prospect of an abundant supplv of horses? It is an under- 
taking which either ruins the contractor or makes his fortune ; 
but as the purveyor always knows how to arrange matters so 
as not to lose in the transaction — for those charged to receive 
the horses will accept very middling or even bad animals 
rather than see an unfortunate speculator lose his fortune in the 
serv ice of the State — the army is always more or less the suf- 
ferer ; at all events, it is preferable by direct purchases to allow 
the breeders to have a profit rather than these dealers," 
The purchase by regiments is preferable, but each regiment 
ought only to buy horses from its own immediate neighbourhood. 
The mere presence at a distant fair of strangers bent on pur- 
chasing, raises prices, and if the opportunity is not favourable 
a long journey will have been incurred to no good purpose. 
The establishment, therefore, of permanent remount depots 
in the most favoured and central districts is advocated, that the 
officers commissioned to purchase, may be in contact with the 
breeders without any intervention of commissioners or dealers^ 
It is contemplated that they would make purchases for each 
branch of the service indiscriminately within their district, 
although generally each province or department will have its 
peculiar stamp of horse, whether suited to the artillery or the 
cavalry. 
