HORSE-BREEDING.
POSITION AND PROSPECTS REVIEWED. The position and prospects or the horse-breeding industry, with particular reference to the Clydesdale breed was referred to by Mr J.A.Johnstone, in his president tial address at the annual meeting of the Clydesdale Horse Society. Never before in its history, said Mr Johnstone, had the Clydesdale horse been brought into such prominence as during the past year. Mr Johnson proceeded to quote the prices paid for such Clydesdales as Baron o' Buchlvvie (£9500), Nerissa (£1200) and others, which went to show what a profitable source of income the possession of an undoubtedly good sire is. The demand for high-class Clydesdale sires is so great at the present time; not only in Scotland for every market in the world, but also in this Dominion for the Australian Commonwealth that those who owned specially good breed-ing-horses could scarcely be tempted to part with them. Indeed, it might be said quite truly that the breeding Clydesdale sires in Scotland to-day are unbuyablo. Of course, the progeny of these sires is procurable, and large numbers of excellent specimens of the breed have been exported during the year to practically every agricultural community in the world. This great demand has not by anv means been confined to stallions. During the past year there were exported from Scotland 1617 registered pedigree Clydesdale stud horses and mares.
The splendid market Australia has provided us with for all the Clydesdale stallions and mares we have been able to spare during the past three years, has caused a great revival in draughthorse breeding, and it is mainly due to this good trade with the Commonwealth that so many of our stud-masters have turned their attention once more to the Homeland, to replenish and improve their depleted studs. There can be no question that the bus'ness of exporting to Australia was in many cases ove/dene —in some few instances our Clydesdale breeders unfortunately parted with their best —but the demand frequently was so great that farmers and others were often induced to sell both colts and mares that should never have gone out of New Zealand, of such inferior type were they. Tne export of these miserable specimens of the breed has undoubtedly clone harm to the excellent reputation the New , Zealand-bie:l Clydesdale horse had previously held in Australia. All over New Zealand there is to-day a scarcity of ordinary draught geldings, owing to the fact that so many indifferent colts were shipped to Australia. It would take time for New Zealand to regain her reputation as a country where Clydesdale horses equal to those bred in Scotland are produced, and to the Australian buyer, close at hand and cheaper to buy.
Canada and Australia were countries where the Clydesrlale horse is held in favour, but we must not overlook the fact that in addition our breeders can look to Argentina as more than a probable market, if. only we lay ourselves out to produce the type of Clydesdale horse which that vast country requires. The Argentinian wants precisely the stamp of draught animal that our neighbours in the Australian Commonwealth ask fo •, viz , a hor.se that combines substance and weight with quality and activity. Like the Australian also, the Argentinian requires a certificate of freedom from hereditary unsoundness with the recognised Breed Society's certificate as to the pedigree traced back for several generations, and certified to by the society as genuine. Here we have no conception of the vastness of the horse-breed-ing industry in Argentina. There are over seven and a half millions of horses in the province of Argentina, of a value of over £18,000,000. In the draught class the Percheron was the earliest of the European breeds taken in South America, and it still holds sway, there being in the province, according to the recent return, over 12,000 stud animals of that breed. The Argentine farmers, however, are year by year becoming more appreciative of the superiority of the Clydesdale horse, so that he is an easy first, as far as the British breeds are concerned. Approximately, the number of pure Clydesdales in Argentina is 6000, as against, say 450 Shires, and, say, 100 Suffolks. Here there is another market open to the New Zealand Clydesdale horse-breeder, and lying as is does about midway between here and England, it is almost as accessible to him as it is to the British exporter of horses.
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Waipa Post, Volume IV, Issue 159, 1 November 1912, Page 4
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732HORSE-BREEDING. Waipa Post, Volume IV, Issue 159, 1 November 1912, Page 4
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