482 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jonx, 1900. 
no doubt on the true principle of breeding, will object to this horse as # 
sire, being generally supposed to be a halfbreed; but these horses have 
become, from steadily pursued breeding for many generations, a distinct class 
and stamp, and can, as a rule, be depended upon in getting stock after them 
own characteristics. 
Even in India it is authoritatively stated that these horses get better 
limbed and generally more powerful stock than any of the other breeds, and are 
now being largely used by the, Indian Government. A leading authority 
England says of the hackney stallion: ‘He stands on stout, short legs, with 
excellent feet and joints, and is sounder perhaps than any other breed in England. 
After all, the best English thoroughbred blood predominates in the veins of the 
ae hackney. The hackneys are coming to the front, and they will stay 
there. \3 
Mares of the description given, put to such horses as Mr. Philip Charley's 
of Belmont Park (Lord Derby, ney cannot fail to produce stock suitable for 
cavalry horses for India or any European nation. df course, it will never be 
expected that every animal so bred will be fit for cavalry purposes, but the great 
majority I feel assured will. 
I am strongly of opinion that to produce artillery and transport horses, of 
bone, power and activity, the Cleveland or Yorkshire coach-horse must play 22 
important part. I have had considerable experience with halfbred Clevelands 
for active farm work in Victoria, and I have never seen horses that could do 
more work with so much ease, and upon so small a quantity of food. They 
may truly be termed “a general purpose horse,” being all that could be 
desired for active farm work in the field, active and powerful on the road, 07; 
if need be, the saddle. They are also good-tempered, docile, with good 
constitutions. 
Tf selected, active, powerful, staunch, sound, medium-sized draught mares 
are put to a first-class Cleveland bay or Yorkshire stallion, a great macy o 
the progeny will be fit for artillery or transport purposes, as some will be 
necessarily bigger than others. 
HORSE-BREEDING IN INDIA. 
I have before me notes by the late Mr. HE. M. Curr, Chief Inspector of 
Stock, Victoria, on a report by J. H. B. Hallen, general superintendent ° 
horse-breeding operations in India, dated Meerut, 9th March, 1886, from which 
transcribe the following pertinent remarks :—“ The Government of India have 
given up horse-breeding entirely, after over eighty years’ unsuccessful trial, but 
they continue to import stallions, whose services it supplies gratis to the best 
mares of country breeders. Some 300 stallions are kept by the Government 
for this purpose. It is shown by the report that India is highly unsuited t 
the breeding of horses by the following recorded facts :— 
1. That it is found necessary to allow an imported stallion a considerable 
period in which to become acclimatised before he is put to the stud. 
2. That the average number of foals got by a stallion in India amounts 
only to something over twelve, instead of to sixty or one hundre 
as in Australia and other countries. 
. That the produce of imported stallions display, when compared with 
their sires, a great falling off in bone below the knee, and gene! 
want of substance. 
4. That mares imported into India are constantly twelve or cightee? 
months before they are capable of breeding. 
. Again, the cost is very great. Colonel Robbins, who some years 48° 
was purchasing horses in these colonies for the Indian cavalty 
stated that no stud-bred horse in India was ever delivered fit 1” 
use under £100.” 
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