III. 



Preliminary work — Exercise by leading. — When young 

 horses, sent from remount tlepots or by purchasing 

 boards, arrive at the station, tlie squadron commander 

 should place them all together in the best stable of the 

 squadron, turn them over to troopers known to be fond 

 of horses and make sure that all precautionary and hy- 

 gienic measures are taken to gradually accustom them 

 to changed conditions and to handling by men. 



Young horses should be exercised daily; at first by 

 men on foot and later led beside kind old horees. This 

 exercise, which is at a walk, is of great advantage not 

 only to strengthen the animals but to quiet them by mak- 

 ing them familiar with outside objects. The only draw- 

 back is that, ordinarily, the mistake is made of invariably 

 leading the horses on the same side. They eventually 

 acquire a false set of the neck which could be easily 

 avoided by holding them for a time on the left as well as 

 on the right. 



Care of young horses. — After each exercise, the legs are 

 rubbed and the tendons massaged. Following a wash 

 down with plenty of water, the application of flannel 

 bandages produces highly beneficial results to the fetlocks 

 and tendons; the bandages retain the heat, help circula- 

 tion, support the tendons, prevent windpufFs and swell- 

 ings. Put on in the stable, they should encircle the fetlock 

 and the lower half of the cannon. They must not be too 

 tight; the fastening tapes in particular should be some- 

 what loose. It is useless to leave flannel bandages on 

 the legs all the time; the important thing is to put them 



22 



