The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-09-26
CAVALRY TACTICS.
now Horses Arc Trained to Lie Dewn II
tho Bugio. Can.


How Horses Arc Tralned to Lie OoWn n
tho Bugle .Call.
Troop 81, Of the Third United States Cav
according to the st. Louis Globe.Democrut
correspondent, won so much praise for its
unique exhibitions of drill, In which tho
horses seem as much interested as the men,
that 1t is frequently referred to O. the "fa-
nous circus troop Of cavalry" II goes
through what IL sometimes called tho
amounted infantry drill" with great precis-
Ion and invariably attracts quite exception
81 notice. Three score sleek sorrel horses
display an amount Of equine intelligence
that Is ct first almost bewillering, obeying
tho bugle calls with tho promptness aud &C.
curacy Of old soldiers. The work Of tram.
ing commenced about the middle of Novem.
ber, 1857, the drills being for four hours
daily, two In the morning and two In tho
afternoon.
Tho modus operandi was as follows: Tho
horses all appeared fitted with surcin s.cs
and watering brides only, each trooper be.
ing provided with two leather straps. ono
about two feet and the other about ten feet
long. At given signal each man led his
horse to o short distance from tue others
and fastened the long strap to the horses
right fore leg, just above the hoof, mud car
ricd the end OF the strap under the sur
cingle and over the horses buck, 70 that the
end traiied on the ground OF the horses
left side. He then fastened the short strap
to the horses left fore leg, Just above tho
hoof, then raising this hoof the strap was
carried over the leg OF the horse, above tho
knee and firmly bucklc,l, thus leaving the
astonishcd animal standing on three legs
and wondering what on earth his ri,ler
Va ~tr~
seized the bride OF the animal IN his left
land and grasping the long strap close to
Tho horsc's back commenced to pail upon
this strap, atthe same time pressing against
tho left side OF the animal with his right
shoulder. The result of this artificc was in
all cases, ex,s'pt with the most vicious
horses (of Which there were not fcw), to
bring them down with both knees ON tho
ground, as the strap pulled up the right
hcof withM jerk.
A firm and sustained pressure with the
shoulder then brought the horse over 80
that he lay at full length on his right sule,
whcreupon, after quieting him both by tho
voice and by strok,ny him, carbine was
held in front of HIM, rubbed against him
and held so that he could smell it, and then
discharged. With the maj,r;ty of the
'iorses this, OF course. produced IN amount
OF terror or, and tugging and snorting,
that, like the scene between the
parrot and tho monkey. c.n bo more
easily imagined than described. This
was repeated during each drill until horse
and man were fatigued. In week Mt least
ten horses would lie down ut the bngle.call
without straps by Simply patting tho hoof
with tho hand and telling them what was
wanted. The rcal work of perseverance,
and patience lay with the remaining less
brilliant horses. There were ut least q
dozen which had apparently come to the
firm conclusion that nothing would ever in
iuce them to submit to the indignity of
lying down at full length in the dust.
With these animals force was used, it is
true, but 1t was done in such q way that tho
horse was not terrified, but was made to
understand that his trooper was his
master, whom he must In all things obey.
1t may be said, EN- passant, that the troopcr
Ill certain c,lses found out this fact onlv at
this drill With these high-str ung and
sometimes vicious horses four men were
necessary, using two long straps to throw
them, and these were necessarily aided by
the lash of the troop epmmunuer. In sla
| weeks the horses would aallie down. without
straps, at the sound Of tie bugle, vii .the
exception Of possibly six or seven! with
which straps were necessary, and one or
two which still required the heroic treat
ment. Willie lying down single shots and
volleys were discharged by the men firing
| over the horses as rests. Two or three Of
the most stubborn brutes were conquered
ny sheer patience and perseverance,. Ono
little sorrel bronco, in particular, was 40
wild and vicious that his hind feet had
never been shod, nor had he ever been rid
den without serious accident. He was
literally swild, woolly. and hard to curry,
The trouble with this imp in equine form
was putting tho straps on him in the first
place. 1t was like the mice agreeing that
under the circumstances the best thing to
be done was 10 put bell on collar and rut
the collar on the cats neck. But no vo.un-
tecrs appeared to put the collar on tho cat.
To accomplish the strapping strategy was
used, and for u long time without SUCCESS.
The strap was laid in a moose on The ground
and tfis horse was led artfully SO that ono
of his fore feet would be in the moose. then
with quick jerk an attempt was mado to
catch his hoof, but the imp was too orck
and would yer walk into any such trap
agatn willingly. Six powerful men with
straps finally threw him one day and held
him down. Then his protests commenced.
His hind feet few out. and continued TO fly
out, with a velocity and power that were
wonderful and in the highest degree exllil.
arating. And the writer AYERS so,ennly
that II there had been any shoes ON that
horses hind feet, no matter how tightly
nailed on, they would have flown of and
landed probably somewhere across the
river In Mexico. Kind measures were
used, however, long time, and the imp
was finally apparently quieted aud allowed
j to risc.
After atime an attempt wasmade to throw
him again, which was an exact duplicate Of
the other. This time, after throwing him.
the lash was applied with stinginR cut to
his legs at every kick, and this finally tri.
umphcd. In half hour he lay quito still,
and submitted to patting on every part OF
tlis body, including his feet. In ten days he
was gentle as any horse in the troop. By
the last Of January, 1888, every horsein the
command would lie down at the buCle call.
allow firing over him in any position, aud
arise at the call for rising. The best result
Of the training was the establishment Of
complete understanding between the
horse and his rider, SO that the latter
had . perfect confidence in his own abil.
ity to ride and manage the former, and
the former, while feeling that the rider was
his master, was not cowcd by cruelty or
brutality.
Wanted tho Credit Of His Work.
An aspiring young man who had written
yarls OF verses for the paper published in
his native town at first used his initials,
~. r. L. ~ for q signature. Later. howovAr.