232 



THE ARMY HORSE. 



ratory work and three months' breaking. At four years he 

 will be broken and perfectly ready for work. 



Although it mav be said that this four-year-old work would 

 prematurely wear him out, I assert, and experience proves 



Fig. 50. — Rider mal'^ing his horse swim according to INIr. James Fillis's method. 



that, under the conditions I have laid down, it will develop 

 and strens:then him. 



position just described, the horse's croup will become depressed more and more, 

 the animal will become upright, will turn over backwards, while beating the 

 water with his fore feet, and will end by sinking. 



The moment the horse is carried off his feet, the rider should take hold of a 

 good handful of the mane, and bend forward on the neck; but he should on no 

 account touch the head of the horse. He should firmly close his knees, for if he 

 does not do so, the water will instantly separate him from the horse. This is the 

 only position which enables the man to remain in the saddle and the horse to 

 swim. The rider ought to hold one of the snaffle reins in each hand, and when 

 he wishes to change the direction to the right or left, he should, for the moment, 

 bring his hand away from the shoulder, so as to act on the animal's mouth. But, 

 as I have just explained, he should, above all things, avoid pulling the reins in a 

 backward direction (Fig. 50). 



I presume that similar instructions are given to the cavalry of all nations. 



