CHRISTCHURCH HORSE MARKET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1359, 1 October 1886, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH HORSE MARKET.

Means H. Matson and Co report as follows: —Saturday last being the day of the annual hors* parade, there was a very large attendance at Tattersall’a during the coarse of the sale. We regret, however, that wo cannot give a very satisfactory record of the amount of business done, as there was little or no desire shown on the part of those present to invest in stud horses, however strong the inducements may have been in the matter of prices, and the reserves in many cases were certainly nominal. It, however, seems that the public have not as yet become alive to the necessity of utilising their good mares, and by each breeding a few colts of the right stamp every year put themselves in the position of meeting the demand not only toz farm horses, but also good light stock which must inevitably set in at no distant date. It is only a few weeks since a large shipment of light horses left our shores for the Indian market, and if this venture only proves a ■dooms there is every reason to believe that the demand there is likely to prove fully equal to absorbing all the more useful sorts that we can produce here for some years to fop!*. The difficulty, however, is at present to aeqoce a sufficient number of the right Stamp of horses, and in the face of this many wen seat away in this last shipment which would not have been taken bad better classes been procurable. Still, in the direction referred to there is unquestionably an opening which only requires taking advantage of with the right description of horses, and this fact farmers and others should keep in mind. The same remarks apply to a great extent with reference to draughts, and it only wants an incentive in the shape of improved prices for groin to bring about such a tillage of the soil as would leave ue with a short supply of horses even for this work, to ssy nothing of a reopening of the Sydney market and any local demand that may set in for the public works of the colony. Breeders should bear in mind that, for any such exceptional case arising from a combination of the above causes, stock eannot be produced and brought to maturity in one year or two. It is a question of four at least, and we say unhesitatingly that the raising of a good eoltor two on a farm for the next few years promises to be as remunerative as anything that owners can turn their attention to. With the exception of the carriage horse Shales, none of the enterics oSered on Saturday found buyers, though negotiations are now pending that will probably result in one or two changing hands during the week. JTor the ordinary lots of our entry a good few exchanges took place ; in fact, very few of the broken horses went out unsold.