In the House of Lords on Monday Lord Donougbmore drew
attention to the Report of the Royal Commission on Horse- Breeding. In order to mobilise the Army 173,000 horses were needed. The waste of war would probably make a rehorsing necessary in six months, and at the end of the year there would have been taken 180,000 for the cavalry alone. The resources of the 'United Kingdom were roughly 1,600,000 horses, but only 150,000 of these were fit for cavalry use. In this country we had 30,000 fewer horses than would be needed in the first year of a war. The position was getting worse, for the birth-rate was decreasing. In England there were 10,000 fewer foals in 1906 than in 1905. Whereas in 1904 we bad 280,000 horses a year old, in 1907 there were but 184,000 The Government's answer, given by Lord Carrington, was somewhat confused ; but as far as we can make out the Government proposal is to encourage breeding by paying the stallions' fees. It is also their intention to purchase three- year-old horses instead of five-year-old, which will make breeding more profitable. The whole problem is a most puzzling and difficult one, but it is evident that some means must be found for solving it, or we may find ourselves without the power of giving mobility to our troops and our transport.
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