MOUNTED INSTRUCTION 191 



As soon as the car is in place the door is opened enough to permit the 

 noncommissioned officers who work inside to enter. These men at 

 once enter, leaving the breast bar in place, and quiet the horses nearest 

 the door by speaking to and caressing them. Everything being in 

 readiness the door is completely opened and the gangway, gates, etc., 

 put in position as quickly as possible. 



If a loading pen is available the drivers and cannoneers assigned to 

 the car go into the pen to catch the horses up after they enter it. If no 

 pen is available the drivers and cannoneers line themselves up on either 

 side of door, each one taking an animal in turn as he leaves the doorway. 

 All men being in their places the noncommissioned officers inside the 

 car remove the breast bar, and every endeavor is made to make the 

 horses leave the car quietly and in single file. 



The cannoneers assist the drivers in catching up the horses. As soon 

 as all the animals of the first lot have been caught up the pairs are 

 formed in column and the drivers lead the horses around at a slow walk. 

 A noncommissioned officer should be designated to lead the column of 

 this first lot. As each succeeding car is unloaded and the horses caught 

 up, the drivers join the rear of the column. 



If ample feeding lots are available a separate lot should be assigned 

 each separate car. In any case no attempt is made to separate the 

 horses by sections, but efi^ort is made to keep together the horses that 

 have been in the same car and to reload them together. Drivers re- 

 main with the pairs which they catch up and do not attempt to find 

 their own horses unless the latter are with the same carload to which 

 the driver is assigned. In this case a driver may be allowed to take 

 his own horses after they are tied up for grooming and feeding. 



The object of walking the horses and of the subsequent grooming is 

 to remove the stiffness and swelling of the legs induced by the long 

 standing in the cars. For this reason the exercise of the horses should 

 be continued for 10 or 15 minutes after the unloading of the last car has 

 been completed. 



Hay having been distributed and the exercising completed, the 

 horses are properly secured and then groomed while they are eating 

 hay. During the grooming particular attention is paid to cleaning and 

 hand rubbing the legs thoroughly. All kicks, cuts, and abrasions are 

 reported to the Stable Sergeant, who visits all the horses at this time. 



During the grooming the cannoneers proceed to the stock cars and 

 renew the sanding if material is available. Tools for this purpose may 

 frequently be had from the railroad or stockyard authorities or they 

 may be taken from the carriages. Sometimes it may be necessary to 

 detail a number of cannoneers to draw water for the animals. 



The grooming is continued until the animals must be watered, which 

 should be in time to allow them to eat their grain before it is necessary 

 to begin reloading. 



At the proper time the officer in charge of renewing the sand causes 

 the cannoneers to take the filled feed bags and to distribute them after 

 all the horses have been watered. He then details a gun squad to 



