HORSES WANTED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3233, 1 June 1911, Page 2

HORSES WANTED.

AUSTRALIA’S GREAT DEMAND

The Defence Department of the Commonwealth of Australia is badly in need of horses, and it would appear that the regulation as -to standard of quality has been somewhat‘relaxed. It is becoming .increasingly difficult to pick up good “It is evident,” says the “Australasian,” “that any 'higb-faluting ideas,on the question of even heights and regular type have had' to be abandoned. The horses which have arrived in Sydney lately may be described as being everything except draughts. There; are still a few smartly-bred ones, but the great majority is composed of the sorts that 'are produced l by breeders who only think of having foals, and give little thought to the quality and the sire provided lie is a cheap one. Probably the ment will have to put up with some'-very jjueer customers before , the buying scheme is through. Already many of those which are being bandied may be, described as being—just horses, and that is about all.. . .. “How to meet the demand for drafts of decent light horses is, being discussed every hour in the day. It is pointed out that things ,are likely to be even worse in the future than-they ‘are at present. Through the examination of stallions prior to the shows sound animals have reached very high prices, and tihey are also very scarce' in the country districts. Substantial rises in: stallion fees are confidently anticipated, and it would really seem that these will be necessary ini order to make the business profitable. , Owners of mares will undoubtedly shy at these high figures, and the cheap, unsound stallion is likely to be more freely patrohised than ever. Under the circumstances, suggestions that the (State subsidy scheme of the French and other Continental Governments in introduced, is again attracting attention here.' It,is suggested that the totalisator should be legalised, and that the percentage received by the Government on /the money going through the machine should be devoted to assisting horse-breeders.” O ' '? 7 , , ’ ■ • ' / ’■. '