MOUNTED INSTRUCTION l5l 



MANAGEMENT OF PAIR 



Do not attempt to guide off horse to left or right with off reins. 



The driver is responsible for the proper handling of his pair. The 

 near or saddle horse is controlled by the reins, spurs, and legs of the 

 driver, the off horse by the reins, whip and voice. The near horse is 

 piade to move to left or right by the neck rein, not direct rein. The 

 off horse will follow near horse. With properly trained horses the 

 whip and spur are not necessary. And with the number of inex- 

 perienced men, it is best to forbid their use entirely. 



The gait, at which you are traveling, whether at drill or marching, 

 governs to a large extent the handling of your pair. The driver must 

 be alert at all times, ready at any moment to change the gait of the 

 pair. 



He must constantly, keep his eyes on the pair and column ahead 

 and regulate his gait accordingly. For instance if he sees the column 

 slowing down ahead of him, he must slow down his pair so that he 

 will not jam up on the carriage ahead of him. In the same way if the 

 column in front is extending the driver must increase the gait of his 

 pair before he loses distance. 



• It is most important that the leading driver of the guiding team 

 keep a uniform gait. The driver, at all times, except when in hard 

 draft, or when on road marches at a walk, should have a slight feel of 

 the mouths of his horses. When in hard draft where the footing is good 

 the horses should be allowed to take their heads, (give them a loose 

 rein) as a horse cannot pull properly unless he can put his nose well 

 to the front. If necessary drop reins entirely. 



When at a walk on road marches the horses should be allowed a 

 loose rein in order to rest them. The exception to this rule is when 

 in a hard pull on slippery ground the horse needs slight support from 

 the reins. 



The driver should never keep a constant pull on the reins as by doing 

 so he will stop the circulation in the bars of the mouth and the bars 

 then become insensitive to pressure If necessary to keep a horse back, 

 do it by give and take on the reins and not by a constant pull. Pulling 

 steadily on a horse's mouth is a common fault and must always be 

 watched for and corrected. 



The off horse, as a general rule, should be handled by the reins held 

 in the right hand, the near horse b}'- the reins held in the left hand. The 

 lash of off horse's rein may be held in left 'hand. 



The drivers should watch the amount of work their animals are 

 doing and require them to do only their just share. By watching the 

 traces ahead of him, the driver can tell whether the pair ahead is pull- 

 ing. By watching the tug on the collar of his off horse he can tell 

 whether that animal is doing his part. In a short experience a driver 

 can tell from the movement of his saddle horse how much he is pulling. 

 It requires constant supervision and instruction on the part of the offi- 

 cers and non-commissioned officers to teach drivers to drive properly. 



