SUBSIDIZED STALLIONS AVAILABLE TO OWNERS OF MARES

Southland Times, Issue 24000, 15 December 1939, Page 21

SUBSIDIZED STALLIONS AVAILABLE TO OWNERS OF MARES

Government’s Effort To Ensure Supply Of Riding Horses

IN an effort to provide more “■ riding horses in New Zealand the Government has brought into operation the Remounts Encouragement Act, under which State subsidized stallions are available to owners of mares. It is hoped by this means to ensure a plentiful supply of cavalry horses in wartime.

Already the results of the scheme are apparent throughout the Dominion and the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) has stated that many foals are to be seen in the countryside. It is unfortunate that the scheme was not brought into operation earlier.

To administer the scheme the Dominion has been divided into 37 service districts, each of which is controlled by a committee of three members. Before the breeding season each committee invites applications from stallion owners, but the horse chosen has to be approved by the Government and passed at a veterinary examination before he serves any mares. Similarly, owners of mares desiring to use the subsidized stallion must apply to the district committee.

In Southland there are two district committees, Eastern Southland and Western Southland. The members of the Eastern Southland Committee are Messrs G. W. Whittingham (Gore), M. R. Lawlor (Gore) and G. D. Dickson (R.D. Knapdale, Gore). The Western Southland Committee comprises Messrs J. L. Hazlett (Winton), T. Hamilton (Winton) and J. Woods (Oreti). A Good Stallion

THOROUGHBRED stallions are favoured for the production of good remounts and last year the Western Committee was particularly fortunate in its choice of Straightcourse, who is owned by Mr M. Horne, of 'Wyndham. Straightcourse was bred by the late Sir George Clifford at the famous Stonyhurst Stud. He is by The Ace from Winning Way and thus is a half-brother to Winning Hit, winner of the New Zealand Derby in 1921 and outstanding three-year-old of his day. Winning Hit himself has been a success at the Stonyhurst Stud, siring such good performers as Trench Fight, Ball Dress, Fracas, Rival Shot and Wild. Talk. Straightcourse is the sire of two good winners in Lord Nuffield and Straightdel. It can be seen from this that Straightcourse has the highest credentials as a breeding proposition. With the right mares he should produce utility horses of good conformation and staying power. Mr J. R. Cochrane’s brown horse Rousseau, who was foaled in 1933, has been approved as the stallion for the Western District this year. Rousseau is by’Robespierre, a successful sire, from the Kilbroney mare Kildee. Kildee was a full-sister to Songbird, sire of those oifistanding racers, Queen of Song and Meadow Lark. It is confidently expected that Rousseau will justify his choice as a premium stallion.

Mr J. R. Cochrane’s horse Prince Warden was the premier stallion in the Eastern District last season and he has been approved again for this season. A bay horse foaled in 1931, Prince Warden is by the Hurry On horse, Lord Warden from Firestick, by Sanquhar or Antagonist from Heatherbrae. Lord Warden is also the sire of Gold Salute, who was sold in Australia recently for £10,009, and Ceme Abbas, winner of the New Zealand Cup in 1937. Last year 59 mares were served in the Eastern District and it is reported that about 50 showed in foal, which is a very high percentage. Farmers were glad to take advantage of the scheme, as utility horses used by shepherds and for lambing work were becoming scarce. The Eastern District Committee tried to get active half-draught mares for service, but it was found that this type was not plentiful. However, the mares taking service were quite good and it is expected that some _ good potential remounts should be obtained.

At one time the breeding and export of army remounts was both a big and lucrative business in Southland and, as

feed was produced in the province, agriculturists shared in the prosperity. The increasing use of motor-cars, however, was followed by a loss of interest in the breeding of good, weight-carry-ing hacks, until it became almost impossible to buy suitable saddle-horses. In the meantime the Indian Army and Continental armies were still in the market for suitable cavalry horses, in spite of increasing mechanization, but they had to satisfy their demands elsewhere. The point has now been reached —although there is every hope of an improvement—where New Zealand is short of horses for her own Mounted Rifles. L7. ses of Cavalry ALTHOUGH mechanized columns form' a large part of a modern army and their effectiveness •has been demonstrated in Poland, certain types of country are better suited for the operations of cavalry. It is thought that the Polish cavalry, had it been given the chance, would have shown its usefulness in the eastern marshes of the republic against unmobilized mechanized units. In New Zealand horsemen would be able to play a large part in defence if the roads and railways were cut by an invader. In the absence of troop carrying aeroplanes there would be no means of transport over the country apart from horses. The British Government has used cavalry in Palestine and the operations of the French mounted troops in Northern Africa have gained them fame throughout the world. Australia has a valuable export trade in remounts for India and the East.

Controversy has arisen in New Zealand lately about the best type of horse for remount purposes. One studmaster, anxious about the tendency to use premium stallions for the breeding of racehorses, suggested breeding from trotting stallions, but in doing so he ignored the opinions of British, American and Continental Army experts, who will have nothing to do with horses containing a trotting strain. No country has a better reputation than Ireland for the breeding of remounts,

but there are no trotting strains in Irish remounts. Trotting blood is barred by the’Americans and it has no place in Continental cavalry. New Zealanders cannot pass over the experience of these experts.

In days gone by Southland was full of horses suitable for remounts. They had to be good weight-carriers, because many horsemen rode at 16 stone or 17 stone, and the horses were often called upon to carry their owners over long distances in the roughest of country. The best of these horses were sired by good thoroughbreds who left their mark on the stock of the province and it is not impossible to revive the breeding of similar horses today. Many mounted riflemen who served in the last war are of the opinion that the best type of military horse is one about three-quarters thoroughbred, about 15.3 hands and with ability to carry weight. The mating of a thoroughbred stallion with a halfdraught mare has been suggested as one method of obtaining the right type of horse. Any horse with an exaggerated hackney style or tendency to flashness is definitely condemned.