The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-01-11
PRESIDENT EMPHASIZES iMpoA
TANcE OF hoRsEMANshIp
FOR ARMY OFFICERS,
DEFENDS. .BIcINc TEST
PHOTOGRAPHS or UNIQUE FEAYO
OF WORKMANSHIP SENT
CONGRESS-.

Washington Thirteen photographs
from life. illustrative of hair-raisina
exploits in horsemanship. form ths
unique exhibit sent to Congress by d.
rection OF the President to accompany
recommendations from himself and
the chief Of stan for the betterment o(
army riding. These pictures are in.
tended to show how far ahead Of
American military men are European
officers N the art OF equation. They
certainly constitute a remarkable 50
ries- One of the most thrilling pic
riding over a twentyfoot perpendicu
lar clit. the photograph being taken in
series to illustrate the sagacity OF the
horse and the skill OF the rider in
Of gravity in different stages OF the
descent There are pictures OF Ger
man student Officers apparently leap
ing from hill TO hill. of fat majors and
lieutenant colonels OF the same nA
tionality wallowing through bogs and
swamps. over hedges, French obstacle
riding, The famous drag hunt of the
German army and stirring pictures OF
the hounds in full cry on boar hunts.
The official correspondence with
tn Sc pictures consists OF a letter from
the President to the secretary OF war
on December Sd last requesting him
TO secure legislation to make infantry
captains mounted officers and estab-
liah ron dan
Both OF these measures are essen.
tial to the improvement OF horseman-
ship in the army"
Another letter from the President to
the chairman OF the house committee
on military affairs transmits a report
from Mai. Gen Bell, chief Of stan, ex-
planning the photographs. the Prest
dent saying:
THE field officers OF our army can
not be held exclusively responsible for
the poor riding which has been fro
Quently observed among them. The
quality Of our horses does not equal
that Of mounts used in foreign armies.
furthermore, though all infantry cap
tains in European armies are mounted
An infantry officer in our service has
little opportunity to practice riding
until he becomes a field officer"
{ General Bell prefaces his own 70
! port OF quoting note from the Pres
ident referring to "a number Of press
comments. apparently inspired by tho
impression that such test (rtdlnG
ability was something extraordinary
and unheard Of" and requesting him
to state the requirements in foreign
armies IN this respect. Speaking gen
orally. the report shows that the rule
In Europe Is that all mounted officers
OF every grade shall keep themselves
and their mounts in fit condition for
instant war, and most OF them main
tain schools where student officers are
constantly under instruction in horse
manship.
Taking up the great military coun-
tries separately. General Bell praises
the French cavalry. All officers OF
cavalry take two months course in
equitation and in endurance whenever
they become majors and lieutenant col
onels, at ages varying from thirtyfive
to fifty-ive years, and weights ranging
from 13S to $50 pounds. The course
includes obstacle jumping, hedge and
water jumping and cross-country WORK
generally. The school horses are used
and changed every day. and the ON
Ger spend about four and a half hours
daily in the saddle Besides this he
exercises his own two or three private
mounts. Steeplechasing Is frequently
INDUCED in, and it is not an uncom.
mon thing to see gray-haired majors
or lieutenant colonels indulging in this
sport One French test last year con-
sisted OF one day Of school work, one
day for a march approximating forty
Eve miles at an average speed OF eight
miles ana hour, one two-mile steeple
chase and one days obstacle jumping.