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HORSES SUFFER GREATLY IN ENGLAND The question of fodder for horses owned by civilians as distinct from army horses seems to have reached an acute stage In the Dally Express of last Saturday Mr Francis Cox secretary of the National Equine Defense League is reported to have made the alarming statement that unless the gov ¬ ernment takes action at once horses will have ceased to exist by Christmas He put down the number of horses which died from starvation last winter as 30 per cent Only the other day he was told by a veterinary surgeon that horses of twelve years or so were dying off like flies Mr Cox added that when the cold weather comes the position will be appalling He holds that the army has large stocks of hay which could be released but an authority on military fodder supplies on the other hand stated that the army reserves of hay were dangerously low Which of the two gentlemen is right I am unaware but I have reason for agreeing with Mr Cox that there has been considerable waste of hay during the past two or three years not only by it having been allowed to go bad but also because of hay being made up Into trusses in a damp state with the result of heating nnd spon ¬ taneous combustion One such case I was told arose from most of the competent farm hands in the district having been taken for the army and that Inexperienced men had to make up the hay which took fire costing the country a good round sum It is sincerely to be hoped that the military authority on fodder is right in his statement to our contemporary that better machinery for the distribu ¬ tion of forage is now established and I trust that the civil central council in conjunction with the army supplies department with which the council is In touch will be able to cope with the situation Vigilant in London Sportsman
