Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-01-30
THE KAISER'S RIDERS.
cClENcE OF THE SADDLE AS TAUGHT
AT HANOVER.

Cavalry Par Excellence - Bre"k"rek
Leaps md Dashes Of tho German Army
Officers Ina the Great Riding school.
Lieutenant Pohattan III. Clark. Of the
Tenth United States Cavalry, recently
visited the famous military riding school
nf Germany. This school is at Hanover.
Lieutenant Clark says:
Each regiment of cavalry, guard, and
line sends one officer to the riding school
Tor detail of two years. All the newly
promoted colonies are sent there for short
periods before being allowed to take COM
mand of regiments; and these, in adj
dition to the many instructors, the artil-
lcry and staff officers, make up most
imposing corps. There were about $50
officers at the time of my visit, compris-
ing every type Of the cavalryman-light
trim hussars, in their rich picturesque
uniform: tall, why lancers, and gigantic
curassiers; Prussians, Saxons, Bavarlans,
Hessians, in white, sky blue, dark blue,
green, brown, red, and black; uniforms
Of regiments that have swept the fields
II Leuthen, Waterloo, and Mars la Tour;
names that led the bands Of Wallenstein
Vt Mansfield; some of the names having
come down from the CIR ;ades, when the
leaders shouted in challenge through
grated visors centuries ago in Palestine.
The students of Hanover ride from
three to five hours each day. The great
drill ground presents each morning an
animated scene. On this drill ground
are the hurdles and water jumps and
surrounding it are the stables and riding
halls, and still further the smithles.
Throughout you will find most scrupu-
lous neatness and order. One of the
most interesting features is the riding
hall for high school" training. The
school horses" are the most perfect
;ype of the charger, and one can stand
for hours watching them being put
through their PAGES, making the spas
sage" turns" vaults" "pieffer, and
all the other accomplishments that 60 to
make the education of we'll instructed
military horses.
l was taken to the long pens where
the young remounts are first taught to
jump, and then to the small, inclosed cir
les where they are lunged. You see
students and instructors after their hard
riding lessons of several hours amusing
themselves in the mud or in the dust
training their young horses. The voice
IS used great deal. and it was very in
!eresting to see the young animals pass
from the walk to trot and gallop, and then
pack to walk by command. Every
asern have seen has its sprung gar
en-" or track inclosed between high bar
rrrs. containing several hurdles. low
walls, entertainments, that the horse must
jump on to and then down, and an arti-
icial hill with hurdle half way up the
ascending and descending sides. In these
racks and on the battle-ground the non
commissioned officers, whose special duty
i is to train the remounts of the squad
ron, can be seen working for hours each
morning while the regiment is out at
drill
Hunting to hounds is part of the in
struction, and for this purpose the gov
.rnment has large pack of fine English
FOX hounds, with huntsmen under q
master of the hounds captain Of
,avalry being detailed for this office alone.
There is nothing that will give the young
officer confidence and overcome his fear
If the ground like following the hounds,
md from the hunting field he is ready to
pass to the field Of battle, and to
cad his men over fence and ditch until
The bugle sounds the rally.
AS we started, it was picture to stir
The cavalrists soul-the clear blue sky Of
aperfect day, the huntsmen in red coats,
followed by nearly 100 officers, and led
oy the handsome old general, always in
'front.' over bars and bitches. 1t was one
Of tho short hunts, being drag" Of
sight miles only but the captain had
rejected rough course. and as my horse
gained the front he had to dodge a col
onel and captain untangling themselves
rom their fallen horses. l thought one
officer would leave most of his hair and
complexion in the bushes, his horse start
ng to run, dragging him at the same
time by the stirrup, but, to my intense
relief, the boot came of, and we reached
The end without any serious accident,
though with diminished numbers.
A good cold breakfast followed. while
we waited for the other horses to DO
brought up. In the meantime the mud
oespattered victims came in, joining the
merry groups scattered about on the turf
inder grove of shady old elms We
eturned in small parties, trotting our 90
miles in about three hours, and though /
nave made some fairly long rides in the
West, felt glad enough to get into a chair.