THF WORLDS HORSE SUPPLY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2565, 13 May 1903, Page 7

THF WORLDS HORSE SUPPLY.

A -writer in a recent issue of the Breeders' Gazette, Chicago, offers some interesting remarks' upon the "above subject. He quotes recent statistics to show that there iirc 30,000,000 horses in the whole world. Of these the United States holds 18,266,140. This country is not, however, the largest owner of horses, that position being held by Russia, which has a round 22,000,000 head, or about ten to the square male, against but half that number for the United States. Among the European nations, Germany is credited with owning 4,200,000 horses, France with 3,500,000, the United Kingdom with 3,000,000, the first two nations named having approximately 150,000 head each in the military service. In Germany there are about 20 horses to every square mile of territory. Austria and Hungary together have 4,800,000 horses, and of that number 280,000 head are said to be in the service of the Government in one capacity or another. Sweden and Norway have 663,000 horses, Belgium 300,000, Holland 270,000, Spain nearly 400,000, Portugal about half that number, Switzerland 110,000, Greece 100,000, Italy 850,000, Turkey half a million, and the Balkan Provinces about twice that number. In South America, where the conditions for rearing horses are littl- short of ideal, there are 6,500,000 head, most of which are owned and kept in Argentina. Africa is credited with a round (6,000,000 horses, and Australia with 1,800,000. The entire Continent of Asia ihas, perhaps, 100,000 horses, of which onetenth are owned in British India. Canada has not many over a millior head, and New Zealand half that number. The mule supply of the United State? is given as 3,271,121 head. The total supply of America is 4,700,000. Africa holds nearly 2,000,000 of the hybrids, and Europe 200,000. Asia fas only 1,300,000, according to the figures presented. It is said that the world's stock of mules is steadily increasing. Australia does not report the jpossession of any at all, and neither does

New Zealand, though it is extremely probable that there are some such animals > owned in these countries, even if not in sufficient numbers to warrant a return being • made for them. i Commenting on the above, the Mark Lane Express says: — "Great Britain and the United States are practically the only two great nations who do not directly foster and encourage the horse - breeding industry. Russia, Germany, Austro-Hungary, and the rest of the European nations maintain large studs at the public expense, and by subsidy to stallions and by offering large prizes at shows and purses for races succeed in horsing their and artillery in good shape. Some of the British Colonial Governments do something towards helping their horse breeders, but not in anything like the measure common on the Continent of Europe. Indeed, it seems to be the policy of the Briton, wherever he is found, to let the horseman shift for himself, and it is certain that, whether on account of this or despite it, great horses are usually produced where the Union Jack flies."