The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-06
MUST RIDE WELL
OR LEAVE ARMY
President Roosevelt Camping
on the Trail of Officers of
Much Avoirdupois.
CONGRESS ASKED TO ACT
PHOTOGRAPHS ACCOMPANY
THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

Washington. Jan. 5.-Thirteen photo
graphs from life, illustrative of hair-rais-
ing exploits in horsemanship form the
unique exhibit sent to Congress by direc-
ton of the President to accompany recon-
mendations from himself and the chief
of the staff for the betterment of army
riding These pictures are intended to
snow how far ahead of American military
men are Europeans in the art of rid
ing. They certainly constitute d remark
able series. One OF the most thrilling pic
tures represents an Italian caYalryman
riding over a twenty-foot perpendicular
cliff, the photograph being taken in Sc
RES TO Illustrate the sagacity of the horse
and the skill of the rider in maintaining
a pose within the center of gravity in
dlfferent stages of the descent There are
pictures of German student officers ap-
parently leapng from hill to hill of fat
majors and lieutenant colonies of the same
nationality going through boys and
SWamps, over hedges, French obstacle rid
ing, the famous drag-hunt of the German
army, and stirring pictures of the hounds
in full cry on boar hunts.
The Usual Letter.
The official correspondence with these
pictures consists of a letter from the Pres
ident to the secretary of war on Deem
Der 30 last, requiring of him secure leg
lSlatlon regarding lnfantry-mOunted Off
GERS and establish remount depOts, say
ing:
Both of these measures are essential to
the Improvement of hOrsemanship in the
army"
Another letter from the President to the
chairman of the house committee on mill
tary affairs transmits report from Major
General Bell, chief of staff, explaining the
Photographs, the President saying:
The field officers of our army can not
be held exclusively responsible for the
poor riding which has been frequently OBJ
served among them. The equality of our
nf mn rs
used in foreign armies. Furthermore
though all infantry captains in European
armies are mounted, an infantry officer
in our service has little opportunity to
practice riding until he becomes a field
officer
General Bells Report
General Bell prefaces his report by quot
ing a note from the President referring 10
"a number of press comments. apparently
inspired by the impression that such a
test riding ability was somewhat extra
ordinary and>unheard Of and requesting
him 10 state the requirements in FOR
eign 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 maintain schools
where student officers are constantly I'M
der instruction in hOrsemanship. More
over, the conditions of European service
are So different from our own that the
daily work of nearly all mounted off
GERS is performed under the eye of their
superior officers, affOrding ample oppor-
tunity to judge of their qualifications i'm
Workmanship so that special tests are SUI
perfluous The great annual maneuvers
also afford practical testing fields of all
officers, and any officer deficient in horse
manship at any time is assigned to some
kind of duty not requiring physical ac-
tiVity, practically shelved, or becomes sub
ject to retirement without further exam
inatiOn. CrOss-cOuntry riding to hounds is
whose efficiency in riding is as we'll
known to everybody as their personality.
French Cavalry Praised.
Taking up the great military countries
separately, General Bell praises the
French cavalry All officers of cavalry
take two months course in eduitatiOn
and III ordinance whenever they become
ma jors at ages varying from 30 to IS
to go pounds. The course includes obsta-
Gle jumping, hedge and water jumping and
work generally. The school
horses are used and changed every day |
and the officer spends about four and a
half hours daily in the saddle. Beside this
he. exercises his own two or three private
Steeplechasing is frequently in
duged in. and it is not an uncommon
thing TO see gray-haired majors or lieu
tenant colonies INDUCING in this sport. /
One French test last year consisted Of /
one day of school work, one day for q I
march approaching fOrty-five miles at an /
average speed of eight miles an hour. one /
tWO-mile steeplechase and one days OBJ /
stacle jumping.
Continued on Page 8.