Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-19
10 STUDY ARMY HORSES
Plans of an American School
 of Equitation.
FIRST. IN THE UNITED STATES.

3atcers CT tsae American Army Wfl
 Work Four Months at Fort Riley,
 Kan, Learning the Care of Horses
 Under All coudstions-Pupils- From
 Many Posts.
 The first sciR,1l If equitation in the United States army was recently ffau- ,urafed atFort Riley, Kan, says the 1ausag sstyg fstai. Although new to American service the ides. has obtain . d in the armies of Europe many years. The war department has had the mat CT under advisement the last year. In he four years course in West Point he cadet receives his portion of riding laII drill, and all emerge from the in ,titution with more or less knowledge If the horse. as, far as mounted drill concerned, but right there his train ng ends The cnrriculn1n of the acad- my. embraces so many studies and iuties that time cannot be devoted to . nstructing the cadets in the care and raining of horses, in farriery and aorseshoeing and in veterinary work.
 It is not the intention of the war de ,artmert that officers shall be required Q perform the functions of veterina- yEor of ta farrier, horseshoer or horse rainer, but that they shall have such | theoretical knowledge of these duties hat they will be able to instruct others how to put them in practice or, if an emergency occurs. to be able to perform he work themselves. France has a raining school for mounted officers at sameur, said to be the best in the world.
 The new aenar rtment of instruction at Fort Riley is in charge of Captain Walter c. Short. Thirteenth cavalry, who is also the. director of the school !or farriers and horseshoers there. Its pupils come from almost every post in he United States. Captain Short is known throughout the army as prac-, tical horseman. ~.
 Each student officer will be at the riding hall an hour and a half each day, where green as well as vicious animals viii be- awaiting their atten- ion. The green ones will be trained m all the gaits and exercises incidental io an army horses training. Faulty ac- lion and if possible temperament will De corrected and each animal made as sbedient to discipline as the officer himi self The vicious ones will be properly Ianaed Three hours each week will be devoted to work in the horseshoeing shops Every ofRcer will don the leather apronaani take his turn at the anvil in order that he lnay understand the fash. oning of shoes. He will also learn how to prepare the foot and fit the shoe. He will be instructed how to shoe aa anil nal that paces or sfnglefoots in order that the fault may be corrected, for there are only three gaitG known to tegula tions = walk, trot and gallop. When an expert laorseshoer has correct hd such fault as farsas the shoeing is concerned, there his duty ends. Not so tn this case Each officer will be re- uuired to take the animal that he has worked upon and teach him to regulate his gait according to the requirements bf the military standard
 An hour every afternoon will be giv- en to work ii the operating room of the veterinary hospital in practical far riery The care of the horse in accident and disease in the field will also be in- cliided inithe course. Animals from the different organizations are constantly undergoing treatment at the hospital and each student will be given oppor tunity to put the theory into practice under the eye of the attending veteri- narfans. The most complete veterinary museuInzin the service is at Fort Riley.
 The school has been equipped with three styles of saddle-the regulation Mcclellan, the variety known in the .'cow country and the English pigskin. Tn the training of horses all three vari- cities will be used When the vicious ones with tendency to ''buck' are the center of attraction the e"cow saddle" will be used. It is great help in stormy session. The English pigskin will be used when the animal has ac- quired a. knowledge of what is required of him aRd will figure in the training of the officer The English style of sad dIe is used universally ili Europe by the military, and it is the desire of the war department that mounted officers culti- vate the seat in order that they may not be at 8 disadvantage when the oc- casion calls for its use. This is espe- cialIy desirable in the case of our mili- tary attaches serving abroad The course is four months and each officer must analify to the satisfaction Of the