86 MOUNTED INSTRUCTION 



During the movement of active operations, the animals are kept as 

 near the battery positions as possible. As soon as stabilization becomes 

 apparent they should be moved to the rear where fewer losses will be 

 sustained, where horses and men can secure more rest and better care, 

 and where harness and material can be overhauled, etc. 



Notwithstanding constant instruction, supervision, and all other pre- 

 cautions the condition of the animals during operations and especially 

 during cold wet weather is far from satisfactory. This is due in most 

 part to the unavoidable demands made upon the animals but also to the 

 lack of proper standard in some of the units and failure to live up to the 

 standard in others. There is no more important duty performed by 

 any artillery officer than that of looking after the echelon ; it requires 

 unremitting attention to details, cheerfulness, and ingenuity. Some 

 of the principal faults noted are the following: 



(a) Inadequate grooming, both as to time and thoroughness ; 



(b) Unnecessary changes among personnel at horse lines ; 



(c) Oats and hay being fed at the same time, the hay being 



trampled underfood while the oats was being eaten ; 



(d) Feeding hay on muddy picket lines instead of having a picket 



line especially for this purpose, or, in its absence, having the 

 horses held by the drivers while they feed. 



(e) Use of hay as bedding for men ; this requires watching ; 



(f) Failure to take advantage of every opportunity to graze ani- 



mals ; 



(g) Too ready acquiescence in the amount of forage furnished, 



rather than insisting on obtaining a pro rata amount; 



(h) Leaving horses standing in harness unnecessarily; 



(i) Not enough men at echelons; 



(j) Harness and material inadequately cared for; 



(k) Unsanitary conditions surrounding both men and horses not 

 given proper attention. 



(1) Inadequate supply of medicines, etc., especially for mange; 



(m) Poor choice of roads, etc., and poor road discipline, resulting 

 in unnecessary hard pull, avoidable traffic jams, and ensuing 

 long waits. 



(n) In some cases no experienced officer in actual charge and con- 

 sequently no coordination or complete utilization of the men 

 and means available. 



(o) Insufficient supervision by battery commanders and field offi- 

 cers, including Colonels. 



For all batteries not motorized animal conservation is vital to 

 mobility. When the number of animals is reduced below a certain 

 minimum some vehicles must be abandoned. In view of the great 

 scarcity of horses and the difficulty of resupply other expedients for 

 transporting ammunition must be found as. aside from the causes 

 above enumerated, it is primarily the excessive transporting of ammu- 

 nition, that wears the horses out. A satisfactory solution cannot be 

 found in trucks, even those of four wheel drive, since much terrain has 



