The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-07-04
In the Saddle.
HOW THE BOYS AT WEST POINT ARE TAUGHT
TO RIDE.

TO RIDE.
The drill for to-day, says West Point let
| ter, was school of the soldier, mounted, -
which took place in the great riding hall. =
AS the title indicates, the drill is an exhibit
ton of individual skill in horsemanship. 1t
is said to be Il great favorite with the bows,
| but the severity of the training they have to
| undergo before attaining the degree of skill
deemed necessary for an officer is something
they never forget The record of broken
arms, strained wrists, dislocated shoulders,
fractured legs, and days spent in the hospital
by reason of limbs rubbed raw attests the
| fact that there is no child's play in the teach
ing of West Point. They don't do things
here for fun, and little sympathy is wasted on
the unfortunate youth who in his early efforts
| in the saddle comes to grief with broken
bone. He is more likely to get reprimanded
| for his awkwardness than to be condoled
with. There was a great crowd present at
the hall when the drill began, too large, in
| deed, to find places in the small galleries OF
the place; SO, when those were full of ladies
| the more agile among the male spectators
| climbed up on window-sills and the like
places, while other crowds besieged each OF
| the four large doors of the building. This is
the one occasion on which the observer
| might be justified in supposing that the work
done was good deal for show, because here
it is that the excited spectators applaud every
boy who goes through well. Let him take
every head, and he is certain of hearty
round of applause. The comments of the
spectators are often very amusing. When
the boys commenced to use their revolvers,
some one in the gallery anxiously inquired il
they had "real bullets" in them, and seemed
rather relieved when assured that they did
not, and there was consequently no danger
OF any stray lead finding its way upward
When the order was given to dismount and
mount at speed the area of the hall was in
stantly a scene of galloping horses, riders
jumping off, others jumping on, some down
in the tan-bark, others clinging to the name
and bride desperately struggling to get as
tribe, horses rearing and plunging, and gen.
orally remarkably lively time for all then
the women began to utter little screams,
which increased to n general shout when one
OF the boys making spring for the horses
back there were no saddles) went clear over
it and plowed up the bark in the middle of a
rush OF galloping beasts to the imminent dan
ger of his brains. "Why, this is quite dan
gerous !" exclaimed an individual in the gal
lery, indignant at the idea of the boys being
made to run such risks. The good gentle
man seemed to suppose that the services were
merely for show. 1t is needless to say that
the boys did well; they always do; but, while
none fall below q certain level, there are vast
differences between them above that level
Some of the boys take wonderfully well to
the work, and feel as much at home cutting
and slashing about on bare backed horse as
in rocking-chair, while to others it never
becomes easy They do the work, but it is
hard. The actual movements of the drill
with sabre and pistol are few. The soldier is
started from the company to make the circuit
of the hall. Putting his horse to a gallop, he
begins by firing at a head on post, returns
his pistol to the holster, draws his sabre, and,
at full speed, makes thrust at another head
on a post, then cut at one lying on the
ground, then jumps q hurdle, and, in jump
ing, slashes head from post beside it, or
thrusts at suspended ring on level with
his own head and, lastly, makes right
thrust at another head on post. To go
through this performance on horse without
a saddle, and big pair of spurs on ones
heels, is not an easy task, and if any one
thinks it is he had better try it in the nearest
riding-school. The different cuts and thrusts
are, of course, as against infantry or cavalry.