The  Devon  Pack  Horse  as  an  Army  Horse.  89 
The  Value  of  the  Pack  Horse  to  the  Horse 
Artillery  and  other  Mounted  Branches. 
I have  before  me  the  measurement  and  weights  of  the 
twenty-four  best  horse  artillery  wheelers  now  serving  in  the 
Aldershot  Division,  which  are  reported  by  their  officers  to  be 
fairly  efficient  at  their  work.  But  it  is  obvious  to  any  horseman 
on  examining  these  figures  that  these  horses  are  of  no  family 
type,  but  are,  so  to  speak,  “ the  best  nondescripts  that  can  be 
found  at  the  remount  price.”  They  vary  greatly  in  height, 
girth,  weight,  withers  to  brisket,  brisket  to  ground.  Now  I 
contend  that  were  Pack  horses  to  be  bred  for  the  army,  there 
would  be  no  lack  of  R.H.A.  remounts  of  an  established  type, 
with  the  ever  necessary  attributes  of  pluck,  stamina,  and  pace. 
Sixty-five  per  cent,  of  the  remounts  required  for  the  army  are 
for  the  Artillery  and  Transport  service.  The  better  class  Packs 
could  horse  the  artillery,  and  the  slower  ones  the  transport 
services.  The  remaining  35  per  cent,  of  army  horses  are 
required  for  cavalry  and  mounted  infantry.  These  should  be 
of  the  heavy-weight  hunter  stamp,  which  are  more  easily  bred 
from  Pack  stallions  mated  to  hunter  mares  than  from  non- 
descript mares  and  thoroughbred  sires. 
How  to  Restore  the  Breed. 
I think  I have  now  written  enough  to  show  that  there  is 
still  sufficient  material  left  in  England  and  Australia  to  restore 
the  breed,  IF  it  can  be  done  at  once,  and  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments made  to  make  use  of  the  coming  breeding  season,  1911. 
And  should  a vote  of  money  be  forthcoming  from  the  Develop- 
ment Commissioners  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Agriculture 
and  Fisheries,  I would  suggest  that  a stud  book  be  started, 
that  the  stallion  Sportsman , now  in  Australia,  together  with 
his  best  and  most  typical  entire  sons,  also  his  best  and 
typical  daughters,  be  purchased  and  brought  back  from 
Australia.  I would  also  recommend  purchasing  the  most 
typical  young  stallion  of  the  stud  in  East  Anglia,  and  also  the 
best  of  the  mares  of  that  stud.  All  these  purchased  mares 
should  be  placed  together  on  a stud  farm,  and  be-  covered  by 
the  one  of  the  three  stallions  most  suited  to  her.  Also  the  best 
R.H.A.  wheeler  mares  cast  for  age  or  accident  (not  unsound- 
ness) be  sent  to  this  farm.  The  object  of  this  farm  would  be 
to  breed  stallions  to  distribute  about  the  country  at  a later  date. 
I consider  that  for  this  object  a stud  farm  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, so  that  the  young  stock  would  have  all  the  care  and 
attention  possible  to  assure  their  chance  of  growing  and 
developing  to  the  fullest  extent.  Were  we  to  trust  to  individual 
farmers  and  breeders  this  very  necessary  attention  could  not  be 
enforced  or  expected.  In  addition  to  the  stud  farm  stallions, 
