4
Number present at close of
year.
6. The number of stallions present at the close
of the year under report is as shown in the table
below :—
|
Class. |
Horse. |
Pony. |
Total. |
|
Thorough-bred English … |
14 |
… |
14 |
|
Half-bred do. … |
2 |
… |
2 |
|
Hackney and Norfolk Trotter … |
5 |
... |
5 |
|
Arab … … … |
26 |
20 |
46 |
|
Country-bred … … |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Total ... |
48 |
21 |
69 |
7. This gives a total of 69 against 67 of last year. The following table shows
the distribution of stallions in the horse-breeding provinces for the last three
years :—
|
Year. |
Deccan. |
Gujarát. |
Sind and |
Total. |
||
|
1893-94 |
… |
… |
45 |
9 |
19 |
73 |
|
1894-95 |
… |
… |
43 |
8 |
16 |
67 |
|
1895-96 |
... |
... |
39 |
9 |
21 |
69 |
Number at stud work.
8. Of the stallions shown above, 56.37 were actually at stud work and the
remainder were in the Ahmednagar Depôt for acclima-
tization or treatment.
9. The attached sketch map of the Bombay Presidency will show the
number of Government horse, pony and donkey stallions present at each stand
on the 31st March 1896.
10. Table IV shows the services and produce of Government horse and
pony stallions.
Number at mares covered.
11. The number of branded and certificated mares covered by Government
stallions during the past three years is given below :—
|
1893-94 |
… |
... |
… |
.... |
2,017 |
|
1894-95 |
... |
... |
... |
… |
1,869 |
|
1895-96 |
… |
... |
… |
… |
1,894 |
There is a slight increase of 25 in the number of mares covered this year.
The average number of mares covered per stallion is 33.59 against 33.52 last
year.
Demand for stallions.
12. Horse-breeding makes satisfactory progress in the Deccan, Sind and
Cutch, but the number of horses and ponies in Gujarat
has declined from 20 to 25 per cent. Land in this
province is so extremely valuable, and pasture so very rare, that people retain all
fodder and grazing for plough and milch cattle, as a very large outside trade to
the detriment of horse-breding has sprung up within the last few years for milk,
butter and ghi.
Mares were branded for the first time in Lower Sind and stallions placed in
the district, which, as far as one is able to judge at present, promises to be
capable of further extension. Although there was a slight increase in the cover-
ings in the Shikárpur District, the totals are not satisfactory, no doubt, due to
the stallions being old and unpopular. They have since been replaced by young
horses. The Presidency is now more or less furnished with young and vigorous
horses, and their distribution is a matter which will receive careful consideration
in the future.