La domanda e la produzione di cavalli in Italia tra esercito, agricoltura e altri utilizzi (1861-1914)

The policy for breeding and supplying horses is a little-known chapter \r\nin the institutional and economic history of united Italy. Equine animals, still a fundamental resource for many sectors and uses, were the subject of many discussions and initiatives for their increase. The article analyses the construction of a system of rules and institutions to guarantee an adequate reserve of animals for war mobilization, as in fact occurred at various times. A system that started from general surveys of horses and mules. Although the military’s orientations were not always aligned with the expectations of the agricultural sector, the direct and indirect contribution of the State to the improvement of the equine population emerges