DETERIORATION OF LIGHT HOUSES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4896, 2 October 1901, Page 4

DETERIORATION OF LIGHT HOUSES.

Mp V. Tuppy, an Indian horsebuyer, writes to the Wellington * Post ' : — Iv reading the report of tbe Inspectors, &c, of the Agricultural Department, I was struck with the uniformity of the opinion re the deterioration of the light horses in New Zealand, in which 1 heartily concur. Inspector Clifton, in his report, points out the fact that active harness horses are almost extinct. The reason of that, to tny mind, is simply stinting well-bred mares to draught horses to get coacDers and harness horses, which is a fallacy. It Bbould be by all rules of breeding a thoroughbred horse to a heavy mare ; then you get that activity and clean stepping of tbe trap horse without tbe rolling of the draught horse. Being in the Wairarapa district on tbe look out for some harness horses for an outside market, I was struck with the stock that I was told was by a Traducer horse called Maire, which was stated to have left the district, and whose services were now unobtainable, but when the horse was standing in the district were not appreciated. Bat i£ fcbey could only get Borne more stock like those that he had left they would be satisfied to send their mares a long distance to such a horse. Since coming to Wellington I have been shown some more by this horse at Johnsonville and else* where, and I must say that after travelling New Zaaland north and south I have not seen any harness horses to equal those left by this sire, whom I have never seen, but I believe is turned out in one of the valleys about the Hutt.- In Australia it has been the experience of Beveral districts — the Hawkesbury and Goulburn, for instance — not to appreciate Matador until too late. Now his stock cannot be purchased. I should have thought that any breeder of a horse would not have passed the Traducer blood for trap and harness horses, knowing what good feet and legs they generally lift ; but the late Mr Michie saiJ before I left for Australia last year, in speaking about the Australian and New Zealand har* neis horses, that he could take me on tbe wharf in Wellington and show me horses working in coal carts, &c.,, and horses working in grocers* carts, all by the one sire — Black Maire ; and yet he said that he would bet me a new hat that the same sire would not serve a dozen mares that season, for tbe simple reason that the farmers did not know enough about tbeir requirements in tbe horse line to appreciate anything that was not liked in .the district. Should a trotting horse, said Mr Michie, go into a district in a season he would oust St. Leger or Carbine; and as to breeding harness horses, to look at what they sat behind would tell any judge of a horse that they bad not anything to forget, as they had learnt nothing, and I entirely concur with him.