HORSES RETURN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 115, 18 May 1933, Page 9

HORSES RETURN.

CANTERBURY SALES. FARMERS REDUCING COSTS. TEAMS REPLACE TRACTORS. 111 1911 the number of horses in New Zealand reached the record total of 404,284. Since then the yearly tally has steadily declined until last year the total was 280,994. However, the fes.rs expressed a few years ago that the increasing use of mechanised traction on farms might result in the disappearance of the farm horse have been set aside by recent events. Draughts, gig and cart horses, and even hacks are now in far better demand than they were a year ago, and one firm concerned in stock sales all over Canterbury has handled 300 horses in eix weeks. There is a good demand at a price, where last year the demand was poor and nothing like the same number was handled. The reason for the better demand, especially for the heavier sorts of draughts, was explained to a reporter of "The Press." Many men, it was stated, ■were buying horses now who were a few years ago in the position of being wealthy station owners, and who were at one time in the habit of paying £40 to £50 for good draughts, but had later begun to use tractors. Now, after an absence from the market for some years they ■were back again buying horses at £10 or so, because with the present low prices for their produce and their heavy mortgage obligations they were unable to get credit to obtain petrol to run their tractors or to maintain them. Consequently they were glad to have a useful team or so about their properties. If & farmer could till 20 acres with his own labour he was better off than if he tilled 70 acres with a tractor. In this, of course, the man with a small area was better off than the owner of a large property, for large areas and the need to get work done quickly made a tractor almost essential.

The numbers of horses in New Zealand recorded for 1921 and for the last five years (set out in the accompanying tabulation) show the steady decline in totals, though the greatest decline has occurred in the last year or so. i fi9l 337,209 InSa 307,160 ::::::::: SOS.osg inoQ 207,105 JRS? 205,743 1032 !!!!!"!!!" 280,094 The heavier classes of horses form the oreater part of the total. In 1931 the following numbers of horses were returned for the classes specified: Draught and three-quarter draught 133,044 Spring cart (including half Hackstand 'light working horses 95,207 Thoroughbreds and others Total •••• 295 ' 7 f 3 Later classified figures are not available.