RETURN OF THE HORSE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 282, 23 August 1940, Page 11

RETURN OF THE HORSE

Usefulness For Military Purposes

SUBSIDY FOR BREEDING

Published recognition by the military authorities that the usefulness of the horse for certain classes of transport work was not entirely over in New Zealand was referred to during a local body deputation to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, yesterday. The new territorial training scheme would, it was stated, bring the horse back again, as officers hail pointed to the necessity for the services of a good type of animtil for the work required to be done.

Appreciation was expressed of the Government’s action in bringing into operation in 193 S the Remounts Encouragement Act and regulations under the legislation providing for the payment of a subsidy for the breeding of horses. It had enabled farmers having good brood mares to secure under Government subsidy a I'me class of stallion to produce that type of horse to meet the New Zealand standard, which had invariably been high. Mr. Parry said the Remounts Encouragement Act had been dormant in the Statute Book since 1914, and it redounded to the credit of the Government to “dust the cobwebs” from the Act and give it active life. That was iu world-peace time and now the advantages of the legislation, which was administered by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Lee Martin, could easily be seen. “We have not been alone,” Mr. Parry continued, "in visualizing that one day the need of the horse, apart from this mechanical age, would be felt again. There is no doubt that the horse can perform work in some parts of our country which the highlymechanized sections of our military probably cannot do, and back must come the noblest of all our animals into service.” Stallions Subsidized.

The Minister said he and his colleague, the Minister of Agriculture, were glad to have been associated in the arrangements made for the subsidizing of the breeding of horses and in providing facilities for the work to proceed. The New Zealand Racing Conference had been allied in a practical way with the Government in the carrying out of the scheme and had given valuable assistance. “In 1938, the first season in which the remounts subsidy regulations were in force,” the Minister said, “the number of stallions subsidized was 31. In addition a stallion was subsidized in the Chatham Islands. The number of mares served was 1213 and 571 foals were born. The foaling percentage iu the various districts varies from 32 per cent to 75 per cent. The average percentage of foals worked out at 48.6 per cent. “The amount of subsidy paid iu this season was £4263. Of this £263 was provided by the New Zealand Racing Conference. The 1939-40 season showed an extension of the operations, 39 stallions being approved for subsidy. The number of mares served was 1339. "As the foaling season is only now commencing, it is not possible to give an accurate figure as to the number of foals likely to be produced. Using last year’s foaling average as a guide about 700 foals may be expected this year. The amount of subsidy paid in the 1939-40 season was £5123/S/-, of which the Act provided £4OOO, the balance being subscribed by the Racing Conference.”