MANUAL FOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 229 



is standing still, and under no circumstances to lounge in the 

 saddle. 



982. Watering: On the march horses should be watered 

 whenever opportunity occurs, conforming as far as practicable 

 to the rule of watering before feeding and of removing the 

 bit when by so doing the horse can drink more freely, as when 

 the stream or watering place is shallow. Public watering 

 troughs should ordinarih' be avoided on account of danger 

 from infection. The use of buckets or of portable, collapsible 

 canvas watering troughs (articles of issue) will often make 

 watering places otherwise insufficient thoroughly satisfactory. 

 On the march and in camp watering is always done under 

 supervision of an officer. 



983. Feeding: In time of peace when a regular supply of 

 grain and long forage can be counted on, effort should be made 

 to follow, as far as practicable, the routine to which horses 

 have been accustomed in garrison. In time of war regularity 

 of supply of forage, and especially of the long forage, can not 

 be expected, and officers must neglect no opportunity of antici- 

 pating the needs of their animals when passing grain fields, 

 pastures, or stacks of hay and other fodder. A supply for the 

 night can often be gathered and carried along on the wagons 

 or it may be tied up compactly mth the lariat and carried on 

 the horse. 



The trooper with habitual solicitude for his mfount will, if 

 permitted, be prompt to remove the bits to let his horse graze 

 (facing the wind in hot weather) at every delay or check, 

 and he will miss no chance to pick up an extra feed of grain. 



984. Camps (sec also Care of Troops, F. S. R.) : The ground 

 being suitable, a troop encamps in line, with first sergeant's 

 cook and officers' tents on one flank, the men's sink on the 

 other, and with picket line 15 yards in front of and parallel 

 to the men's tents, the open ends of the tents toward the 

 picket line. A squadron or regiment encamps in column of 

 troops as above, but with picket lines on the flank of the 

 column on the side opposite the cook and officers' tents, each 

 in prolongation of its own company street. Intervals and 

 distances should approximate those of the normal semiper- 

 manent camps (F. S. R.), if space is available. For a shelter- 

 tent camp in column of troops with picket lines stretched 

 between the rows of tents the guidons which mark first ser- 



