PREFACE 



•'For want of a nail, the. shoe was lost ; for want of a shoe, the horse 

 was lost ; for want of a horse, the rider was lost ; for want of a rider, the 

 battle was lost" — 



Because of war, an army ; because of an army, Field Artillery ; 

 because of Field Artillery, guns must get into action ; because of guns, 

 teams of horses ; because of the horses, drivers ; and for want of drivers 

 who lack the necessary knowledge of the care of their horses and 

 equipment, the teams are lost; for want of good riding, good driving 

 is lost; and for want of good driving, guns fail to get into position, and 

 the fire of the battery is lost. 



The purpose of this MOUNTED INSTRUCTION is to carefully 

 cover these important subjects so vital to the necessary mobility of our 

 horse-drawn Field Artillery. 



The object and need of this text can be most forcibly emphasized by 

 the actual experience of the Field Artillery in the World War, as 

 illustrated by the following extract quoted from a letter written during 

 a critical period of the war by the Chief of Field Artillery, A. E. F., to 

 the Chief of Field Artillery, U. S. Army: 



"I want to emphasize two things especially: 1st, Get the officers and 

 men as thoroughly disciplined as you possibly can. It is more than 

 knowledge — more than everything else combined, because with it we 

 can soon get the other things : without it we cannot get them at all ; 

 2nd, TEACH THEM ALL YOU POSSIBLY CAN ABOUT THE 

 CARE OF THE HORSE. WE CANNOT HOPE IN THE SHORT 

 TIME AVAILABLE TO MAKE HORSEMEN OR GOOD 

 DRIVERS OUT OF THEM, BUT IF WE CAN TEACH THEM 

 HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR ANIMALS AND HOW 

 MUCH THEY CAN STAND, IT WILD HELP GREATLY. WE 

 ARE HAVING SO MUCH DIFFICULTY GETTING HORSES 

 OVER HERE THAT WE DO NOT GET MAN AND HORSE TO- 

 GETHER UNTIL JUST BEFORE THE BRIGADES LEAVE 

 THE TRAINING CAMPS SO THAT THERE IS NOT TIME TO 

 TEACH THE MEN ANYTHING ABOUT THE HORSE. AT 

 THE FRONT IT IS WELL-NIGH IMPOSSIBLE TO TEACH 

 THEM THESE THINGS; SO THE HORSES SUFFER IN 

 CONSEQUENCE." 



On account of the lack of a single volume covering a complete course 

 of instruction for officers, noncommissioned officers and drivers of the 

 Regular and National Guard Field Artillery, for Reserve Officers, and 

 specially for students of R. O. T. C. Field Artillery Units, this book has 

 been compiled with the hope that drivers may be taught "all they 

 possibly can about the care of the horse," and to assist not only in 

 teaching "how to take care of animals and how much they can stand," 

 but also "to make good horsemen and drivers out of them," for the 



