The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-21

lcises. II Is well known that the
foreign element in our army furnishes
the greatest number of poor horse.
men, many of whom we soon train tc
be experts.
At this post, Fort Ethan Allen, in
1889, In February, German recruit
was assigned to my troop of the Third
Cavalry. He could not ride and fell
Iof frequently. The last week in
May of that year | took him to the
philadelphia Horse Show with the
TROOP, and he could ride up to a
hurdle at a gal'op, and on No. horse
led by No. trooper in a set OF
ifours, dismount and vault over the
three horses Nos. 4. 3 and and
lalight on No. horse, facing to the
rear Many others in this troop
could do the same over two horses,
,and afterward ten more men learned
to go over the three. | mention this
simply to show what can be done.
and will be, If 1t is required in sim
pie orders, without disparaglng COM
Iparisons with others, and these in
stances are not by any means con-
fined to any troop or regiment, but
can be done by all.
Men of the regular army take
hur lies standing erect on two horses
with third one between, and three
men standing on three horses with
two men on their shoulders take the
hurdles also. They vault over and
back on to the horse at gallop, eth
Ter alone or behind another rider, and
face to the rear as they alight be-
hind the other rider. They take a
hurdle facing to the rear on their
horses, and platoons, standing erect
on bareback horses, take hurdles and
perform other manoeuvres.
For years before 1894 little atten-
tion was paid to fancy riding and
feats in the American cavalry because
the time was always occupied in act
i've duty on the plains against Indians
and other marauders, in which great
endurance and much judgment in
the care and management of the
horses were required by both officers
and men. On the long raids and cam
paigns no forage was TO be had,
grazing between marches being the
only means Of subsistence for the an
imals. These Indian campaigns, were
the greatest tests for cavalry officers
known to modern armies, and their
successful conduct marked the lives
of some of our highest active, as well
as recently retired, officers, and
those of the great commanders during
the civil war. In these campaigns
the individual rides and rides of de-
tachments, over such long distances
without injury to horses, subsisting
on grass alone, stamped those who
made them as among the best horse
men in the world.
| am only afraid that the pressure
toward spectacular feats and the
plaudits these receive at horse shows
may divert the minds of individual
Officers from their great sworn duty
to serve the Government to the best
of their ability In training the men
under their command for the good of
the country.
This may well happen unless sane,
well-disested programme of horse
and horsemanship drill, az well as
and drill regulation move
ments, be prescribed and strictly re-
quired, before time is allowed to be
devoted in the prescribed drill hour
to what is commonly known as the
monkey drill. The latter Is very
valuable in its place, but 1t does
not take the place of manoeuvre and
drill movements or crOss-country
riding. The latter is, to my mind,
the very best training for cavalry
troops after they have learned the
requirements of garrison
duty and have attained a fair degree
of horsemanship. 1t conforms more
nearly to active duty in field opera
tions, and gives more individual
training in self-reliance, most valu-
able asset to cavalry or any other
soldier.
To compare the individual horse
of officerspf foreign armies
with that of our own is not square
deal, because we, as a rule, are not
able to buy the same class OF ami
mails, and, II we were. foreign service