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CHAPTER VII. THE ARMY HORSE.[1]
My intention was to discuss in this book all kinds of riding, but up to the present I have spoken only of hacking, riding for sport, and breaking.
The saddle horse is not only destined for sport, and riding is not merely a luxury. At the present time the horse is an essential element of the military power of a country. He is a warlike arm which it is necessary to choose, prepare, and manage.
Late wars have proved that cavalry are required to play a decisive part in military operations. In every country, this branch of the service has been increased in number and strength. Recently pamphlets, leading articles of newspapers, and reviews have shown the great attention with which the public has studied the subject.
I trust I may be permitted, or at least pardoned for saying a few words about the war horse.[2]
I hope that my readers will excuse the liberty and freedom of my criticisms, on account of my absolute conviction that they are only too well founded. Besides, I believe that many persons who have special knowledge about these things, would willingly agree with the majority of my observations, if they had liberty of speech. ↩︎
In my opinion, the half bred is the best animal for war. In this I am not contradicting myself, although I said at the beginning of this book, that I preferred the thorough-bred to all others. He has energy and cleverness which is rarely found to the same extent in other horses ; but these qualities are not the only desirable ones in an army horse. The thorough-bred will perhaps stand ↩︎