The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-06-11
ExpERrs IN r1lr sNrnLn.,

Exhibition Of superb Horsemanship
Given by Two Cavalry Troops.
A hundred or more persons went over
to Fort Myer TO witness the first ex-
hibition drill Of the eeason by the two
crack troops OF the Sixth United states
cavalry, says the Washington Post. The
exhibition was given In the large rid
ing hall, where all were out OF the
biting wind that swept down tho
parade. There is probably no other
set of officers and men IA the army
who can give such q display Of horse
manship as troops @ and a Of the
Sixth. The drill given by them tends
more to show to what a high degree OF
efficiency men and horses can be trained
than TO display knowledge Of cavalry
movements At the bottom Of the whole
drill is the one aim Of every true oayai-
ry officer TO make his men so familiar
with the cavalry horses that they can
do almost anything with them. The OIL
GERS argue that a cavalryman must be
able to ride a horse under any and all
conditions, know how TO fall off with
out being injured, ride without stir
Tups or saddle, and also standing in the
stirrups and have full use of the arms
for fighting.
While every troop in the army has
TO undergo what the soldiers call bull
ring drill, there is none that has SO
fully developed the idea as these two
troops at Fort Myer. This is IN great
measure due to the untlring efforts OF
the officers-anong them Lieutenant
Short, who is an acknowledged premier
In the saddle-and the esprit du corps
Of the men, which in G and A exists to
a remarkable degree. The men in these
troops elways try tc outdo each other.
Yesterday troop G. VIZ the first to come
cut, under command of Captain West,
assisted by First Lieutenant Gallagher
and Second Lieutenant Stout The men
gave on excellent exhibition of fancy
riGing. Cossack riding was the first
given, and in this the men, with STIR
fdps crossed. stood up and rode about
The aall in a fearless manner Ihey
rode aver better than the Cossaeks who
were with Buffalo Bills show. To show
me training of the horses, they made
passages, side movements with ease
and other difficult feats 30 teach a
morse. Other movements given by the
troop we're loudly applauded.
Troop A. Captain Kendall, Lieuten-
ants Short and White, closed the drill.
after going through similar movements
the men gave a very interesting exhibi-
/ lion of hurdle jumping and using horses
for hurdles. In the latter some of the
horses were a little ill-tempered, but
were quickly subdueu. The most SER
yiceable thing of the whole exhibition
was tie use of horses for breastworks
! The nOrses are taught 20 lie dowl, by
the use Of straps coming from the righ,
ankle o. The fo~eleg even the stcr'der
while the 'ef, leg is off he ground
and hobDlaC. The solder puIls or the
shoulder straps, snoyes against The left
shoulder, and down goes the horse.
After a time the only thing necessary
is 10 pick up the left front leg and
shove at the shoulder, while some of
me more Intelligent animals need only
2 shove. Tho use OF ncrses 1o1 bref St
works has long been in vogue or the
plains during india1 ighis, t"t .n'
horses nae 1rst be slot "he a.n
ing " recent years nas lone away a
this necessity. Since last season the
men ano horses of sort mver have
greatly improved and give a much nne'
exhibition They do more feats IN fancy
iding and a great man, more men
have developed sufficient sKill C &c
complish those which only few 7iu
| last year.