PROMOTION OF HORSE BREEDING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 21

PROMOTION OF HORSE BREEDING.

WHAT THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT

The. horso-breoding industry in Germany enjoys a large measure of support from the German Go\ eminent, an eJaborate (system of State aid for hoiec-breeders existing in that country. The provision of good etallions by tho Government for the use of bleeders forms the principal feature jf this sj-tcm of State aid. There Government stallions «ervo the brood mares of prnate breeder*, at very low fee<=, and in many ca^es the f«.es aie practically only nominal. They range as a general rule fiom 20 mark* (£1 equal.-, 20 marks) down to as low as 3 marks, according to the cht.^-s of (ho Malliont. Only in tho caee of \ery valuable thoroughbred and other stallion^ does the fo<- charged for service exteod the *urn of 20 marks. The stallions, v. huh are provided by the Government, are kept at large Mallion depots; but during the elud season, which la«ts from February until the end of June, the stallions are distributed all over the country, a larger or smaller number being- stationed in every district, according to the requirements of brooders. The fetal) ions do not travel the district, to which they are allotted, but they remain standing at their station through the fctud season. The breeders bring or se.nd then mares to them.

The stallion despots kept up by the Government contain from 100 to 260 stallions each. Every Government stallion is annually subjected to an examination in regard to soundness, and all unsound once are immediately ca^t The greatest stress i-s laid upon the stallions being perfectly .-ound. Most of the stallions which are required (o replenish the depots, are bought b^ the Government from private breedei'S, while some arc bred at the Government breeding- studs, of which there are several. The majority of the Government stallions — roughly speaking, about 80 per cent, of the total number — belong to light breeds, while the remaining 20 per cent, are carthorse stallions. Some are thoroughbreds, theee being usually bred at tho Government breeding stud of Graditz, where, in addition to German-bred thoroughbred horses, there are borne thoroughbred sires and brood mares imported from England. The be«t of the thoroughbred stock which is bred at the Graditz etud ie put, into training and raced at the principal race meetings in Germany, and at the end of their racing career these racehorses go to the «tud, the stallions being cent to the provincial depots and the mares remaining at the Graditz stud. The stake-money which ie -won by the Graditz racehorses is distributed by the Government as piizes at race meetings.

The cart-horse stallions at the Government sfcaJlion depot include, some SHirGS and Clydesdales imported respectively from England and Scotland, but most of them

belong' to the Belgian, the Schleswig and the Percheron draught horse breeds.

Besides providing good and sound stallions for the use of hoise-breedere at lowfees in the manner described, the German Government expends a large sum of money every' year in other ways in order to encourage and support horse-breeding. Grants are made to the Chambers of Agriculture in the different provinces, these grant being used by them in providing prizes for horses at agricultural shows, jn subsidising local horse-breeding societies and in giving premiums to breeders. The Government further expends money in providing prizes at race meetings, and in encouraging racehorse-breeding, while it also pays premiums to breeders who import thoroughbred sires or brood mares from England.

The total number of stallions provided by the State in Germany, considerably excoeds 3000, but this number is aot, of course, by any means sufficient to meet tho requirements of all horse-breeders, and there "are many privately-owned stallions at stud, although the owning of. stallions is not particularly profitable in -Germany because of the competition of Government stallions, the services of which, breeders can obtain so cheaply. There also exist numerous local co-opera.tive horse-breeding societies which own stallions, and the latter serve fche mares of the members at low fees. Stringent laws are in force in regard to all privately-owned stallions thai; are placed at public stud, .with the object of preventing stallions that are unsound or otherwise unsuitable . being -used for breeding purposes. All owners of stallions which are intended to be placed at publia stud mu3t have them annually examined ag to then: soundness and conformation at the. commencement of .the stud season by a' committee of inspection, which is appointed by the Government in every district. Sta - Hans which are found to be affected with Bnv form of hereditary unsoundness o" which do not satisfy the committee of inspection in regard to their conformation, -are not passed, and are then not permitted to serve a.ny marcs excent those belonging to the owner of the stallion in question.

The horse-breeding industry in Germany is benefited' very considerably by the facfc that the Gorman military authorities require a large number of young horses as remounts for the army every year. Approximately 10 000 younsc horses are purchased annually for remount piirposes. The cvstem obtaining in regard lo the buyinjr of these remounts is most advantageous to breeders, and by means of this system the Governnu-nt docs much to encourage and foster the breeding of light horse* suitable for military purposes. The mil:<arv authorities buy the horses they require direct from the breeders and aa ; ft rule the remount* are bought at thiee years old. Only in exceptional cases do they buy four-year-old horses, while horses over that age are not bought at all durjnjc place time The fact that the remount commissions who buy .for the army puichase the horses required at toje" old is, of course, of the greatest benefit and advantage to breeders seeing that usually young hordes do not become saleable. Jnd have to be kept on tp**™*™; bancK until four years old. The Goveinment further pays fair nnce« for the icnounta which ar bonehfc for the army The averape price paid for remounts vt about £42. but prices ran^ up to £60 roi iVt hov.es. These prices, it must hg *membered, ere given for throe year old*-. The breeding of hoiww for remount pmno,Vis certainly found, to be very profitable by many breeder* in Germany The tl.ree-vear-oM remount? which are Faweus, in The Estate Magazine.