Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-01-10
MUST KNOW
HOW TO RIDE
PRESIDENT EMPHASIZES iMPoR.
TANce OF WORKMANSHIP
FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
DEFENDS RIGINC TEST
PHOTOGRAPHS OF UNIQUE FeArs
OF HoRsgMANsHiP SENT
CONGRESS.

washinsion.-Thirt. photographs
from life. ILLUSTRATIVE. Of hair.raisinE
exploits in horssmanship. form tho
unique exhibit sent to congrcss by d.
rection Of the President to accompany
recommendation from himself and
the chief of stan for the bctterment OF
army riding. These pictures arc In
American military men ar. European
officers ~ the art OF cIuatition. They
certainly constitute a remarkable 50
rica. One Of the most thriliin. pic
lures represents nm Italian cavasrym
riding oycr a twenty,foot psrpondicu.
lar elin. the photograph being taken In
series To illustrate the Sagacity Of tho
hors. AMI the skin Of the rider In
maintaining "a poiac within the center
Of gravity In different stages OF tho
descent There are pictures Of Ger
man student officers apparently leap
ing from hill to hill. Of fat majors and
lieutenant colonciS oi tho same m.
tionaiiiy waiiowins through bogs and
swamps. over hedges. French obstacle
riding. he famous drag hunt OF tho
German army and stirring pictures ot
the hounds In full cry ON boar hunts.
The Official correspondence with
tn n. pictures consiKtH Of u letter from
the President to the secretary Of war
ON December id last. requesting him
To secure Legislation to make infantry
captains mounted officers and cstab-
lihh r-nipunt dcpo,H. saying;
Both uf these measures are cSS'n-
tiai to ihc Improvement Of horscman.
ship In tho army"
Another letter from the President 10
the chairman OF the house ccmmiticc
on military affairs transmits "a report
from Mai. Gen. He'll. chief Of stan. ch-
planning the photographs. the Presi-
dent saying:
The Held officers OF our army can
not be held exclusively responsible for
tho poor riding which has been frc-
qucntly observed among them. Tho
quality uf 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 n field officer"
General Bell prcfaccs his own re.
port OF quoting note from the Pres.
idcnt referring to "a number OF press
comments. apparently Inspired by the
imprcssIon that such n test tridinE
ability) was something extraordinary
and unhcard Of" and requesting him
TO state the requirements In foreign
armies In this respect. Speaking gen
crally, the report shows that the rule
in Europe IL that all mounted officers
OF every grade shall keep themselves
and their mounts In NJ condition for
instant war, and most OF them nnin-
tain schools where student officers arc
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
equitntion and In endurance whenever
they become majors and lieutenant col
onels, at ages varying from tEirty'hvc
to fifty-ave years, and weights ranging
from l3S to $50 pounds. The course
includes obstacle jumping. hedge and
w,.ter Jumping and cross.country work
generally. Tho school horses are used
and changed every day, and the OH
Ger spend about four and n half hours
daily in the saddle. Besides this ho
exercises his own two or three private
mounts. Steeplechasing Is frequently
indulged in, and 1t Is not an uncom-
mon thing to see gray-haired majors
or lieutenant colonels indulgins in this
snort. One French test last year con-
sisted of one day of school work, ono
day for n march approxlmating forty
Ave miles ut an average speed OF eight
miles AMI hour one two-mile stceple-
chase and one days obstacle jumping