HORSES FOR WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23828, 7 June 1939, Page 8

HORSES FOR WAR

MOUNTED RIFLES PROBLEM VALUABLE ARM HANDICAPPED FEW REMOUNTS OF QUALITY ' (Special to Daily Times) \ AUCKLAND, June .6. The supply of horses is a,matter of high importance in the defence of New Zealand, seeing 'that an., invasion by troops adequately convoyed would imply the interruption of petrol deliveries. The motor fuel in store would have to be reserved for military uses, particularly those of the New Zealand Royal Air Force and machines used for military traction '■. ■-'.. \, . Should an enemy force succeed m establishing itself in, say, the Auckland area* it would not be long before the majority of motor vehicles would be demobilised. Then would the horse be in demand and the great shortage of suitable animals would be a serious handicap. Mounted infantry, properly horsed, would have very high value m the Dominion's defence, especially if the enemy penetrated far enough to give him room for tactical and strategical movement. Expanding this arm from the veterans of the Mounted Rifles and from the younger men who already are horsemen and good shots, a very large force with extraordinary 1 capacity for the kind of war that much of the Dominion's territory would enforce' could' be speedily organised, provided •• there was an adequate supply of the right type of remount. This is an active, weight-carrying, enduring beast which must have some thoroughbred blood to give him the quality needed. Right Type Rare

But tie is.becoming a rarity. In 1914 there was 'no difficulty in buying the type by the thousand, though even then the coming of the motor had caused a marked deterioration in average quality. This trend has •since continued progressively. One can travel miles through rural districts and hardly see a good hack. Again, as a farmer who retains an unusually active interest in light horses explained, the motor trarhc on the roads has destroyed the pleasure of riding and has increased its dangers. "If remount horses are to be bred in any quantity," he said, " the back country must do the job. One sheep station has begun to do the job.' It is Papuni, of the East Coast Native Trust, situated in the hills some 45 miles from Wairoa. There, as one saw recently, 40 mares of fine stamp, have been running with a thoroughbred stallion, also of the right stamp. It should be mentioned, however, that the East Coast Commissioner had some difficulty in finding a thoroughbred stallion with the bone and bulk to fulfil the duties of the sire of remounts. Breeding Largely Neglected There is no question that Papuni will produce more than its quota of remounts in due time, but there is a question whether the ordinary run of stations, which have the pasture to spare, are doing this essential remount job. The sadfact is that this country, which can produce fine horses, has no margin against what may be an early day of high demand. The State scheme of subsidising sires has had little, effect so far and will not have much effect until there is breeding in quantity in the areas where the opportunity exists.