The Washington herald., 1914-11-23
VALOR OF CAVALRY HORSES.
More Fall in Battle Than the Num-
her of Men Lost.

It will probably surprise you, says a re-
tired colonel OF hussars in Tttbits, to
learn that a cavalry horse usually enjoys
a battle at least as much as his rider,
and displays as much courage in it. He
will Chafe and stamp with impatience
while waiting for the order to charge. and
at the signal will dash forward like a
greyhound released from the leash, full
Of fire and fury. and often neighing wild
~. At the moment of contact with the
enemy he will rear. striking and biting
savagely at the opposing horses and
trampling down the infantry.
When his rider falls ne will dash along
with his fellows and crash as calamity
into the foe. In the famous charge Of
the Light Brigade scores Of riderless
horses swept down the Valley Of Death. I"
laundering through the smoke on to the
Russian guns, and galloped back to safe
ty with the shattered remnant OF the
brigade Five horses raced neck and neck
with Lord Alfred Paget. who rode in ad-
vance Of the line, SO eager were they to
get at the enemy, And not only is the
well-trained charger as brave as his rider.
he is often as intelligent. He knows the
buCIe calls Just as well and answers them
as promptly. In fact, l have known
many a case in which n horse has put
mis- rider right when he has mistaken an
order, and have gone taultlessly through
a maneuver in spite of the efforts OF his
mistaken master to make him do the
wrong thing.
No, the process of training is neither
long nor difficult. The first step is to
accustom the horse TO the sound OF firing
at close quarters. With this object he
is put on the ground with legs tied. and
while in this position pistol is fired close
10 his ear, over his back between his legs,
and so on, until his fear is overcome. Af-
ter 4 few such lessons it is safe to mount
him with a bride furnished with a curb
bit, and under this control he is taught
TO stand st!ll while a pistol or carbine is
fired from his baCk-the latter naturally
coming last. as both hands are required
In using this weapon.
Then follows saber practice on similar
lines. until the horse is as Indifferent to
the whirl and flash of a sword about his
head as to the explosion OF a carbine
above it. Within a few weeks the horse
not only loses all trace of nervousness:
he really enjoys the experience and en-
.oTs enthusiastically into il. In battle the
'avalry horse faces even a greater risk
II death or disabIement than his rider |
the gallant animal rarely gets !
any Of the laurels II war. His danger, !
however. IS by no means so great as it |
\ as. In the eighteenth century $50 horses |
IAl III odtb4e lOI every IVv men, ITOIn 4SVO !
o 1855 the proportion had fallen to 10 I
md in more recent wars the ratio has |
'een approximately 112 horses to 100 men. |
some charges however. the proportion |
las been greater. as in that of the Light |
Brigade. in which 50 more horses than |
nen sacrificed their lives.
But while the war horse seldom gets |
redit for his prowess and devotion, there |
AVE been happily a few cases In which !
le has shared his masters glories-amOng
hem Lord Roberts pretty little Arab, /
TOlonel, who carried him in the famous
march from Kabul to Kandahar. and !
Ound whose neck. at Queen Victoria's
xpress wish, he hung the Kabul medal,
With four clasps. and the bronze Kanda-
ar star.-Springfeld Republican.